EMT Chapter 9

Normal respiratory rates should not exceed _______ breaths per minute in children and _______ breaths per minute in infants.

30, 50

An unstable patient should be reassessed at least every:

5 minutes

For an adult, the normal resting pulse should be between:

60 and 100 beats/min

Palliating factors regarding a patient's pain involve those that:

alleviate the pain

When performing a full-body scan on a trauma patient, you note the presence of Battle's sign. This is defined as:

bruising behind the ear.

During the primary assessment, circulation is evaluated by assessing:

pulse quality, external bleeding, and skin condition.

In responsive patients that are older than 1 year of age, you should palpate the pulse at the ________ artery.

radial

Pain that moves from its point of origin to another body location is said to be:

radiating

If a patient develops difficulty breathing after your primary assessment, you should immediately:

reevaluate his or her airway status.

When approaching a 32-year-old male who is complaining of traumatic neck pain, you should:

ensure that the patient can see you approaching him

Upon arriving at a potentially unsafe scene, you should:

ensure that you are safe

A patient with high blood pressure would be expected to have skin that is:

flushed and red

The goal of the full-body scan that is performed during the secondary assessment is to:

locate injuries not found in the primary assessment.

As you assess the head of a patient with a suspected spinal injury, your partner should:

maintain stabilization of the head

The diastolic pressure represents the:

minimum amount of pressure that is always present in the arteries.

A patient who does not respond to your questions but moves or cries out when his or her trapezius muscle is pinched, is said to be:

responsive to painful stimuli

Jugular venous distention suggests a problem with blood returning to the heart if the patient is:

sitting up at a 45° angle.

When assessing motor function in a conscious patient's lower extremities, you should expect the patient to:

wiggle his or her toes on command.

Supplemental oxygen via nonrebreathing mask should be administered to patients:

with difficulty breathing and adequate tidal volume.

A patient with spontaneous respirations is breathing:

without assistance

The normal respiratory rate for an adult should range from:

12 to 20 breaths per minute.

An elderly patient has fallen and hit her head. You assess her level of consciousness as unresponsive using the AVPU scale. Your initial care should focus on:

airway, breathing, and circulation

Treatment and transport priorities at the scene of a mass-casualty incident should be determined after:

all the patients have been triaged

A 39-year-old male sustained a stab wound to the groin during an altercation at a bar. As you approach the patient, you note that he is conscious, is screaming in pain, and is attempting to control the bleeding, which is bright red and spurting from his groin area. You should:

apply direct pressure to the wound.

When palpating the carotid pulse of a responsive older patient, you should:

avoid compressing both carotid arteries simultaneously.

An adult patient who is NOT experiencing difficulty breathing will:

be able to speak in complete sentences without unusual pauses

When you shine a light into one pupil, the normal reaction of the other pupil should be to:

become smaller.

With regard to the assessment of a patient's cardiovascular status, capillary refill time is MOST reliable in:

children who are younger than 6 years of age.

When you inspect a patient's pupils with a penlight, the pupils should normally react to the light by:

constricting

When palpating a patient's pulse, you note that it is grossly irregular. You should:

count the pulse rate for a full minute to obtain an accurate reading.

When assessing the skin of an unconscious patient, you note that it has a bluish tint to it. This finding is called:

cyanosis

A 50-year-old male is found unconscious in his car. There were no witnesses to the event. When gathering medical history information for this patient, the EMT should:

determine if the patient has a medical alert bracelet or wallet card

When evaluating a patient with multiple complaints, the EMT's responsibility is to:

determine which complaint poses the greatest threat to the patient's life.

A patient with profuse sweating is referred to as being:

diaphoretic

The goal of the primary assessment is to:

identify and rapidly treat all life-threatening conditions.

You respond to a call for a female pedestrian who has been struck by a car. As your partner maintains manual stabilization of her head, you perform a primary assessment. She is unconscious, has ineffective breathing, and has bloody secretions in her mouth. You should:

immediately suction her oropharynx.

What maneuver should be used to open the airway of an unresponsive patient with suspected trauma?

jaw-thrust maneuver

In patients with deeply pigmented skin, changes in color may be apparent only in certain areas, such as the:

lips

A 40-year-old male presents with pain to the right upper quadrant of his abdomen. He is conscious and alert with stable vital signs. During your assessment, you note that his skin and sclera are jaundiced. You should suspect:

liver dysfunction

A 40-year-old male crashed his motorcycle into a tree. He is semiconscious, has snoring respirations, and has a laceration to the forearm with minimal bleeding. You should:

open his airway with the jaw-thrust maneuver.

In infants and small children, skin color should be assessed on the:

palms and soles.

A full-body scan should be performed on:

patients with a significant MOI and unresponsive medical patients.

The MOST effective way to determine whether your patient's problem is medical or traumatic in origin is to:

perform a careful and thorough assessment.

During your assessment of a 6-month-old male with vomiting and diarrhea, you note that his capillary refill time is approximately 4 seconds. From this information, you should conclude that his:

peripheral circulation is decreased

Normal skin color, temperature, and condition should be:

pink, warm, and dry

A palpable pulse is created by:

pressure waves through the arteries caused by cardiac contraction.

You are dispatched to the county jail for an inmate who is "sick." When you arrive, you find the patient, a 33-year-old male, unresponsive. His airway is patent and his respirations are rapid and shallow. Your initial action should be to:

provide assisted ventilation.

You respond to the residence of a 62-year-old male who is unresponsive. Your primary assessment reveals that he is pulseless and apneic. You should:

start CPR and attach the AED as soon as possible.

Which abnormal breath sound indicates obstruction of the upper airway?

stridor

A crackling sound produced by air bubbles under the skin is called:

subcutaneous emphysema

The pressure exerted against the walls of the artery when the left ventricle contracts is called the:

systolic pressure

When a patient's respirations are shallow:

tidal volume is markedly reduced.

Palpating the carotid pulse is not recommended in infants because:

you may inadvertently compress the trachea.