EMT Chapter 3

Definite signs of death that are obvious and clear to even non-medical personnel include all of the following EXCEPT:

profound cyanosis

Which aspects of HIPAA most affects EMS personnel?

protecting patient privacy

Assault

unlawfully placing patient in fear of bodily harm

Which of the following is generally NOT considered confidential?

the location of the emergency

Battery

touching without consent

Which of the following components are needed to prove negligence?

1. duty to act 2. breach of duty 3. injury/damages 4. causation

To help protect patients, EMS agencies are required to have:

a privacy officer to answer questions

Which type of consent is involved when a 39 year old mentally competent female with a severe head ache asks you to take her to the hospital?

Expressed

At 2:00am, a 17yo male, accompanied by his 19yo girlfriend, had driven to the bar to give his father (who had been drinking large amounts of alcohol) a ride home. On they way back, they were involved in an MVA. The boy has a large laceration with profuse bleeding on his forehead. His girlfriend is unconscious on the front passenger floor. The father is standing outside of the vehicle, appearing heavily intoxicated, and is refusing care. What is the best way to begin consent to treat the driver, considering that he is a minor and that his father is in an altered mental status?

It is a true emergency, so consent is implied

As an EMT, the standards of emergency care are often partially based on:

It is difficult to prove actions were performed if they are not included in the report

In which of the following circumstances can the EMT legally release confidential patient information?

The patient is competent and signs a release form.

When is forcible restraint permitted?

When a patient poses a significant threat to self or others

In which of the following circumstances does a legal duty to act clearly exist?

A call is received 15 minutes prior to shift change

Which of the following general statements regarding consent is correct?

A patient can consent to transport but can legally refuse to be treated

Which of the following statements about the patient care report (PCR) is correct?

It is difficult to prove actions were performed if they are not included on the report.

Implied Consent

Legal assumption that treatment was desired

You arrive on the scene of a motor-vehicle-vs-pedestrian accident. The patient, a 13 year old male, is unconscious and has multiple injuries. As you are treating the child, a law enforcement agent informs you that the child's parents will arrive at the scene in approximately 15 minutes. You should:

Transport the child immediately and have the parents meet you at the hospital.

Standard of Care

accepted level of care consistent with training

Good Samaritan laws generally are designed to protect those who render care in good faith. They do not offer protection from:

acts of negligence

During you monthly internal quality improvement meeting (QI), you receive several patient care reports (PCR) with the staff of your EMS system. You identify the patient's name, age, and sex, and then discuss the treatment that was provided by the EMTs in the field. By taking this approach to the QI process, you:

are in violation of HIPAA because because you did not remove the PHI from the PCR beforehand

You respond to the home of a 59 year old male who is unconscious; has slow, shallow breathing, and has a weak pulse. The family states that the patient has terminal brain cancer and does not wish to be resuscitated. They further state that there is a DNR order for this patient, but they are unable to locate it. You should:

begin treatment and contact medical control as needed.

The process by which a person, an institution, or a program is evaluated and recognized as meeting certain standards is called:

certification

You respond to a single vehicle crash on the highway west of town. Upon arrival, you find a 33yo male with an open forearm fracture who has self-extricated himself from his pick-up, which is down the roadside embankment. He does not appear to have suffered any other injuries, and is fully coherent, and refuses all medical care. In an effort to obtain consent to treat this patient, you should:

clearly explain the consequences of not accepting medical treatment

You are called to attend to an elderly patient with an extensive medical history who is now in cardiac arrest. The patient's family tells you that the patient has a DNR order. There is no paperwork available, but the patient does have a MedicAlert bracelet indicating DNR. You should:

confirm the patient's identity and then confirm the DNR by calling the MedicAlert foundation phone number on the bracelet

Putrefaction is defined as:

decomposition of the body's tissues

Where would you MOST likely find information regarding a patient's wishes to be an organ donor?

driver's license

When performing his or her duties, the EMT is expected to:

exercise reasonable care and act prudently

You and your partner arrive on the scene of a major MVA. The driver, a young male, is severely entrapped in his car. He has an open head injury and massive facial trauma. He is unresponsive, is not breathing, and has no palpable carotid pulse. You should:

have your partner check for a pulse to confirm that the patient is deceased.

The EMT's scope of practice within his or her local response area is defined by the:

medical director

Maintaining the chain of evidence at the scene of a crime should include:

not cutting through holes in clothing that was caused by weapons

Negligence is based on the EMT's duty to act, cause, breach of duty, and:

real or perceived damages

Medicolegal

relating to law or forensic medicine

Expressed Consent

specific authorization to provide care expressed by the patient

An important safeguard against legal implication is:

writing a complete and accurate run report

Advance Directive

written documentation that specifies treatment