EMT Chapter 12 PreTest, Homework, Test
Which of the following is a good indication of a partially occluded airway? A. The patient is speaking clearly. B. The patient has snoring respirations. C. The patient is crying loudly. D. The patient is alert.
B. The patient has snoring respirations.
In EMS, what does mental status refer to? A. The patient's general level of intelligence B. The patient's level of awareness of his surroundings C. Any history of mental illness that the patient may have D. None of the above
B. The patient's level of awareness of his surroundings
Which of the following is not assessed during the breathing phase of the primary assessment? A. The depth of respiration B. The pulse oximetry reading C. The respiratory rate D. The presence of respirations
B. The pulse oximetry reading
Your patient is a 42-year-old woman who fell two feet from a ladder and is complaining of pain in her ankle. Which of the following are you unable to determine from the information given? A. Airway status B. Transport priority C. Chief complaint D. General impression
B. Transport priority
A sign of lifelessness that would indicate going directly to a pulse check and the C-A-B approach is: A. mild breathing distress. B. agonal breathing. C. an occluded airway. D. a gurgling sound from the patient's throat.
B. agonal breathing.
You arrive on the scene of a traffic accident and find a bleeding patient wandering by the roadside who appears to be coughing. Your general impression of this patient may include: A. assessment of the patient's pulse. B. an immediate impression of the patient's appearance. C. intervention for hypoxia. D. an assessment of the patient's airway.
B. an immediate impression of the patient's appearance.
As you interview a patient with a medical complaint, the reason why EMS was called is often referred to as the: A. mechanism of injury. B. chief complaint. C. SAMPLE history. D. physical examination.
B. chief complaint.
You are called to a scene of a fall and find the patient unconscious with a twisted leg. A general impression of this patient would be: A. opening the patient's airway and suctioning the airway, if necessary. B. deciding that the patient's fall was severe and injured the patient's leg. C. determining whether the patient is breathing and that the level of breathing is adequate. D. checking whether the patient has a pulse and is displaying signs of shock.
B. deciding that the patient's fall was severe and injured the patient's leg.
During the primary assessment, an example of a life threat to circulation that must be managed right away would be: A. a throbbing headache. B. external arterial bleeding. C. nausea and stomach pain. D. very cold, pale skin.
B. external arterial bleeding.
The primary assessment: A. is the total assessment of the patient. B. is the first step in the total assessment of a patient. C. begins with general assessment and ends with assessment of mental status. D. follows a strict airway-breathing-circulation pattern of assessment.
B. is the first step in the total assessment of a patient.
You find a middle-aged unresponsive man lying prone on the ground near a ladder. You should: A. move the ladder out of the way. B. manually immobilize his head. C. pick him up with a scoop stretcher. D. roll him over to a supine position.
B. manually immobilize his head.
A 90-year-old female is experiencing severe respiratory distress secondary to exacerbated COPD. After several minutes of treating this patient, you witness her stop breathing. She continues to have a pulse. You should next: A. deliver positive pressure ventilations. B. take measures to open the airway. C. apply supplemental oxygen. D. begin chest compressions.
B. take measures to open the airway.
In an infant or small child with small nail beds, check capillary refill by pressing the back of the hand or: A. side of the thigh. B. top of the foot. C. elbow or knee. D. small of the back.
B. top of the foot.
During the primary assessment of a responsive adult patient, where should the pulse be checked? A. At the brachial artery B. At the femoral artery C. At the radial artery D. At the carotid artery
C. At the radial artery
Your patient is a middle-aged man who appears to be in distress and is clutching his chest. These observations lead you to suspect which type of problem? A. Choking B. Digestive C. Cardiac D. Anaphylaxis
C. Cardiac
What is the first thing the EMT does during the primary assessment? A. Determines transport priority B. Assesses mental status C. Forms a general impression D. Opens the airway
C. Forms a general impression
Which of the following represents the correct order of assessment for the EMT during the primary assessment from start to end? A. Patient priority, general impression, mental status, airway, breathing, circulation B. Mental status, general impression, airway, breathing, circulation, patient priority C. General impression, mental status, airway, breathing, circulation, patient priority D. None of the above
C. General impression, mental status, airway, breathing, circulation, patient priority
Which of the following is the proper position for maintaining the airway in a child with a decreased level of consciousness? A. Hyperextension of the neck; placing a pillow under the back if necessary B. Using a cervical collar to keep the chin elevated C. Placing the head and neck in a neutral position; using a folded towel under the shoulders if necessary D. Flexing the neck to place the chin on the chest; placing a folded towel under the back of the head if necessary
C. Placing the head and neck in a neutral position; using a folded towel under the shoulders if necessary
During your assessment of a patient who is suspected of having had a stroke, you have to pinch his nail beds for him to respond. Which of the following would best categorize this patient's mental status? A. The patient responds to verbal stimuli. B. The patient is unresponsive. C. The patient responds to painful stimuli. D. The patient is alert.
