EMT Chapter 17

Which of the following conditions would MOST likely affect the entire brain?

Respiratory failure or cardiopulmonary arrest

When assessing the arm drift of a patient with a suspected stroke, you should:

ask the patient to close his or her eyes during the assessment

Interruption of cerebral blood flow may result from all of the following, EXCEPT:

cerebral vasodilation

The three major parts of the brain are the:

cerebrum, cerebellum, and brain stem

Your patient opens his eyes, moans, and pulls away from you when you pinch his trapezius muscle. You should assign a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of:

8

Which of the following MOST accurately describes a simple partial seizure?

A seizure that begins in one extremity

Which of the following MOST accurately describes what the patient will experience during the postictal state that follows a seizure?

Confusion and fatigue

A 30 y/o male experienced a generalized (tonic-clonic) seizure, which stopped before you arrived at the scene. The patient is conscious, is answering questions appropriately, and refuses EMS transport. Which of the following would be the MOST compelling reason to disagree with his refusal of transport?

He is currently not prescribed any medications.

Which of the following conditions would be LEAST likely to mimic the signs and symptoms of a stroke?

Hypovolemia

You are called to a home and find a 56 y/o woman supine in her bed. She appears alert, but has slurred speech. Her family tells you that he has a history of TIAs and hypertension. You ask the patient, "What day is today?" Her reply is, "Butterfly." Which area of the brain is likely affected?

Left hemisphere

Which of the following symptoms would lead the EMT to believe that a patient's headache is caused by sinus congestion?

The pain is worse when bending over

When caring for a patient with documented hypoglycemia, you should be MOST alert for:

a seizure

A patient whose speech is slurred and difficult to understand is experiencing:

dysarthria

During the primary assessment of a semiconscious 70 y/o female, you should:

ensure the patent airway and support ventilation as needed

A patient who is possibly experiencing a stroke is NOT eligible for thrombolytic (fibrinolytic) therapy if he or she:

has bleeding within the brain

Patients with a subarachnoid hemorrhage typically complain of a sudden severe:

headache

The MOST significant risk factor for a hemorrhagic stroke is:

hypertension

When blood flow to a particular part of the brain is cut off by a blockage inside a blood vessel, the result is:

ischemic stroke

The principle difference between a patient who has had a stroke and a patient with hypoglycemia almost always has to do with the:

mental status

A patient with an altered mental status is:

not thinking clearly or is incapable of being aroused

You are caring for a 68 y/o man with sudden onset of left-sided paralysis and slurred speech. His airway is patent, his respirations are 14 breaths/min with adequate depth, and his oxygen saturation is 98%. Treatment for this patient should include:

recovery position and transport

Hypoglycemia can mimic conditions such as:

stroke

The left cerebral hemisphere controls:

the right side of the body

You respond to a residence for a child who is having a seizure. Upon arrival at the scene, you enter the residence and find the mother holding her child, a 2 y/o male. The child is conscious and crying. According to the mother, the child had been running a high fever and then experienced a seizure that lasted approximately 3 minutes. You should:

transport the child to the hospital and reassure the mother en route.

When you are obtaining medical history from the family of a suspected stroke patient, it is MOST important to determine:

when the patient last appeared normal.