Chapter 3 - Medical, Legal, and Ethical Issues - D2L

To minimize the risk of litigation, the EMT should:

provide competent care that meets current standards.

Which of the following patients has decision-making capacity and can legally refuse emergency medical treatment?

A conscious and alert woman with severe abdominal pain

Which of the following MOST accurately defines negligence?

Deviation from the standard of care that may result in further injury

In which of the following situations does the EMT NOT have a legal duty to act?

a response to a motor vehicle crash while off duty

Which of the following components are needed to prove negligence?

Duty to act, breach of duty, injury/damages, and causation

When is forcible restraint permitted?

When the patient poses a significant threat to self or others

Which of the following general statements regarding consent is correct?

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

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 on the report.

Which aspect of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) MOST affects EMS personnel?

Protecting patient privacy

You arrive at the scene of a motor vehicle-versus-pedestrian accident. The patient, a 13-year-old male, is unconscious and has multiple injuries. As you are treating the child, a law enforcement officer advises you that the child's parents will be at the scene in approximately 15 minutes. What should you do?

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

You respond to the home of a 59-year-old man 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.

While transporting a stable patient with chest pain to the hospital, you come across a major motor vehicle crash involving several critically injured patients. You should:

continue transporting your patient and notify the dispatcher of the crash.

An EMT would MOST likely be held liable for abandonment if he or she:

did not make provisions for continued care of an injured patient.

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 were caused by weapons.