C. The patient responds to painful stimuli.
Which of the following is true concerning the primary assessment? A. The EMT should perform a sternal rub on all patients to test for response to painful stimuli. B. External bleeding will be obvious as you enter the room and initially see the patient. C. The primary assessment begins by just observing the patient as you enter the room. D. Manual airway maneuvers must be performed on all patients.
C. The primary assessment begins by just observing the patient as you enter the room.
A 41-year-old male has sustained a large laceration to his leg after falling from a tree he was trimming. You identify the massive hemorrhage and apply a tourniquet. After bleeding has been controlled, you should next: A. determine transport priority. B. develop a general impression. C. assess the patient's airway. D. assess the patient's breathing.
C. assess the patient's airway.
You are approaching a 16-year-old male with bright red spurting blood coming from his leg. He is screaming and he begs you to help him. You should: A. apply oxygen. B. ask him to calm down. C. control the bleeding. D. assess his airway.
C. control the bleeding.
During the primary assessment, you would focus exclusively on: A. hazards of the scene. B. mechanism of injury. C. life threats. D. nature of illness.
C. life threats.
You are approaching an adult female lying supine on the ground with snoring respirations. You should: A. insert a nasopharyngeal airway. B. insert an oropharyngeal airway. C. open her airway with a jaw-thrust maneuver. D. ventilate with a bag-valve ma
C. open her airway with a jaw-thrust maneuver.
A 45-year-old female is found unconscious. She is not breathing but has a pulse. You should next: A. apply an AED. B. initiate chest compressions. C. perform rescue breathing. D. administer supplemental oxygen.
C. perform rescue breathing.
You find a teenage male lying supine in his bedroom. You hear gurgling sounds from the patient's mouth and see vomit with pill fragments on the floor. You should: A. ventilate with oxygen. B. identify the pills. C. suction the airway. D. perform chest thrusts.
C. suction the airway.
Your general impression of the patient includes the observation that the patient, a small child, is crying loudly. This tells you immediately that: A. the patient requires the head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver. B. the patient requires an airway adjunct. C. the patient's airway is open. D. the patient's airway requires suctioning.
C. the patient's airway is open.
A 25-year-old male was shot in the leg. He has visibly lost a lot of blood, and when assessing this patient's circulation, you determine that this patient has life-threatening bleeding. You should control the bleeding and: A. open the patient's airway. B. suction the patient's airway. C. treat for shock. D. place an oral or nasal airway.
C. treat for shock.
An 81-year-old diabetic female has been found unconscious. You find that your patient does not respond to a sternal rub or pinching the web between the thumb and index finger. You determine that her mental status is: A. "P" for painful. B. "V" for verbal. C. "A" for alert. D. "U" for unresponsive.
D. "U" for unresponsive.
Which of the following indicates a possible circulatory problem? A. Weak, thready pulse that is normal in rate B. Slow pulse C. Rapid pulse D. All of the above
D. All of the above
Which of the following techniques is used when formulating the general impression? A. Looking for visual clues B. Listening for unusual sounds C. Detecting odors D. All of the above
D. All of the above
Which of the following best describes an EMS provider's "sixth sense"? A. Diagnostic ability B. Scene safety C. General impression D. Clinical judgment
D. Clinical judgment
Which of the following is the correct manner for checking for responsiveness in an apparently unresponsive infant? A. Shaking the child B. Rubbing the sternum with your knuckles C. Pinching the earlobe D. Flicking the soles of the feet
D. Flicking the soles of the feet
Which term refers to the EMT's initial sense of the patient's condition, based on immediate assessment of the patient's environment, appearance, and chief complaint? A. Secondary assessment B. Scene size-up C. Primary assessment D. General impression
D. General impression
Which of the following is not true regarding a patient who has a mental status of less than alert? A. He may not have adequate blood circulation. B. He requires high-concentration oxygen. C. His brain may not be getting enough oxygen. D. He is in a state of rapid eye movement sleep.
