EMT Chapter 11

The partial pressure of oxygen in the alveoli is _____ mm Hg; the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the alveoli is ____ mm Hg.

104, 40

An adult at rest should have a respiratory rate that ranges between:

12 and 20 breaths/min

The pressure of gas in a full cylinder of oxygen is approximately ______ pounds per square inch (psi).

2,000

When testing a mechanical suctioning unit, you should turn on the device, clamp the tubing, and ensure that it generates a vacuum pressure of more than:

300 mm Hg

At a flow rate of 6 L/min, a nasal cannula can deliver an approximate oxygen concentration of up to:

44%

What is the alveolar minute volume of a patient with a tidal volume of 500 mL, a dead space volume of 150 mL, and a respiratory rate of 16 breaths/min?

5,600 mL

An oxygen cylinder should be taken out of service and refilled when the pressure inside it is less than:

500 psi

With a good mask-to-face seal and an oxygen flow rate of 15 L/min, the nonrebreathing mask is capable of delivering up to ____% inspired oxygen.

90

What is the MOST common cause of airway obstruction in an unconscious patient?

the tongue

The nasal cannula is MOST appropriately used in the prehospital setting:

when the patient cannot tolerate a nonrebreathing mask

Which of the following oxygen flowmeters is NOT affected by gravity and can be used in an position when attached to an oxygen cylinder?

Bourdon-gauge flowmeter

Which of the following patients would MOST likely require insertion of an oropharyngeal airway?

a 40 year old unconscious patient with slow, shallow respirations

Intrapulmonary shunting occurs when:

blood coming from the right side of the heart bypasses nonfunctional alveoli and returns to the left side of the heart in an unoxygenated state

Which of the following structures is NOT found in the upper airway?

bronchus

Without adequate oxygen, the body's cells:

incompletely convert glucose into energy, and lactic acid accumulates in the blood.

Which of the following would cause an increase in the amount of exhaled carbon dioxide?

increased cardiac output

Tidal volume is defined as the volume of air that:

moves into or out of the lungs in a single breath

Which of the following organs or tissues can survive the longest without oxygen?

muscle

You are performing bag-mask ventilations with oxygen connected and set at a flow rate of 15 L/min. What percentage of oxygen are you delivering?

nearly 100%

A patient who is suspected of being hypoxic and is breathing adequately should be given supplemental oxygen with a:

nonrebreathing mask

Irregular respirations characterized by an increasing rate and depth of breathing followed by periods of apnea are called:

Cheyne-Stokes respirations

For which conditions would the EMT most likely administer humidified oxygen?

Croup

Which of the following statements regarding positive-pressure ventilation is correct?

With positive-pressure ventilation, more volume is required to have the same effects as normal breathing

Which of the following patients should you place in the recovery position?

a 31 year old semiconscious male with low blood sugar and adequate breathing

In which of the following patients would the head tilt-chin lift maneuver be the MOST appropriate method of opening the airway?

a 37 year old female who is found unconscious in her bed

Which of the following patients is breathing adequately?

a conscious male with respirations of 19 breaths/min and pink skin

During your assessment of a patient with respiratory distress, you hear wheezing when listening to breath sounds. This indicates:

a lower airway obstruction

Gas exchange in the lungs is facilitated by:

adequate amounts of surfactant

Which of the following is the MOST reliable indicator of adequately performed bag-mask ventilations in an apneic adult with a pulse?

adequate rise of the chest when squeezing the bag

A 51 year old female presents with a sudden onset of difficulty breathing. She is conscious and alert and able to speak in complete sentences. Her respirations are 22 breaths/min and regular. You should:

administer oxygen via a nonrebreathing mask

In the presence of oxygen, the cells convert glucose into energy through a process called:

aerobic metabolism

Your protocols state that during the first few minutes of working on a cardiac arrest patient, you should provide passive ventilation. This means that you will:

allow recoil of the chest between compressions to draw air into the lungs

A 23 year old male experienced severe head trauma after his motorcycle collided with an oncoming truck. He is unconscious, has agonal gasps, and has copious bloody secretions in his mouth. How should you manage his airway?

alternate oropharyngeal suctioning and ventilation with a bag-mask device

The actual exchange between oxygen and carbon dioxide occurs in the:

alveolar sacs

The actual exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide occurs in the:

alveolar sacs

High-flow oxygen with a nasal cannula during the preoxygenation phase of endotracheal intubation is called:

apneic oxygenation

You and your partner are treating a 66 year old man who experienced a sudden onset of respiratory distress. He is conscious but is unable to follow simple verbal commands. Further assessment reveals that his breathing is severely labored and his oxygen saturation is 80%. You should:

assist his ventilations with a bag-mask device

The nasopharyngeal airway is MOST beneficial because it:

can maintain a patent airway in a semiconscious patient with a gag reflex

The primary waste product of aerobic metabolism is:

carbon dioxide

A man was found unresponsive in his bed at home. There is no evidence of injury and the patient's medical history is not known. The patient's face is cyanotic, yet the pulse oximeter reads 98%. Which of the following would MOST likely explain this?

carbon monoxide poisoning

Oxygen toxicity is a condition in which:

cellular tissue damage occurs from excessive oxygen levels in the blood

The jaw-thrust maneuver is used to open the airway of patients with suspected:

cervical spine injuries

To select the proper size oropharyngeal airway, you should measure from the:

corner of the mouth to the earlobe

The ____ cartilage is a firm ring that forms the inferior part of the larynx.

cricoid

For which of the following conditions would the EMT most likely administer humidified oxygen?

croup

Which of the following is a late sign of hypoxia?

cyanosis

Which of the following would NOT cause a decrease in tidal volume?

deep respirations

Inhalation occurs when the:

diaphragm and intercostal muscles contract and cause a decrease in intrathoracic pressure.

