EMSU: Quiz 15, EMT Chapter 15 Respiratory Emergencies

In a healthy individual, the brain stem stimulates breathing on the basis of:

increased carbon dioxide levels.

Which of the following is MOST characteristic of adequate breathing?

24 breaths/min with bilaterally equal breath sounds and pink skin

Which of the following statements regarding anaphylaxis is correct?

Anaphylaxis is characterized by airway swelling and hypotension.

While auscultating an elderly woman's breath sounds, you hear low-pitched "rattling" sounds at the bases of both of her lungs. This finding is MOST consistent with which of the following conditions?

Aspiration pneumonia

You are assessing a patient with respiratory distress and are unsure if the cause is congestive heart failure (CHF) or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Which of the following clinical signs would be the MOST helpful in determining whether the patient has CHF or COPD?

Jugular vein distention

A 60-year-old male presents with acute respiratory distress. He is conscious and alert, has pink and dry skin, and has respirations of 22 breaths/min with adequate depth. Which of the following treatments is MOST appropriate for this patient?

Oxygen via nonrebreathing mask and a focused secondary assessment

Which of the following statements regarding pulse oximetry is correct?

Pulse oximetry measures the percentage of hemoglobin that is saturated with oxygen, but does not measure the actual hemoglobin content of the blood.

Dyspnea is MOST accurately defined as:

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.

Common signs and symptoms of acute hyperventilation syndrome include:

Tachypnea an tingling in the extremities.

Which of the following statements regarding the hypoxic drive is correct?

The hypoxic drive stimulates a person to breathe on the basis of low oxygen levels.

Hyperventilation could be associated all of the following, except:

a narcotic overdose

When auscultating the lungs of a patient with respiratory distress, you hear adventitious sounds. This means that the patient has:

abnormal breath sounds.

You are dispatched to a residence for a 67-year-old female who was awakened by shortness of breath and sharp chest pain. Her husband tells you that she was recently discharged from the hospital after having hip surgery. Your assessment reveals dried blood around her mouth, facial cyanosis, and an oxygen saturation of 88%. You should suspect:

acute pulmonary embolism.

An alert patient presents with a regular pattern of inhalation and exhalation and breath sounds that are clear and equal on both sides of the chest. These findings are consistent with:

adequate air exchange.

Crackles (rales) are caused by _________.

air passing through fluid

When administering supplemental oxygen to a hypoxemic patient with a chronic lung disease, you should:

adjust the flow rate accordingly until you see symptom improvement, but be prepared to assist his or her ventilations.

Your primary assessment of an elderly woman reveals that she is conscious and alert, but is experiencing difficulty breathing. She has a history of emphysema, hypertension, and congestive heart failure. As you assess the patient's circulatory status, you should direct your partner to:

administer oxygen with the appropriate device.

_____ is a sign of hypoxia to the brain.

altered mental status

In what area of the lungs does respiration occur?

alveoli

A 62-year-old man with a history of congestive heart failure presents with severe respiratory distress and with an oxygen saturation of 82%. When you auscultate his lungs, you hear widespread rales. He is conscious and alert, is able to follow simple commands, and can only speak in two- to three-word sentences at a time. You should:

apply a CPAP device, monitor his blood pressure, and observe him for signs of improvement or deterioration.

A 62-year-old man with a history of congestive heart failure presents with severe respiratory distress and an oxygen saturation of 82%. When you auscultate his lungs, you hear widespread rales. He is conscious and alert, is able to follow simple commands, and can only speak in two- to three-word sentences at a time. You should:

apply a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device, monitor his blood pressure, and observe him for signs of improvement or deterioration.

You receive a call for a 70-year-old female with respiratory distress. Her husband tells you that she has congestive heart failure; however, he does not think that she has been taking her medications as prescribed. The patient is laboring to breathe, appears tired, and has cyanosis around her lips. You should:

assist her ventilations with a bag-valve mask.

Alkalosis is a condition that occurs when:

blood acidity is reduced by excessive breathing.