D. He is in a state of rapid eye movement sleep.
In which of the following patients would you check a brachial pulse initially? A. Geriatric B. Adult C. Child D. Infant
D. Infant
Which of the following is not performed during the airway phase of the primary assessment? A. Insertion of an oropharyngeal airway B. Head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver C. Suctioning D. Obtaining the respiratory rate
D. Obtaining the respiratory rate
You are at the scene where a 19-year-old female college student has been drinking large quantities of alcohol throughout the evening. On your arrival, the patient is lying on her back with no signs of trauma; has vomited; and has slow, wet sounding respirations. Which of the following should you do next? A. Determine the respiratory rate. B. Check for carotid and radial pulses. C. Assist respirations with a bag-valve-mask device. D. Open the patient's airway using a head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver.
D. Open the patient's airway using a head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver.
You are responding to a call for a 17-year-old asthma patient who has been having an attack for two hours. Her mother called EMS because the patient seemed to be deteriorating. You note that the patient is lethargic, confused, pale, and diaphoretic. Her airway is open, and she is breathing slowly at 6 breaths per minute. Which of these findings would be signs of shock in a look test? A. Asthma B. Deteriorating condition C. Lethargy D. Pale and sweating
D. Pale and sweating
Which of the following phases of patient interaction is most likely the phase in which the EMT will discover and deal with life-threatening problems? A. Patient history B. Secondary assessment C. General impression D. Primary assessment
D. Primary assessment
In the primary assessment, which of the following is not an acceptable method of assessing the patient's circulatory status? A. Looking for serious bleeding B. Assessing the patient's skin color C. Checking a radial pulse D. Taking a blood pressure reading
D. Taking a blood pressure reading
Which of the following differences should be expected when assessing a pediatric patient, as compared to an adult patient? A. An adult's tongue is proportionally larger than that of a child and should always be considered as a potential airway obstruction. B. The normal pulse rate is slower. C. Capillary refill is not as reliable an indicator of circulatory status. D. The normal respiratory rate is faster.
D. The normal respiratory rate is faster.
A 13-year-old male has crashed an ATV. He was not wearing a helmet, and was found unconscious. His airway is patent and he is breathing adequately, but you hear rales in his chest and diminished lung sounds in his right chest. You assess this patient's priority for transport as high. What is one reason? A. The patient's airway is patent. B. The patient was not wearing a helmet. C. The patient crashed an ATV. D. The patient is unconscious.
D. The patient is unconscious.
A patient's heart rate and respiratory rate are slightly below normal. This patient appears to have a patent airway, and you have stopped the bleeding from a small laceration on the patient's forehead. However, the patient's mental status seems slightly confused, with the patient only intermittently alert and responsive to verbal commands, and you are concerned that the patient's condition will worsen. What aspect of this patient's condition most points to it being potentially unstable? A. The bleeding from the laceration B. The below-normal heart rate C. The below-normal respiratory rate D. Your suspicion that it will worsen
D. Your suspicion that it will worsen
A 66-year-old female has been found apneic and pulseless. You should immediately: A. open the patient's airway. B. insert an OPA. C. initiate positive pressure ventilations. D. begin chest compressions
D. begin chest compressions
An EMT's concern during primary assessment is: A. gathering a detailed patient history. B. ensuring that the scene of the emergency is safe. C. taking detailed notes to guide the secondary assessment. D. discovering and treating life-threatening problems.
D. discovering and treating life-threatening problems.
A patient whose mental status can be described as verbal is able to: A. talk spontaneously and respond to the EMT's questions. B. tell you his or her name, his or her location, and what day it is. C. respond only to a stimulus such as the EMT rubbing his sternum with his knuckles. D. respond to speaking or shouting by opening the eyes.
D. respond to speaking or shouting by opening the eyes.
A 56-year-old male has fallen off a 12-foot ladder. After ensuring scene safety and completing the scene size-up, you should next: A. assess the patient's airway. B. assess baseline vital signs. C. question bystanders. D. take manual cervical spine precautions.
D. take manual cervical spine precautions.
You have assessed a patient's mental status as not alert, and the patient's breathing has insufficient minute volume. Based on these findings, you assess this patient's breathing as requiring assistance. Of the four general situations requiring breathing assistance, if numbered 1 through 4 with 1 being most severe and 4 being least, this situation would rate a: A. 2. B. 3. C. 1. D. 4.