A 37-year-old male has an apparent foreign body airway obstruction. He is conscious and alert and is coughing forcefully. His skin is pink, warm, and moist. The MOST appropriate treatment for this patient includes:

encouraging him to cough and transporting

The purpose of the pin-indexing system for compressed gas cylinders is to:

ensure that the correct regulator is used for the cylinder

Structures of the lower airway include all of the following, EXCEPT:

epiglottis

The structure locate superior to the larynx is called the:

epiglottis

The structure located superior to the larynx is called the:

epiglottis

Based on current guidelines, in which of the following situations should supplemental oxygen be administered?

exposure to carbon monoxide and oxygen saturation of 94%

The process of exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide between the alveoli and the blood of the capillaries is called:

external respiration

CPAP is indicated for patients who:

have pulmonary edema and can follow verbal commands.

The presence of elevated carbon dioxide levels in the blood is called:

hypercarbia

The MOST significant complication associated with oropharyngeal suctioning is:

hypoxia due to prolonged suction attempts

Hypoxia is MOST accurately defined as:

inadequate oxygen to the tissues and cells

All of the following will help minimize the risk of gastric distention when ventilating an apneic patient with a bag-mask device, EXCEPT:

increasing the amount of delivered tidal volume

You and your partner are caring for a critically injured patient. Your partner is controlling severe bleeding from the patient's lower extremities as you attempt ventilations with a bag-mask device. After repositioning the mask several times, you are unable to effectively ventilate the patient. You should:

insert an oropharyngeal airway and reattempt ventilations

In contrast to inhalation, exhalation:

is a passive process caused by increased intrathoracic pressure

How does CPAP improve oxygenation and ventilation in patients with certain respiratory problems?

it forces the alveoli open and increases the concentration of oxygen in the alveoli

How does positive-pressure ventilation affect cardiac output?

it increases intrathoracic pressure, which decreases venous return to the heart and causes a decrease in cardiac output

The hypoxic drive is influenced by:

low blood oxygen levels

Each cell of the body combines nutrients and oxygen and produces energy and waste products through a process called:

metabolism

As the single EMT managing an apneic patient's airway, the preferred initial method of providing ventilations is the:

mouth-to-mask technique with a one-way valve

Which of the following statements regarding breathing adequacy is correct?

patients breathing shallowly may require assisted ventilation despite a normal respiratory rate

The MOST serious complication associated with using a nasopharyngeal airway in a patient with trauma to the head or face is:

penetrating the cranium

The diaphragm is innervated by the _________ nerve, which allows it to contract.

phrenic

You are ventilating a 40-year-old uninjured man who is apneic but has a pulse. When your partner reassesses his blood pressure, she notes that it has decreased significantly from previous readings. You should:

reduce the rate or volume of the ventilations you are delivering

You are ventilating an apneic woman with a bag-mask device. She has dentures, which are tight-fitting. Adequate chest rise is present with each ventilation, and the patient's oxygen saturation reads 96%. When you reassess the patency of her airway, you note that her dentures are now loose, although your ventilations are still producing adequate chest rise. You should:

remove her dentures, resume ventilations, and assess for adequate chest rise

While providing CPAP to a patient in severe respiratory distress, you note that his heart rate has increased by 20 beats/min. He is conscious, but is no longer following verbal commands. You should:

remove the CPAP device and ventilate him with a bag-mask device

A 19-year-old female is found unconscious by her roommate. Your primary assessment reveals that her breathing is inadequate. As you insert an oropharyngeal airway, she begins to gag violently. You should:

remove the airway and be prepared to suction her oropharynx

An unconscious patient found in a prone position must be placed in a supine position in case he or she:

requires CPR

Prior to applying a nonrebreathing mask on a patient, you must ensure that the:

reservoir bag is fully inflated

You have inserted an oral airway and are ventilating an apneic woman with a bag-mask device. She suddenly begins regurgitating large amounts of vomit. You should:

roll her onto her side and remove the oral airway

You are ventilating a patient with a stoma; however, air is escaping from the mouth and nose. To prevent this, you should:

seal the mouth and nose

Which of the following factors will cause a reduction in minute volume in an adult?

shallow breathing

Central chemoreceptors located in the medulla provide feedback to increase the rate and depth of breathing when they sense:

slight increases in carbon dioxide or a decrease in the pH of the cerebrospinal fluid

Proper technique for suctioning the oropharynx of an adult patient includes:

suctioning while withdrawing the catheter from the oropharynx

The physical act of moving air into and out of the lungs is called:

ventilation

A nasopharyngeal airway is inserted:

with the bevel facing the septum if inserted into the right nare