EMT-B Chapter 4
In a state requiring EMTs to report child, elder, or domestic abuse, which of the following situations is the EMT required to report? A. A professional sporting injury has left a player with a motor impairment. B. A motor vehicle accident involving a child has left that child unconscious. C. A fall injury at a nursing home has resulted in a fractured femur. D. A child appears to have been burned on the arm deliberately.
A child appears to have been burned on the arm deliberately.
Which of the following is TRUE about organ donation? A. A donor must complete a legal document registering as an organ donor. B. EMS providers can make a patient an organ donor if the family approves. C. EMS providers are required to perform CPR on all organ donors. D. Organ donation is automatic once a person turns 18 years age.
A donor must complete a legal document registering as an organ donor.
For which of the following situations would the EMT NOT be allowed to share protected health information about a patient? A. There is a court order compelling the release of information. B. The information is required for billing purposes. C. A reporter pulls you aside to ask you questions about the people involved in a school bus accident. D. The patient consents, in writing, for his information to be released to a third party.
A reporter pulls you aside to ask you questions about the people involved in a school bus accident.
What is the term for placing a person in fear of bodily harm? A. Battery B. Assault C. Slander D. Libel
Assault
EMS is called to a cardiac arrest. The family states that the patient does NOT want resuscitative efforts to be made. To withhold resuscitation, which of the following valid documents would the EMS crew need to have supplied to them? A. Standard of care B. DNR order C. Living will D. Patient refusal checklist
DNR order
Which of the following is a legal term that is used to describe an obligation to provide emergency care to a patient? A. Duty to act B. Advance directive C. Proximate cause D. Standard of care
Duty to act
Which of the following would MOST likely be considered evidence at a crime scene? A. Family pictures B. Patient advocacy C. Medical care by an EMT D. Fingerprints
Fingerprints
Laws that have been developed by states to minimize the risk of individuals being held liable for providing emergency care to victims of illness or injury are called: A. Good Samaritan laws. B. advance directives. C. immunity proclamations. D. protocols.
Good Samaritan laws.
In a kindergarten, the teachers can give consent for EMT care of their students. Which form of consent applies here? A. Expressed consent B. Informed consent C. In loco parentis D. Parental consent
In loco parentis
Which of the following is TRUE about the scope of practice? A. Each EMT determines his or her own scope of practice. B. It is governed solely by the EMT's employer. C. It is governed by many medical, legal, and ethical guidelines. D. The scope of practice is the same in all jurisdictions.
It is governed by many medical, legal, and ethical guidelines.
What is an EMT's primary ethical consideration? A. Making efficiency a priority B. Making partner relations a priority C. Making patient care and the patient's well-being a priority D. Making the company bottom line a priority
Making patient care and the patient's well-being a priority
Which of the following is NOT necessary to provide proof when attempting to prove negligence? A. Duty to act B. Breach of duty C. Proximate cause D. Malice
Malice
To which of the following situations would Good Samaritan laws generally apply? A. Personnel responding to an emergency when off duty B. Emergency care personnel committing acts of gross negligence C. Individuals establishing online medical direction D. Government employees mandating standards of care
Personnel responding to an emergency when off duty
When confronted with an issue regarding patient consent or restraining a patient, which of the following concepts should guide your decision making? A. Provide for the patient's well-being. B. Restrain and transport any patient making bad decisions. C. Always assume the least legal risk. D. Never transport a patient who doesn't want to be treated.
Provide for the patient's well-being.
What part of a door at a crime scene is likely evidence? A. The latch B. The peephole C. Pry marks D. The doorknob
Pry marks
What is a set of regulations and ethical considerations that define the extent and limits of the EMT's job? A. Scope of practice B. Tort C. Res ipsa loquitur D. Standard of care
Scope of practice
To preserve evidence at a crime scene, which of the following actions will be most helpful? A. Focus on the patient and pay no attention to the actions of others. B. Cut through clothing, leaving no more than three inches from any hole. C. Use the redial button on the phone to determine whether the patient called 911. D. Stay in the area where patient care is taking place.
