EMT Ch 18 Chapter Test
What condition must be present before you give oral glucose?
The patient must be conscious and able to swallow with an altered mental status and history of diabetes.
Which of the following best describes a contraindication to a medication?
A reason why you should not give a medication to a patient
You are on the scene of a 44-year-old female patient who has attempted suicide by taking all 30 pills of her antidepressant medication at once. You are ordered by medical control to administer activated charcoal. How will activated charcoal reduce the effects of the medication?
Activated charcoal will bind to the medication, reducing absorption.
Albuterol and epinephrine both have bronchodilation properties that improve the amount of oxygen that a person can inhale and absorb. However, albuterol is administered only for asthma, whereas epinephrine is administered for both asthma and anaphylaxis. Why is epinephrine, and not Albuterol, the first choice for anaphylaxis?
Albuterol is not a vasoconstrictor.
Why should EMTs study pharmacology?
As an EMT, you will be trusted to administer medications in emergency situations; many of these may be lifesaving, but there is potential to do harm.
How is activated charcoal, which is carried by some EMS systems, supplied for use in emergency situations?
As a powder, which is mixed with water before administration
What is the most important medication that should be administered to a patient experiencing chest pain with difficulty breathing?
Aspirin
Why would an EMT give aspirin to a patient?
Aspirin reduces the blood's ability to clot and works to prevent further clot formation in patients suffering chest pain.
Which of the following is the commonly accepted list of medications an EMT can assist the patient in taking or administer under the direction of the Medical Director?
Aspirin, oral glucose, oxygen, prescribed bronchodilator inhalers, nitroglycerin, epinephrine auto-injectors, and naloxone
Nitroglycerin is indicated for which of the following chief complaints?
Chest pain
Which of the following is a desired action of epinephrine delivered by auto-injector?
Constriction of blood vessels
Which of the following is a potential side effect of nitroglycerin?
Decreased blood pressure
What is the first step in administering a prescribed aerosol medication?
Determine that the inhaler actually belongs to the patient.
Which of the following instructions should you give to a patient whom you are about to assist with administering epinephrine?
I am going to inject medication into your thigh.
How does nitroglycerin decrease the level of chest pain that a patient experiences?
It dilates the blood vessels, allowing more blood to enter the heart muscle.
How does aspirin actually reduce the chances that a patient suffering a heart attack will die?
It reduces the ability of the blood to form clots.
What is the reason for giving an epinephrine auto-injector in a life-threatening allergic reaction?
It will help constrict the patient's blood vessels and relax the airway passages.
A drug's form refers to which of the following?
Its physical state, such as powder, liquid, or gas
You have just administered nitroglycerin to a 68-year-old patient. Within a few minutes, she complains of feeling faint and lightheaded, but states that she is still having some chest pain. Which of the following would be the best sequence ofactions?
Lower the head of the stretcher and take the patient's blood pressure.
Which of the following statements concerning oxygen is true?
Never withhold oxygen from any patient who needs it.
Which of the following is often prescribed for a patient with a heart condition?
Nitroglycerin
Which of the following is an example of a medication's trade name?
Nitrostat
What is the first medication that should be administered to a patient experiencing chest pain with difficulty breathing?
Oxygen
What medication is given when a patient suffers from a medical or traumatic condition called hypoxia?
Oxygen
You are on the scene of a 68-year-old patient with a history of COPD who is breathing 44 times per minute and has a diminished level of consciousness. His wife states he has an albuterol inhaler and nitroglycerin tablets for angina. What is the most important drug you can administer to the patient?
Oxygen by bag-valve mask
Your patient is a 59-year-old woman with a history of emphysema. Per protocol, you have assisted the patient in using her medication inhaler. Which of the following must be documented?
Patient's response to the medication
Nitroglycerin (Nitro) is used for patients with recurrent chest pain or a history of heart attack. Nitro is most commonly supplied in what two forms?
Pills and spray
The EMT, after administering any medication, must do which of the following?
Reassess the patient, document the medication, and report to the receiving facility.
You are called to assist a 25-year-old female patient who is in profound respiratory distress. The patient has a history of asthma and a severe allergy to peanuts. She has a prescribed albuterol inhaler and an epinephrine auto-injector. The patient states she was working in her garden when she accidentally stirred up a hornets' nest and was stung multiple times. The patient has wheezing in all fields, and is breathing at 28 times per minute. She states that she triggered her asthma by running across the yard to the safety of her home. As you apply oxygen, you notice that she is now speaking in two- to three-word sentences, her skin has splotches, and her tongue and neck appear to be swelling. Your next action is to call medical control and then do what?
