EMT chapter 17 Quiz

Headache, vomiting, altered mental status, and seizures are all considered early signs of:

increased intracranial pressure

When blood flow to a particular part of the brain is cut off by a blockage inside a blood vessel, the result is:

an ischemic stroke

Your patient answers your questions appropriately, although her eyes remain closed the entire time. She moves each extremity on command, although her left side is weaker than the right. You should assign a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of:

12

Which of the following patients would MOST likely demonstrate typical signs of infection, such as a fever?

A 17-year-old male with anxiety

You are called to a home and find a 56-year-old woman supine in her bed. She appears alert, but has slurred speech. Her family tells you she has a history of TIAs and hypertension. You ask the patient, "What day is it today?" Her reply is, "Butterfly." Which area of the brain is likely affected?

Left Hemisphere

Which of the following medications would indicate that a patient has a history of seizures?

Levetiracetam (Keppra)

The principal difference between a patient who has had a stroke and a patient with hypoglycemia almost always has to do with the:

Mental status

Which of the following findings should concern the EMT the MOST when assessing a patient who complains of a headache?

Neck stiffness or pain

Components of the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale include:

arm drift, speech, and facial droop.

A 58-year-old male presents with confusion, right-sided weakness, and slurred speech. His wife is present and is very upset. As your partner is applying oxygen, it is MOST important for you to:

ask his wife when she noticed symptoms

Which of the following MOST accurately describes the cause of an ischemic stroke?

blockage of a cerebral artery

Muscle control and body coordination are controlled by the:

cerebellum

A 29-year-old male complains of a severe headache and nausea that has gradually worsened over the past 12 hours. He is conscious, alert, and oriented and tells you that his physician diagnosed him with migraine headaches. He further tells you that he has taken numerous different medications, but none of them seem to help. His blood pressure is 132/74 mm Hg, his pulse is 110 beats/min and strong, and his respirations are 20 breaths/min. Treatment should include:

dimming the lights in the back of the ambulance and transporting without lights and siren.

The anterior aspect of the cerebrum controls:

emotion

Status epilepticus is characterized by:

prolonged seizures without a return of consciousness.

A generalized (tonic-clonic) seizure is characterized by:

severe twitching of all the body's muscles

Hypoglycemia can mimic conditions such as:

stroke

Successful treatment of a stroke depends on whether:

thrombolytic therapy is given within 3 hours of symptoms beginning.

A patient who is experiencing aphasia is:

unable to produce or understand speech.

The principal clinical difference between a stroke and hypoglycemia is that patients with hypoglycemia:

usually have an altered mental status or decreased level of consciousness.

Law enforcement has summoned you to a nightclub, where a 22-year-old female was found unconscious in an adjacent alley. Your primary assessment reveals that her respirations are rapid and shallow and her pulse is rapid and weak. She is wearing a medical alert bracelet that identifies her as an epileptic. There is an empty bottle of vodka next to the patient. You should:

assist ventilations, perform a rapid exam, and prepare for immediate transport.

A 40-year-old patient without a history of seizures experiences a generalized (tonic-clonic) seizure. The LEAST likely cause of this seizure is:

epilepsy

Which of the following conditions is NOT a common cause of seizures?

hypotension

You arrive at a grocery store shortly after a 35-year-old male stopped seizing. Your assessment reveals that he is confused and incontinent of urine. The patient's girlfriend tells you that he has a history of seizures and takes topiramate (Topamax). When obtaining further medical history from the girlfriend, it is MOST important to:

obtain a description of how the seizure developed.

Which of the following clinical signs is MOST suggestive of a ruptured aneurysm?

sudden, severe headache