Stay in the area where patient care is taking place.
Which of the following would MOST likely be considered evidence at a crime scene? A. The condition of a patient's clothes B. Wall hangings and shadowboxes C. Ice cream wrappers D. A compass and protractor
The condition of a patient's clothes
According to HIPAA, in which situation is the EMT allowed to share protected health information about a patient? A. The EMT is careful not to refer to the patient by name when sharing patient-specific information. B. A family member pulls the EMT aside at the scene and asks what is going on with the patient. C. The EMT needs to unburden about a patient to a spouse. D. The information is required for billing purposes.
The information is required for billing purposes.
What may interfere with an EMT's ability to care for a patient at a crime scene? A. The police have secured the scene. B. The patient has multiple injuries. C. The patient is bleeding from a wrist laceration. D. The police want to interview the patient.
The police want to interview the patient.
Which of the following would MOST likely be considered evidence at a crime scene? A. The homeowner's pet B. The refrigerator icemaker C. Clean napkins in a drawer D. The position in which the patient is found
The position in which the patient is found
To which of the following persons would it be a breach of a patient's confidentiality for an EMT to divulge protected health information? A. The patient's close friend B. The patient's physician C. An insurance coder billing the patient's case D. The nurse at the receiving hospital
The patient's close friend
Which of the following circumstances should be treated as a potential crime scene? A. Death of a terminally ill patient in a nursing home B. Unexplained death of a pediatric patient C. Any scene where an injury occurs D. Any scene where a child is injured
Unexplained death of a pediatric patient
Under which of the following circumstances would it be appropriate to share personally identifiable information about a patient's medical condition? A. When asked over the phone by an attorney who says that she is representing the patient B. When giving a hand-off report to a nurse at the receiving hospital C. When lecturing to a group of EMT students D. When talking to anyone who would be unlikely to know or be related to the patient
When giving a hand-off report to a nurse at the receiving hospital
An EMT called to the scene of a multiple-vehicle collision has: A. a clear duty to act. B. the need to secure expressed consent for care. C. no liability for abandonment. D. liability for proximate causation.
a clear duty to act.
Expressed consent is involved in: A. providing care to an unconscious patient found near a crashed car. B. a patient who is drunk and confused resisting EMT attempts to provide care. C. acting to provide care for a minor with a life-threatening injury. D. a situation in which an adult patient is conscious and alert.
a situation in which an adult patient is conscious and alert.
If you stop providing care to a patient without ensuring that equivalent or better care will be provided, you could be legally liable for: A. abandonment. B. breach of confidentiality. C. neglecting scope of practice. D. violation of consent.
abandonment.
Wheeling a non-emergency patient into the hospital emergency department, placing him in a bed, and leaving without transferring care directly to ED staff constitutes: A. abandonment. B. acceptable actions if the ED is very busy. C. acceptable actions if someone sees you do them. D. acceptable actions if you have an emergency call to respond to.
abandonment.
Documents signed by a patient that communicate his or her wishes regarding medical care are called: A. physician orders. B. advance directives. C. automated care orders. D. extended patient directives.
advance directives.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): A. allows you to discuss patient-specific information only with individuals with whom it is medically necessary to do so. B. requires you to obtain the patient's signature acknowledging receipt of your agency's privacy policy before you perform any patient interventions. C. allows you to provide specific patient information to the media without additional patient consent. D. allows you to discuss specific patient information with other personnel at the station.
allows you to discuss patient-specific information only with individuals with whom it is medically necessary to do so.
Negligence is involved in: A. an EMT leaving the scene of an accident. B. an EMT leaving a patient unattended. C. a patient's death. D. an EMT being off duty.
an EMT leaving a patient unattended.
A legal document allowing the health care provider to withhold resuscitation from a chronically or terminally ill patient is the known as: A. a standard of care. B. a health care proxy. C. an advance directive. D. a termination of resuscitation.
an advance directive.