Request to assist the patient with her epinephrine pen for anaphylaxis.
Which of the following best describes the five rights?
Right patient, right medication, right time, right dose, right route
Epinephrine delivered by auto-injector may be indicated for patients with which of the following conditions?
Severe allergies to peanut butter, shellfish, penicillin, or bee stings
Which of the following describes the sublingual route of medication administration?
The medication is placed under the tongue.
A contraindication for giving Nitrostat is a drug interaction with what medications?
Viagra, Levitra, or medication for erectile dysfunction
When is a heparin or saline lock used in IV administration?
When medication or IV access might be needed later on
Choose the correct completion to this statement regarding intravenous (IV) administration: This route is used to administer medication into the body directly or through the bloodstream and is:
beyond the scope of the EMT level.
You are called to an elementary school for an 8-year-old female patient who is experiencing respiratory distress. The school nurse states the patient has an epinephrine auto-injector for a possible anaphylactic reaction to bee stings. The patient also has an albuterol inhaler for exercise-induced asthma. The patient is breathing 30 times a minute, is in the tripod position, and is speaking in two- to three-word sentences. The nurse states the patient was playing basketball in the gym when she started having difficulty breathing. The patient has wheezing in all lung fields. An ALS unit is en route but it is 10 minutes away. You are 20 minutes away from the nearest hospital. After placing the patient on oxygen, your next intervention should be to:
contact medical control and request to assist the patient with her albuterol
The symptoms or circumstances for which a medication is given are called:
indications.
Bronchodilator inhalers have several common side effects, which include:
jitteriness and increased heart rate.
An EMT is on the scene of a 48-year-old male patient complaining of chest pain. He has nitroglycerin prescribed and available. After performing the primary and secondary assessments, the EMT contacts medical control and is ordered to assist the patient in taking his nitroglycerin. Carefully, the EMT performs the "five rights" and checks the expiration before administering the medication. The patient states the medicine is not helping his pain. The patient also states he does not have a headache. Reassessment of the patient's vital signs shows no change in blood pressure. The EMT suspects the nitro is not working because the:
medication was somehow rendered inert.
The epinephrine auto-injector is given via the ________ route.
parenteral
The study of the effects of medications on the body in relation to patient-specific factors such as age and weight is called:
pharmacodynamics.
You are on the scene of a 48-year-old male patient complaining of chest pain. He has nitroglycerin prescribed and available. After performing your physical examination, you contact medical control and are ordered to assist the patient in taking his nitroglycerin. Five minutes after taking his nitroglycerin, the patient complains of being dizzy and having a headache. You lie the patient down on the stretcher and reassess his vital signs. He is now hypotensive. The patient is suffering froma(n):
side effect of nitroglycerin.
When you give patients nitroglycerin, they sometimes develop a headache. This would be called a(n):
side effect.
Nitroglycerin is given via the ________ route.
sublingual
If an EMT is enlisted to help set up the IV administration set, the first step is to:
take out and inspect the fluid bag.
You are on the scene at a fancy hotel room for a 60-year-old male patient who calls 911 at 10 p.m. for chest pains. He states he was about to go to bed when he suddenly had chest pain that would not go away. He rates his pain as a 7 out of 10 and is diaphoretic. His vital signs are stable, and he takes medications for hypertension, high cholesterol, and erectile dysfunction. The patient is allergic to morphine. After placing the patient on oxygen, you contact medical control and request:
to administer aspirin to the patient.
Name the type of medical direction consisting of standing orders and protocols.
Off-line
What are the names given to each medication listed in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia?
Trade, chemical, and generic
You respond to a medical call for a 59-year-old female complaining of tightness in her chest. You place her on a high concentration of oxygen and prepare for a short 5-minute transport to the hospital. The patient tells you she is on nitroglycerin, which she has not taken. Your partner tells you that you can give aspirin per protocol. Should you delay the patient transport to give the medication, and why?
Yes, the nitroglycerin will cause the blood vessels to dilate and restore some blood flow, and the aspirin will slow the clotting process.