The respiratory distress that accompanies emphysema is caused by:

chronic stretching of the alveolar walls.

Inflammation and swelling of the pharynx, larynx, and trachea resulting in a "seal bark" cough are typically caused by:

croup

Which of the following is a genetic disorder that predisposes the patient to repeated lung infections?

cystic fibrosis

____ is a genetic disorder that affects the lungs and digestive system.

cystic fibrosis

A young female is unconscious after intentionally ingesting a large amount of aspirin. You will MOST likely find her respirations:

deep and rapid.

A conscious and alert 29-year-old female with a history of asthma complains of difficulty breathing that began after her morning jog. The temperature outside is 40°F (5°C). On exam, you hear bilateral expiratory wheezing. After providing supplemental oxygen, you should:

determine if she has been prescribed a beta-agonist inhaler.

A 30-year-old male presents with acute shortness of breath, widespread hives, and facial swelling. He denies any past medical history and takes no medications. During your assessment, you hear wheezing over all lung fields. His blood pressure is 90/50 mm Hg and his heart rate is 110 beats/min. In addition to giving him high-flow oxygen, the MOST important treatment for this patient is:

epinephrine.

At the onset of an acute asthma attack, patients commonly experience difficulty breathing and:

expiratory wheezing.

A pleural effusion is MOST accurately defined as:

fluid accumulation outside the lung.

Your patient has a chronic respiratory condition. His stimulus to breathe is triggered by low oxygen levels in the blood. This is known as the

hypoxic drive

Asthma is caused by a response of the:

immune system.

You are dispatched to an apartment complex where a 21 year old female has apparently overdosed on several narcotic medications. She is semiconscious and has slow, shallow respirations. You should:

insert a nasopharyngeal airway and begin assisted ventilation.

The two processes that occur during respiration are:

inspiration and expiration.

You are assisting an asthma patient with his prescribed metered-dose inhaler. After the patient takes a deep breath and depresses the inhaler, you should:

instruct him to hold his breath for as long as he comfortably can.

Which of the following must be assessed in every respiratory patient?

lung sounds

In order for efficient pulmonary gas exchange to occur:

oxygen and carbon dioxide must be able to freely diffuse across the alveolar-capillary membrane.

A 22 year old female patient is complaining of dyspnea and numbness and tingling in her hands and feet after an argument with her fiance. Her respirations are 40 breaths/min. You should:

provide reassurance and give oxygen as needed.

A 22-year-old female patient is complaining of dyspnea and numbness and tingling in her hands and feet after an argument with her fiancé. Her respirations are 40 breaths/min. You should:

provide reassurance and give oxygen as needed.

If the level of carbon dioxide in the arterial blood rises above normal, the patient breathes:

rapidly and deeply

When the level of arterial carbon dioxide rises above normal:

respirations increase in rate and depth.

"PASTE" is an alternate assessment tool for ___________.

respiratory patients

Harsh, high-pitched inspiratory sounds are characteristic of:

stridor.

Dyspnea is MOST accurately defined as:

shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.

If carbon dioxide levels drop too low, the person automatically breathes:

slower and less deeply

A 59-year-old male with a history of emphysema complains of an acute worsening of his dyspnea and pleuritic chest pain following a forceful cough. Your assessment reveals that he has a barrel-shaped chest, unilaterally diminished breath sounds, and tachycardia. What is the MOST likely cause of this patient's condition?

spontaneous pneumothorax

When assessing for fluid collection in the lungs during auscultation of lung sounds, you should:

start at the lower lung fields and determine at which level you start hearing clear breath sounds.

Common signs and symptoms of acute hyperventilation syndrome include:

tachypnea and tingling in the extremities.

Acute pulmonary edema would MOST likely develop as the result of:

toxic chemical inhalation.

Always consider _____ in patients who were eating just before becoming short of breath.

upper airway obstruction

Asthma produces a characteristic _____ as patients attempt to exhale through partially obstructed air passages.

wheezing