In the absence of a DNR order or physician's instructions, the EMT is obligated to: A. contact medical control before beginning resuscitation efforts. B. begin full resuscitation immediately. C. comply with the wishes of the patient's family. D. withhold resuscitation efforts until the patient's physician is contacted.
begin full resuscitation immediately.
A standard of care defines the: A. means of determining EMT negligence. B. care expected of EMTs with similar training in a particular situation. C. scope of an EMT's practice. D. EMT's legal exposure to liability.
care expected of EMTs with similar training in a particular situation.
A Good Samaritan law will most likely protect you from a lawsuit involving: A. all civil suits related to patient care. B. care provided in good faith. C. gross negligence. D. criminal negligence.
care provided in good faith.
A patient is suing an EMT for failing to administer oxygen for a heart attack. The patient is alleging that the EMT was negligent. This case would be considered a: A. mediation case. B. adjudication case. C. civil case. D. criminal case.
civil case.
You arrive at a residence for a patient who is in cardiac arrest. The patient has a valid DNR but is also an organ donor. Some family members demand that you transport the patient for organ donation, and others demand that you not start CPR. You should: A. tell the family that they must leave. B. apply the AED but withhold CPR. C. transport the patient immediately. D. contact medical direction.
contact medical direction.
You are ordered by police on the scene to transport a patient under physical restraints because that patient has been behaving violently and unpredictably. Your obligation is to: A. continually monitor the patient's status once the patient is restrained. B. refuse to provide care for or to transport a restrained patient. C. restrain the patient as securely as possible regardless of the health consequences for the patient. D. demand that the police determine the severity of the restraints and take responsibility for transport.
continually monitor the patient's status once the patient is restrained.
A legal document usually signed by the patient and his or her physician stating that the patient has a terminal illness and does not wish to prolong life through resuscitative efforts is a: A. Physician Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment. B. refusal of care release form. C. do not resuscitate order. D. standard of care.
do not resuscitate order.
While on duty, you and your partner have just cleared the hospital and are on your way to finally take a lunch break when you see an accident scene. The scene appears safe, and you see two people standing outside of their cars. You elect to continue on to lunch without stopping. As on-duty EMTs, you could be held liable for violating the: A. standard of care. B. duty to act. C. scope of practice. D. ethical health law.
duty to act.
Guidelines that govern the practice of an EMT include: A. cultural guidelines B. social guidelines C. traditional guidelines D. ethical guidelines
ethical guidelines
You and your partner have arrived on the scene of a person injured as a result of a gunshot wound during a burglary. When police later arrive and secure the scene, one of the police tells you to file a complete report describing what you saw when you arrived on scene, as required by law in your area. You should: A. file a report in which you explain in detail why you believe a crime was committed. B. file a report that leaves out any detail you consider confidential for that patient. C. refuse to file any report, citing patient confidentiality. D. file the report and leave out no details.
file the report and leave out no details.
The concept of res ipsa loquitur would be MOST relevant to a situation involving: A. EMTs remaining with a patient who had refused care. B. EMTs explaining the consequences of refusing care to a patient. C. EMTs providing care to an unconscious patient. D. harm to a patient in the care of EMTs.
harm to a patient in the care of EMTs.
An EMT is off duty and near a patient in a restaurant who appears to suffer a choking episode, but another person in the patient's group helps dislodge the obstruction so that the patient can begin breathing normally. The EMT provides no care to this patient. In most states, this EMT: A. has no legal obligation to provide care. B. is guilty of abandonment. C. is not allowed to render aid if off duty. D. has a duty to act even if off duty.
has no legal obligation to provide care.
A patient appears to have overdosed on heroin and is unconscious. Consent in this case is: A. expressed. B. implied. C. refused. D. illegal.
implied
You are on the scene of a motor vehicle collision where a patient's car struck a utility pole. Witnesses reported to you that the patient was unconscious after the impact. However, the patient is now conscious, alert and oriented, and refusing care and transport. You should: A. leave after having the patient sign the refusal form. B. use informed consent and tell the patient that since she was unconscious, she is not allowed to refuse. C. inform the patient of your concern and try to persuade her to go to the ED and receive treatment. D. have the law enforcement officer place the patient under arrest, as she is obviously in danger.
inform the patient of your concern and try to persuade her to go to the ED and receive treatment.