A. 2.
Which of the following acronyms may be used in assessing the patient's level of responsiveness? A. AVPU B. SAMPLE C. C-A-B D. ABC
A. AVPU
Your patient is a 72-year-old female who has "twisted her ankle" coming down some steps. She is alert and complaining of pain in her right ankle, but she jokes about her "clumsiness." Which of the following should you do next? A. Ask if the patient has pain anywhere beside her ankle. B. Administer high-concentration oxygen by nonrebreather mask. C. Take immediate manual control of the patient's cervical spine. D. Determine the presence of a carotid pulse.
A. Ask if the patient has pain anywhere beside her ankle.
Your patient is a 33-year-old man who has been ejected from his vehicle during a high-speed collision. During your primary assessment it is discovered that he is not moving, does not appear to have adequate respirations, and has suffered moderate external bleeding. Which of the following should be done first? A. Open the airway. B. Control the bleeding with direct pressure. C. Begin bag-valve-mask ventilations. D. Check the patient's carotid pulse.
A. Open the airway.
You have arrived on the scene at a high school football field where a 17-year-old male is lying on the ground. He is unresponsive and cyanotic, and he is making obvious respiratory effort without moving adequate amounts of air. Which of the following should be done first? A. Open the patient's airway using a manual maneuver. B. Apply high-concentration oxygen by nonrebreather mask. C. Insert a nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal airway. D. Assist ventilations with a bag-valve-mask device and supplemental oxygen.
A. Open the patient's airway using a manual maneuver.
The mnemonic AVPU is used to evaluate which of the following? A. Patient's level of responsiveness B. Patient's chief complaint C. Patient's transport priority D. EMT's general impression of the patient's condition
A. Patient's level of responsiveness
If a patient is alert and breathing adequately but exhibits cyanotic skin, then which intervention is most appropriate? A. Provide oxygen based on the patient's need as determined by your examination, the patient's complaint and level of distress, and the pulse oximetry readings. B. Provide positive pressure ventilations with 100% oxygen. C. Assist the patient's ventilations with 100% oxygen. Synchronize your ventilations with the patient's own respirations so they are working together, not against each other. D. Perform rescue breathing.
A. Provide oxygen based on the patient's need as determined by your examination, the patient's complaint and level of distress, and the pulse oximetry readings
Which of the following describes the chief complaint? A. Reason why the patient summoned EMS B. Events immediately preceding the call for EMS C. Overall impression of the patient's condition D. All of the above
A. Reason why the patient summoned EMS
Which of the following presentations would be considered normal during the breathing phase of the primary assessment? A. Respiratory rate of 12 with adequate depth B. Respiratory rate of 16 with altered mental status C. Respiratory rate of 28 with adequate depth D. Respiratory rate of 6 with shallow depth
A. Respiratory rate of 12 with adequate depth
Which of the following is the most reliable means of determining whether a patient has any immediately life-threatening conditions? A. Systematic approach to assessment B. Obtaining a detailed medical history C. Thorough scene size-up D. Use of intuition
A. Systematic approach to assessment
In EMS, which of the following best describes the term intervention? A. Taking steps to correct a problem B. Creating a permanent record of patient care C. Determining if there is a problem D. Decreasing the EMT's liability for negligence
A. Taking steps to correct a problem
Which of the following is the purpose of the primary assessment? A. To detect and treat immediately life-threatening problems B. To discover trends of improvement or deterioration in the patient's condition C. To detect dangers to the patient andor EMS crew D. To find all of the patient's signs and symptoms
A. To detect and treat immediately life-threatening problems
Which of the following questions will most likely elicit your patient's chief complaint? A. What made you call 911 this evening? B. Have you been drinking today? C. How have you been feeling lately? D. Do you have any medical problems?
A. What made you call 911 this evening?
A 40-year-old male has crashed his motorcycle. Your general impression identifies that he is unconscious and that he has blood spurting out of the junction of his leg and his groin. You also hear gurgling respirations. You should first: A. apply direct pressure to the bleeding wound. B. assess for a carotid pulse. C. open the patient's airway using the jaw-thrust maneuver. D. suction the patient's airway.
