Quiz 3 EMT

In which of the following situations does a legal duty to act clearly exist?

A call is received 15 minutes prior to shift change.

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

Shortly after loading your patient, a 50-year-old man with abdominal pain, into the ambulance, he tells you that he changed his mind and does not want to go to the hospital. He is conscious and alert and has no signs of mental incapacitation. You are suspicious that the man has a significant underlying condition and feel strongly that he should go to the hospital. Which of the following statements regarding this situation is correct?

A mentally competent adult can withdraw his or her consent to treat at any time

You and your partner arrive at the scene of a major motor vehicle crash. The driver, a young male, is severely entrapped in his car. He has a head injury and massive facial trauma. He is unresponsive, is not breathing, and does not have a palpable carotid pulse. You should:

Have your partner check for a pulse to confirm that the patient is deceased.

Which of the following statements about the patient care report is correct?

It is difficult to prove actions were preformed if they are not included on the report.

As an EMT, the standards of emergency care are often partially based on:

Locally accepted protocols.

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

Protecting patient privacy

In which of the following circumstances can the EMT legally release confidential patient information?

The patient is competent and signs a release form.

You are treating a man who was assaulted and has a closed head injury. The patient, who has slurred speech, becomes verbally abusive and tells you to leave him alone. You should:

proceed with treatment and utilize law enforcement for assistance if necessary.

To minimize the risk of litigation, the EMT should:

provide competent care the meets current standards.

Which of the following general statements regarding consent is correct?

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

To help protect patients. EMS agencies are required to have _________.

A privacy officer to answer questions

During your monthly internal quality improvement (QI) meeting, you review several patient care reports (PCRs) with the staff of your EMT system. You identify the patient's name, age, and sex, and the discuss the treatment that was provided by the EMTs in the field. By taking this approach to the QI process, you:

Are in violation of HIPPA because you did not remove the PHI from the PCR beforehand.

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 no DNR order for this patient, but they are unable to locate it. You should:

Begin treatment and contact medical control as needed.

You are called to attend to an elderly patient with with an extensive medical history who is now in cardiac arrest. The patient's family tells you that the patient has a DNR order. There is no paperwork available but the patient does have a MedicAlert bracelet indicating Do Not Resuscitate. You should:

Confirm the patient's identity and then confirm the DNR by calling the MedicAlert Foundation number on the bracelet.

Putrefaction is defined as:

Decomposition of the body's tissues.

Where would you MOST likely find information regarding a patient's wished to be an organ donor?

Driver's license

Which type of consent is involved when a 39-year-old mentally competent female with a severe headache asks you to take her to the hospital?

Expressed

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

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

When is forcible restraint permitted?

When the patient posses a significant threat to self or others.

Which of the following scenarios most accurately depicts abandonment?

a paramedic transfers patient care to an EMT

As an EMT, the performance or your duties will be compared to that of:

another EMT

A patient regains consciousness en route from his office to the emergency department. The patient tells you that he feels fine and does not want to go to the hospital. Under these circumstances, you should:

assess whether or not the patient's mental condition is impaired.

Which of the following situations requires you to notify the appropriate authorities?

attempted suicide.

When you and your partner arrive at the residence of a man in cardiac arrest, you immediately recognize the patient as the drunk driver who killed your brother several years earlier. A backup ambulance is en route to the scene. You should:

begin two-rescuer CPR and apply the automated external defibrillator(AED) as soon as possible.

You suspect that a pregnant 16-year-old girl has broken her leg after she was hit by a car. You explain that you plan to splint her leg, and she agrees to treatment. What type of consent is her agreement considered?

expressed

While transporting a woman with diabetes, you inadvertently give her oral glucose even though her blood glucose level was high. You reassess the patient and note that her condition did not change; she remained stable. You should:

contact medical control and notify him or her of the error.

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

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

Which of the following most accurately defines negligence?

deviation from the standard care that may result in further injury.

Which of the following components are needed to prove negligence?

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

When performing his or her duties, the EMT is generally expected to:

exercise reasonable care and act prudently

In many states, a minor may be treated as an adult for the purpose of consenting to or refusing medical treatment if the minor:

is self-supporting and lives by him- or herself

The EMT's scope of practice within his or her local response area is defined by the:

medical director

When caring for a 65-year-old male with respiratory distress, you place him in a comfortable position but do not apply oxygen. The patient's condition continues to deteriorate and he develops cardiac arrest and dies at the hospital. This scenario is an example of:

negligence

Maintaining the chain of evidence at the scene of a crime should include:

not cutting through holes in clothing that were caused by weapons.

You are dispatched to an apartment complex for a shooting. Law enforcement personnel are present and have the suspect in custody. You find the patient lying in a narrow space between the couch and coffee table of his small apartment. He is semiconscious and has a large gunshot wound to his chest. You should:

quickly move the coffee table so you can access and treat the patient

In the eyes of the court, an incomplete or untidy patient care form indicates:

that inadequate patient care was administered