You proceed to treat a patient who has consented to care, but you have NOT explained the risks and benefits of what you are going to do. This is MOST likely a violation of: A. informed consent. B. implied consent. C. scope of practice. D. in loco parentis.
informed consent.
An adult patient's consent may be obtained through expressed or implied consent, depending on the patient's: A. understanding of the care. B. level of consciousness. C. assumption of risk. D. need for emergency intervention.
level of consciousness.
A patient is injured but refuses to be transported by ambulance. He is competent to make decisions, and you have exhausted all avenues to convince him to be transported, so you have him sign a refusal of treatment form. This form is intended to release you from: A. liability for not providing care. B. the responsibility to stay on the scene. C. the need to provide any care for this patient at any time. D. properly informing the patient of the consequences of refusing care.
liability for not providing care.
If an EMT were to release information about how intoxicated a patient was onto a social networking site, this could be considered: A. slander. B. libel. C. battery. D. breach of faith.
libel
You document on your run sheet that your patient with altered mental status is "just another drunk." This would likely be considered: A. a HIPAA violation. B. libel. C. negligence. D. slander.
libel
You observe what appears to be elder abuse in a call to a nursing home. You have a clear: A. legal obligation to report the abuse. B. moral obligation to report the abuse. C. implied consent to provide care to any patients at the home. D. release from liability for negligence in your care.
moral obligation to report the abuse.
An EMT fails to properly care for a patient despite having a duty to act. The EMT is most likely guilty of: A. negligence. B. psychological abuse. C. domestic abuse. D. child endangerment.
negligence
You respond to the scene of an automobile accident where a patient has an obvious fractured femur. You ask your partner to get the traction splint from the ambulance. Your partner returns and tells you there is no traction splint in the ambulance. The EMTs could be guilty of: A. a threat to safety. B. negligence. C. acting outside of scope of practice. D. abandonment.
negligence
You arrive at the scene of a cardiac arrest, and your defibrillator has a dead battery. As an EMT, you can be charged with: A. abandonment. B. negligence. C. libel. D. duty to act.
negligence.
A critically injured patient dies in spite of the EMT's efforts according to the standard of care for that situation. This is a case of: A. failure to act. B. proximate cause. C. breach of duty. D. no negligence.
no negligence.
While providing patient care at a secured crime scene, you should: A. cover the deceased patient with a sheet and move the body to the ambulance. B. use the telephone to call in a report to medical control. C. pick up any evidence that you find and give it directly to a police officer. D. not cut through holes in clothing that might have been caused by bullets or stabbing.
not cut through holes in clothing that might have been caused by bullets or stabbing.
You have just arrived at the station to start your shift, and you notice that your partner is asleep in a chair. You proceed to check out your ambulance. Your partner comes in drinking a cup of coffee, and you notice that she has a strong alcohol smell on her breath. Your duty as an EMT is to: A. tell your partner to go get some rest before you get a call. B. tell dispatch that you will be out of service for maintenance. C. see whether someone from the night shift can hold over until your partner can sober up. D. notify dispatch that you are out of service and have your supervisor come to meet you.
notify dispatch that you are out of service and have your supervisor come to meet you.
Upon arrival, you discover a deceased patient who apparently committed suicide. You must first: A. notify law enforcement. B. document the scene. C. begin taking statements from bystanders. D. contact a member of the immediate family.
notify law enforcement.
You are called to an obviously deceased patient with a stab wound to the lower abdomen. You should: A. begin documenting evidence. B. notify law enforcement. C. release the scene to the victim's family. D. have dispatch send an EMS supervisor to the scene.
notify law enforcement.