A. apply direct pressure to the bleeding wound.
You are approaching a young adult male lying supine on the ground with his eyes closed. You should: A. ask him if he is okay. B. feel for a pulse. C. expose his chest. D. open his airway.
A. ask him if he is okay.
What is a normal capillary refill time in a pediatric patient? A. less than 2 seconds B. 1 minute C. 5 seconds D. 3 seconds
A. less than 2 seconds
The decision regarding the need for immediate transport of the patient versus further assessment and care at the scene is referred to as: A. priority. B. the general impression. C. interventions. D. the chief complaint.
A. priority.
You enter a room to find a 16-year-old female sitting upright in a chair with her back straight, leaning forward, and her arms supporting her. She is having a hard time talking to you. You should suspect: A. respiratory distress. B. allergic reaction. C. chest discomfort. D. abdominal pain.
A. respiratory distress.
During your primary assessment, you note blood in the patient's mouth and hear gurgling. You should next: A. suction the airway and clear any secretions. B. evaluate the patient's breathing. C. evaluate the patient's circulation. D. form a general impression of the patient.
A. suction the airway and clear any secretions.
A patient has a pulse but is unconscious, and you suspect trauma from a fall. After developing a general impression of the patient, you would: A. take spinal precautions. B. insert an oral or nasal airway. C. suction, if necessary. D. open the airway.
A. take spinal precautions.
A 33-year-old male has been thrown from a vehicle in a high-speed crash. Your assessment reveals that he will respond only to painful stimuli with decorticate posturing. He has blood in the hypopharynx, unequal chest wall motion, and a penetrating injury to the leg with moderate bleeding. Based on these findings, you would likely classify this patient as: A. unstable. B. potentially unstable. C. stable. D. unresponsive.
A. unstable.
A 58-year-old male crashed his vehicle at high speed. He was not wearing his seat belt, and has a deep laceration on his forehead and neck pain. It is not clear whether there was a period of unconsciousness before your arrival on the scene. You decide that because of the potential for loss of consciousness from a head injury and the significant MOI, this patient is a high priority and should go to the trauma center. This decision reflects your clinical judgment, which is based on: A. your experience in observing and treating patients. B. standing orders from medical direction. C. the directives given to you by your direct supervisor. D. triage guidelines in your state.
A. your experience in observing and treating patients.
For which of the following patients would capillary refill be a reliable sign of circulatory status? A. 24-year-old homeless man who has spent the night outside in the rain B. 3-year-old child with a fever and cough C. 50-year-old woman complaining of chest pain D. 92-year-old man complaining of weakness on his right side
B. 3-year-old child with a fever and cough
Which of the following patients is a high priority for transport? A. Adult male with a headache B. Adult male with difficulty breathing C. Adult male with sharp lower back pain D. Adult male with dull abdominal pain
B. Adult male with difficulty breathing
During the primary assessment of an unresponsive two-month-old infant, which pulse should be palpated? A. Radial B. Brachial C. Carotid D. Umbilical
B. Brachial
Which of the following would be the best method to open the airway on an unresponsive trauma patient? A. Suctioning the airway B. Jaw-thrust maneuver C. Inserting an oropharyngeal airway D. Head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver
B. Jaw-thrust maneuver
Which of the following statements is TRUE about the primary assessment? A. The main purpose of the primary assessment is to perform a head-to-toe physical examination to discover injuries. B. Life-threatening conditions that are identified during the primary assessment must be treated immediately as found. C. You cannot gain enough information about the patient during the primary assessment to make a transport decision. D. You will assess each patient in A-B-C order: airway, breathing, and circulation.
B. Life-threatening conditions that are identified during the primary assessment must be treated immediately as found.
Which of the following findings is generally not used to assess an adult's circulation? A. Patient's skin color, temperature, and condition B. Patient's capillary refill time C. Patient's distal pulse rate D. Evaluation for bleeding
B. Patient's capillary refill time
Which of the following is not part of the general impression? A. Patient's facial expression B. Patient's past medical history C. Patient's age and sex D. Position in which the patient is found
B. Patient's past medical history
How would you assess the mental status of an infant who appeared unresponsive? A. Shake the infant and shout. B. Speak as a verbal stimulus and flick the feet as a painful stimulus. C. Do a light sternal rub to elicit a painful response. D. Ask the caregiver whether the infant is alert.
B. Speak as a verbal stimulus and flick the feet as a painful stimulus.
