exam 7 ch 33
Hypothermia occurs when the core body temperature falls below:
95°F (35°C).
Which of the following conditions would be the LEAST likely to increase a person's risk of hypothermia?
Hyperglycemia
Which of the following statements regarding drowning is correct?
Laryngospasm following submersion in water makes rescue breathing difficult.
You are assessing a 33-year-old male who complains of severe abdominal pain, weakness, and nausea. He tells you that he was gathering wood to build a fire when he felt a sudden, sharp pain on the back of his hand. Your assessment reveals that the patient's abdomen is rigid and painful to palpation. You should suspect:
a black widow spider bite.
Breath-holding syncope is caused by a decreased stimulus to breathe and occurs when:
a swimmer hyperventilates prior to entering the water.
To assess a patient's general body temperature, pull back on your glove and place the back of your hand on his or her skin at the:
abdomen
After being stung on the leg by a jellyfish, a man complains of severe pain to his leg, dizziness, and difficulty breathing. He has a red rash covering his trunk and his blood pressure is 90/50 mm Hg. The EMT should:
administer oxygen and epinephrine and prepare for rapid transport.
All of the following are examples of passive rewarming techniques, EXCEPT:
administering warm fluids by mouth
Shortly after ascending rapidly to the surface of the water while holding his breath, a 29-year-old diver begins coughing up pink, frothy sputum and complains of dyspnea and chest pain. You should suspect and treat this patient for:
an air embolism
Shivering in the presence of hypothermia indicates that the:
body is trying to generate more heat through muscular activity.
The diving reflex may allow a person to survive extended periods of submersion in cold water secondary to:
bradycardia and a slowing of the metabolic rate.
Which of the following would be the LEAST likely to occur in a patient with a core body temperature of between 89°F (32°C) and 92°F (33°C)?
bradypnea
In contrast to Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever:
can cause paralysis and cardiorespiratory collapse.
When a warm hand is immersed in water that is 70°F (21°C), heat is transferred from the hand to the water through a process called:
conduction.
When a person is exposed to cold temperatures and strong winds for an extended period of time, he or she will lose heat mostly by:
convection
You are assessing a 27-year-old woman with a heat-related emergency. Her skin is flushed, hot, and moist, and her level of consciousness is decreased. After moving her to a cool environment, managing her airway, and administering oxygen, you should:
cover her with wet sheets and fan her.
The body's natural cooling mechanism, in which sweat is converted to a gas,
evaporation.
Geriatric patients, newborns, and infants are especially prone to hyperthermia because they:
exhibit poor thermoregulation.
All of the following terms refer to a body part that is cold but not frozen, EXCEPT:
frostbite
A 30-year-old male, who has been playing softball all day in a hot environment, complains of weakness and nausea shortly after experiencing a syncopal episode. Appropriate treatment for this patient includes all of the following, EXCEPT:
giving a salt-containing solution by mouth.
Three ambulances respond to a golf course where a group of six golfers were struck by lighting. Two of the golfers are conscious and alert with superficial skin burns (Group 1). The next two golfers have minor fractures and appear confused (Group 2). The last two golfers are in cardiac arrest (Group 3). According to reverse triage, which group of golfers should be treated FIRST?
group 3
To obtain the MOST accurate reading of a patient's core body temperature, you should place a special hypothermia thermometer:
into the patient's rectum.
In contrast to the brown recluse spider, the black widow spider:
is large and has a red-orange hourglass mark on its abdomen.
In order for sweating to be an effective cooling mechanism:
it must be able to evaporate from the body
It is important to remove a drowning victim from the water before laryngospasm relaxes because:
less water will have entered the patient's lungs.
You are dispatched to a residence for a young female who is sick. The patient complains of a rash to her lower extremities and truncal area. Your assessment reveals a small, painful blister on her inner thigh. As your partner is taking the patient's vital signs, she states that she and her family returned from a camping trip two days ago. On the basis of this patient's presentation, you should suspect:
lhyme disease
You are dispatched to a local high school track and field event for a 16-year-old male who fainted. The outside temperature is approximately 95°F (35°C) with high humidity. Upon your arrival, the patient is conscious, alert, and complains of nausea and a headache. His skin is cool, clammy, and pale. You should:
move him into the cooled ambulance.
Signs and symptoms of an air embolism include all of the following, EXCEPT:
pale skin.
Your assessment of a 23-year-old female reveals a core body temperature of 93.4°F (34°C). She is conscious, answers your questions appropriately, is shivering, and complains of nausea. Her skin is cold and pale, her muscles appear rigid, and her respirations are rapid. You should:
place heat packs to her groin, axillae, and behind her neck; cover her with warm blankets; and avoid rough handling.
The EMT must assume that any unwitnessed water-related incident is accompanied by:
possible spinal injury
You are transporting a 28-year-old man with a frostbitten foot. The patient's vital signs are stable and he denies any other injuries or symptoms. The weather is treacherous and your transport time to the hospital is approximately 45 minutes. During transport, you should:
protect the affected part from further injury.
High air temperature reduces the body's ability to lose heat by:
radiation
A patient with a core body temperature of 95°F (35°C) will MOST likely experience:
rapid breathing
A woman has frostbite in both feet after walking several miles in a frozen field. Her feet are white, hard, and cold to the touch. Treatment at the scene should include:
removing her wet clothing and covering her feet with dry, sterile dressings.
A 13-year-old girl is found floating face down in a swimming pool. Witnesses tell you that the girl had been practicing diving. After you and your partner safely enter the water, you should:
rotate the entire upper half of her body as a unit, supporting her head and neck.
You are assessing a man with suspected hypothermia. The patient is conscious and alert, and is actively shivering. His respiratory rate is increased, but his breathing is unlabored, and the pulse oximeter reads 72%. The pulse oximetry reading is MOST likely:
secondary to decreased perfusion in the extremities.
The two MOST efficient ways for the body to eliminate excess heat are:
sweating and vasodilation.
Heat stroke occurs when:
the body's heat-eliminating mechanisms are overwhelmed.
An air embolism associated with diving occurs when:
the diver holds his or her breath during a rapid ascent.
Heat loss from the body through respiration occurs when:
warm air is exhaled into the atmosphere.