You are transporting a victim from a motor vehicle collision, and the patient's condition is deteriorating rapidly. From your experience, you do not think this patient will survive transport. You noticed on the patient's driver's license that the patient is an organ donor. You can help to facilitate the patient's wishes by: A. trying to contact a family member of the patient to discuss the patient's wishes so that you can alert the hospital when you arrive. B. notifying medical direction of the patient's organ donor status. C. transporting the patient to facility other than the trauma center to which you are going. D. withholding CPR until the patient's donor status is confirmed.
notifying medical direction of the patient's organ donor status.
A patient fell from the roof of a house while doing repair work. The patient is alert and oriented and has no injuries. The patient wants to refuse transport. The EMT should: A. obtain a signature of refusal and return to service. B. have law enforcement respond to the scene so that they can witness the refusal. C. obtain a signature on the refusal form and advise the patient that he should drive himself to the ED if he experiences any changes over the next four hours. D. perform an assessment, let the patient know the findings and recommendations, and try to persuade the patient to be transported because of the mechanism of injury.
perform an assessment, let the patient know the findings and recommendations, and try to persuade the patient to be transported because of the mechanism of injury.
EMS is called to a scene where a patient with a terminal illness is experiencing an anaphylactic reaction to peanuts. The family presents the EMS crew with a valid DNR form. The EMS crew should: A. withhold all treatment and transport the patient only if the family chooses. B. transport the patient to the hospital but withhold any treatment during transport. C. provide full treatment to the patient as in any anaphylactic reaction because the DNR is for resuscitation wishes only. D. provide oxygen via blow-by and wait on scene to see whether the patient improves.
provide full treatment to the patient as in any anaphylactic reaction because the DNR is for resuscitation wishes only.
A 42-year-old patient who is mentally competent has refused care but appears to be experiencing respiratory difficulty. He demands you get into your ambulance and go. You should: A. remain on the scene and try to persuade the patient to consent to care. B. restrain the patient to provide emergency care. C. plead with the patient to sign a release form. D. immediately leave the scene.
remain on the scene and try to persuade the patient to consent to care.
When you care for a patient at a crime scene, you decide that moving the patient is necessary to provide care, even though that might result in disturbing important elements of the crime scene. You should: A. put everything back where you found it before you leave. B. have your partner record video of your actions at the scene to protect you. C. remember everything you disturb with the move and let law enforcement know. D. remain by the ambulance and have the patient brought to you.
remember everything you disturb with the move and let law enforcement know.
The actions and care that are legally allowed for the EMT are called the: A. scope of practice. B. standing orders. C. Good Samaritan law. D. standard of care.
scope of practice.
Your patient has several stab wounds to his anterior torso. You must quickly remove his shirt to access the wounds. The holes in the patient's shirt: A. should not be cut through. B. should be cut through if they are three or more inches from the site of the cutting. C. are not important. D. are only important if no other evidence exists for the stabbing.
should not be cut through.
A patient dies under the care of an EMT and criminal proceedings begin against the EMT. When determining that EMT's negligence, the jury will consider what another ________ EMS provider would do in the same circumstances. A. professional B. similarly trained and experienced C. veteran full-time D. paid
similarly trained and experienced
An ambulance company's employees state that its chief competitor is jumping calls to get all the Medicare money they can, doesn't provide good-quality care, and never disinfects the insides of its ambulances. These statements, never written down, could be seen as: A. duty to act. B. slander. C. negligence. D. libel.
slander
Your partner is telling others that you have an untreated gambling addiction and are thousands of dollars in debt from your gambling losses. You don't have a gambling addiction and are not in serious debt. You could bring your partner up on charges of: A. slander. B. libel. C. abandonment. D. proximate causation.
slander
The care that would be expected to be provided to the same patient under the same circumstances by another EMT who had received the same training is called the: A. protocol. B. standard of care. C. duty to act. D. scope of practice.
standard of care.
