EMT Chapter 9

A 39-year-old male sustained a stab wound to the groin during an altercation at a bar. As you approach the patient, you note that he is conscious, is screaming in pain, and is attempting to control the bleeding, which is bright red and spurting from his groin area. You should:

apply direct pressure to the wound.

You receive a call to a daycare center for an unresponsive 8-month-old infant. Upon arrival, you perform an assessment and determine that the infant is not breathing. Your next action should be to:

assess for a brachial pulse for 5 to 10 seconds.

During an EMS call, you should take standard precautions:

before exiting the ambulance and before actual patient contact.

When auscultating the blood pressure in a patient's upper extremity, you should place the diaphragm (head) of the stethoscope over the _________ artery.

brachial

ABC, or airway, _______, consciousness

breathing

A 50-year-old male is found unconscious in his car. There were no witnesses to the event. When gathering medical history information for this patient, the EMT should:

determine if the patient has a medical alert bracelet or wallet card.

If you cannot palpate a pulse in an unresponsive patient whose collapse was not witnessed, you should:

immediately begin CPR.

What does LOC stand for?

level of consciousness

With regard to the assessment of a patient's cardiovascular status, capillary refill time is MOST reliable in:

patients who are younger than 6 years of age

With regard to the assessment of a patient's cardiovascular status, capillary refill time is MOST reliable in:

patients who are younger than 6 years of age.

You respond to the scene of a motor vehicle collision. Upon arrival, you find the driver, a young female, sitting on the curb. She is confused; is in obvious respiratory distress; and has pale, moist skin. As your partner manually stabilizes her head, you perform a primary assessment. After performing any immediate life-saving treatment, you should:

perform a detailed head-to-toe exam and prepare for immediate transport.

During your assessment of a 6-month-old male with vomiting and diarrhea, you note that his capillary refill time is approximately 4 seconds. From this information, you should conclude that the infant's:

peripheral circulation is decreased.

A palpable pulse is created by:

pressure waves through the arteries caused by cardiac contraction.

You are dispatched to the county jail for an inmate who is "sick." When you arrive, you find the patient, a 33-year-old male, unresponsive. His airway is patent and his respirations are rapid and shallow. Your initial action should be to:

provide assisted ventilation

In responsive patients who are older than 1 year of age, you should palpate the pulse at the ________ artery.

radial

If a patient develops difficulty breathing after your primary assessment, you should immediately:

reevaluate his or her airway status.

Clinical signs of labored breathing include all of the following, EXCEPT:

shallow chest movement.

You respond to the residence of a 62-year-old male who is unresponsive. Your primary assessment reveals that he is apneic and pulseless. You should:

start CPR and attach the AED as soon as possible.

A crackling sound produced by air bubbles under the skin is called:

subcutaneous emphysema.

When assessing a patient's abdomen, you will evaluate for all of the following, EXCEPT:

subcutaneous emphysema.

You should gently palpate a patient's pelvis only if:

the patient does not complain of pelvic pain.

When a patient's respirations are shallow:

tidal volume is markedly reduced.

A properly sized blood pressure cuff should cover:

two thirds the length from the armpit to the crease at the elbow.

While evaluating a patient with chest pain, your partner tells you that the patient's blood pressure is 140/94 mm Hg. The lower number represents the pressure from the:

ventricles relaxing

Supplemental oxygen without assisted ventilation would MOST likely be administered to patients:

with difficulty breathing and adequate tidal volume.

Which of the following medical history questions would be of LEAST pertinence in an acute situation?

"Does your mother have diabetes?"

Which of the following questions would you ask a patient to ascertain the "M" in the SAMPLE history?

"How much Tylenol do you take each day?"

Which of the following patient responses would establish the "E" in the SAMPLE history?

"I was mowing the lawn when the pain began."

Which of the following questions is used to determine a patient's chief complaint?

"What seems to be the matter?"

The normal respiratory rate for an adult should range from:

12 to 20 breaths per minute.

A 29-year-old male with a head injury opens his eyes when you speak to him, is confused as to the time and date, and is able to move all of his extremities on command. His Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score is:

13

What is the difference between a sign and a symptom?

A symptom is a subjective feeling told by a conscious statement.

A and O x 4 refers to what?

Alert and Oriented to Person, Place, Time, and Event

Which of the following is the MOST effective method of assessing the quality of air movement in the lungs?

Auscultating breath sounds with a stethoscope

AVPU measures responsiveness. What does it stand for?

Awake and Alert, responsive to Verbal stimuli, responsive to Pain, or Unresponsive

Which of the following statements regarding the blood pressure is correct?

Blood pressure is usually not measured in children younger than 3 years of age. Which of the following would the EMT likely NOT perform on a responsive patient with a headache and no apparent life-threatening conditions? Systematic head-to-toe examination

CRT means what about Capillaries

Capillary Refill Time

DCAP-BTLS is the guide for a Secondary Assessment. What does it stand for?

Deformities, Contusions, Abrasions, Punctures, Burns, Tenderness, Lacerations, Swelling

GCS means what?

Glasgow Coma Scale

What is another term for shock?

Hypoperfusion

NOI is nature of _______?

Illness

Which of the following statements regarding stridor is correct?

It is a high-pitched, crowing upper airway sound

Which of the following statements regarding stridor is correct?

It is a high-pitched, crowing upper airway sound.

MOI describes what?

Mechanism of Injury

Which of the following MOST accurately describes paradoxical movement of the chest wall?

Only one section of the chest rises on inspiration, while another area falls

OPQRST, used to determine reasons for symptoms, stands for what?

Onset, Provocation or palliation (what makes pain better), Quality, Region/Radiation, Severity, Timing

Which of the following is the MOST accurate guide to palpating a pulse?

Place the tips of your index and long fingers over the pulse point.

PEARRL stands for what?

Pupils Equal And Round, Regular in size, React to Light

Which of the following signs of respiratory distress is seen MOST commonly in pediatric patients?

Seesaw breathing

Which of the following situations or conditions warrants immediate transport?

Severe chest pain and cool, pale skin

SAMPLE, the mnemonic device for history taking, means?

Signs/Symptoms, Allergies, Medication, Pertinent Medical History, Last oral intake, Events leading up to injury or illness

Which of the following abnormal breath sounds indicates obstruction of the upper airway?

Stridor