Chapter 32

Covering a patient's _________ will significantly minimize radiation heat loss.

head

Common signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion include all of the following, EXCEPT:

hot, dry skin

The rate and amount of heat loss by the body can be modified by all of the following, EXCEPT:

increasing fluid intake

To obtain the MOST accurate reading of a patient's core body temperature, you should place a special hypothermia thermometer:

into the patient's rectum

In order for sweating to be an effective cooling mechanism:

it must be able to evaporate from the body

The venom of a black widow spider is toxic to the:

nervous system

You are transporting a 28-year-old man with a frostbitten foot. The patient's vital signs are stable and he denies any other injuries or symptoms. The weather is treacherous and your transport time to the hospital is approximately 45 minutes. During transport, you should:

protect the affected part from further injury

High air temperature reduces the body's ability to lose heat by:

radiation

Signs and symptoms of severe systemic hypothermia include all of the following, EXCEPT:

shivering

You respond to a local lake where a diver complains of difficulty breathing that occurred immediately after rapidly ascending from a depth of approximately 30 feet. On assessment, you note that he has cyanosis around his lips and has pink froth coming from his nose and mouth. You should:

suction his mouth and nose, apply high-flow oxygen, monitor the patient's breath sounds for a pneumothorax, and contact medical control regarding transport to a recompression facility

An air embolism associated with diving occurs when:

the diver holds his or her breath during a rapid ascent

The body's natural protective mechanisms against heat loss are:

vasoconstriction and shivering

Heat loss from the body through respiration occurs when:

warm air is exhaled into the atmosphere

A person's ability to shiver is lost when his or her body temperature falls below:

90°F (32°C)

Hypothermia occurs when the core body temperature falls below:

95°F (35°C)

Which of the following statements regarding the brown recluse spider is NOT true?

It is larger than the black widow spider

Which of the following is an early sign of pit viper envenomation?

Local swelling and ecchymosis

Which of the following MOST accurately describes hyperthermia?

The body is exposed to more heat than it can lose

The MOST prominent symptom of decompression sickness is:

abdominal or joint pain

A 30-year-old male was rescued after being lost in the woods for approximately 18 hours. The outside temperature is 30°F ( 1°C). He is immediately placed in the warmed ambulance, where you perform a primary assessment. He is unresponsive, pale, and apneic. You should:

assess for a carotid pulse for up to 60 seconds

You and your partner respond to a park where several people were reportedly struck by lightning. When you arrive, you find three patients. The first patient is lying supine on the ground; he is unresponsive and does not appear to be breathing. The second patient is ambulatory, appears confused, and is holding his arm against his chest. The third patient is sitting on the ground holding the sides of his head. After calling for backup, you should:

assess the unresponsive patient's pulse, begin CPR starting with chest compressions if he is pulseless, and attach the AED as soon as possible

Patients with generalized hypothermia are at an increased risk of a local cold injury because:

blood is shunted away from the extremities to the body's core

Hypothermia can worsen internal bleeding secondary to:

blood-clotting abnormalities

In contrast to Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever:

can cause paralysis and cardiorespiratory collapse

When a warm hand is immersed in water that is 70°F (21°C), heat is transferred from the hand to the water through a process called:

conduction