You are off duty and on your way to the grocery store when you witness a car accident in front of the store entrance. You stop to render assistance and identify yourself as an EMT to the occupants of the vehicles. The patient in the first car denies the need for assistance, but the second driver is complaining of neck pain. She tells you that she thinks she will be okay but would like to get checked out. You are in a hurry, as you have an appointment and want to get your shopping done first. You should: A. assure the patient that EMS is on the way and go shopping. B. leave the patient because she has only minor injuries. C. stay with the patient until someone with an equal or higher care level of training or certification assumes care. D. leave the patient because she is conscious and alert.
stay with the patient until someone with an equal or higher care level of training or certification assumes care.
You have been under a lot of family stress lately, and you have not been sleeping well. When you got to work this morning, you realized that you had forgotten to place your badge on your uniform shirt. You tell your partner that you cannot seem to think clearly. Your partner tells you that he is concerned about your well-being. After hearing this, you know that your duty as an EMT is to: A. take off work until you can straighten out your family problem and make sure that you are mentally prepared to work. B. inform your partner that your well-being is not his concern. C. recognize that talking about your problems at work is unprofessional and distracts your fellow EMTs. D. tell your partner that you feel better after talking to him and go about your work.
take off work until you can straighten out your family problem and make sure that you are mentally prepared to work.
An EMS provider's standard of care represents and defines: A. the care that would be expected to be provided on the basis of training. B. laws that define and govern the specific actions of EMTs. C. the national curriculum of care taught by EMT instructors. D. specific care that is provided to patients once they reach a hospital.
the care that would be expected to be provided on the basis of training.
Even if the Good Samaritan laws in a particular state cover the actions of EMTs as rescuers, they can still be held liable and are NOT protected by these laws if: A. the patient dies from the injuries. B. their actions demonstrate gross negligence. C. their actions cause embarrassment for the patient. D. their actions demonstrate poor clinical reasoning.
their actions demonstrate gross negligence.
You are on the scene of a patient who has had a seizure. The patient is now postictal and confused. The patient's husband is on scene and states that the patient usually is confused after a seizure and she will eventually come around. He states that he does not want her to be transported, as they cannot afford another ED bill. You should: A. stay on scene with the patient until she becomes alert and oriented to the point at which she can sign the refusal. B. treat and transport the patient to the ED. C. contact medical direction to have them permit the husband to sign the refusal. D. allow the husband to sign the refusal on behalf of the patient.
treat and transport the patient to the ED.
If emergency care providers discover that a seriously injured patient is an organ donor, they should: A. treat the patient the same as a nondonor. B. confirm with the family that this was the patient's decision. C. treat the patient as having given prior expressed consent for all emergency care. D. ignore a DNR order and perform CPR.
treat the patient the same as a nondonor.
A patient refuses care and transport. You can see that this patient is in serious need of care. You need to: A. tell the patient that denial about the seriousness of a condition will lead to a bad result. B. try to convince the patient to accept care and transport. C. describe the negative effects for past patients who refused care and transport. D. involve the police immediately and call medical direction.
try to convince the patient to accept care and transport.
A living will: A. is typically involved with prehospital situations. B. legally releases EMTs for liability for failing to provide care. C. must be witnessed and signed by an EMT. D. usually pertains to situations occurring in a hospital.
usually pertains to situations occurring in a hospital.
An EMT's scope of practice would encompass: A. maintaining EMT skills and knowledge. B. what an EMT may do. C. what an EMT should do in a particular situation. D. how an EMT should provide a specific care intervention.
what an EMT may do.
You have not breached a patient's confidentiality if: A. you share information specific to that patient with family and friends. B. you share a funny item from a patient's medical history with a colleague. C. you talk about that patient's medical issues when off duty only with your spouse. D. you only share information specific to that patient when medically necessary.
you only share information specific to that patient when medically necessary.
EMTs may be required legally to report all cases of the following: A. Tax fraud B. Building code violations C. Insurance fraud D. Child, domestic, or elder abuse
Child, domestic, or elder abuse
A 13-year-old patient involved in a collision who appears to be under the influence of drugs refuses care. Regarding the issue of providing care to this patient, you must consider that this patient: A. can't legally refuse care. B. has legally refused care. C. should be reported to the police. D. should sign a release form.
can't legally refuse care.
