M Ch12: Behavioral Emergencies

During a crisis situation, it is often easier for the patient or a family member to vent his or her feelings of anger on: a: an unknown person; b: him- or herself; c: a distant relative; d: a close family friend

a: an unknown person

If you are unable to withdraw from an unsafe scene, your first action should be to: a: attempt to remain calm; b: avoid making threatening moves; c: avoid turning your back on the patient; d: tell the patient that you are there to help

a: attempt to remain calm

The most important assessment skill to use when caring for a patient with a behavioral emergency is: a: effective communication; b: gathering of medical history data; c: a basic knowledge of psychiatry; d: interpretation of vital signs

a: effective communication

When responding to a situation involving domestic violence, you should: a: know how to maintain safety for yourself and the patient and be able to perform effective assessment and treatment; b: avoid the use of lights and siren while en route to the scene because this may aggravate the situation; c: gain access to the patient as soon as possible in case he or she has life-threatening injuries; d: not enter the scene until an EMT or paramedic has done so and deemed the scene to be safe

a: know how to maintain safety for yourself and the patient and be able to perform effective assessment and treatment

All of the ff factors increase the risk for violence in the workplace, except: a: working in large numbers; b: working in high-crime areas; c: working alone; d: working early in the morning

a: working in large numbers

Which of the ff most accurately defines a behavioral emergency? a: a psychiatric patient experiences a sudden deterioration in his or her condition and becomes suicidal; b: a person exhibits abnormal, unacceptable behavior that cannot be tolerated by family, friends, or the community; c: a person who was otherwise acting normally suddenly becomes irritable and displays abnormal or bizarre behavior; d: a patient requires medical assistance because of a progressive change in his or her behavior

b: a person exhibits abnormal, unacceptable behavior that cannot be tolerated by family, friends, or the community

When a patient or family member has accepted a tragic situation, he or she often feels: a: a lack of remorse; b: apologetic or guilty; c: angry and bitter; d: severely depressed

b: apologetic or guilty

Imagining yourself in another person's situation, sharing his or her feelings and ideas, is called: a: sympathy; b: empathy; c: redirection; d: remorse

b: empathy

You arrive at an apartment complex where a young woman is experiencing an acute emotional crisis. Law enforcement is present, and the scene is safe. As you enter the apartment, you find her sitting on her couch. She is crying and in obvious emotional distress. You should: a: ask the patient if she has any thoughts of hurting herself; b: introduce yourself to the patient and ask her what her name is; c: ensure that your physical positioning is higher than the patient; d: establish immediate and constant eye contact with the patient

b: introduce yourself to the patient and ask her what her name is

Which of the ff statements regarding a situational crisis is correct? a: a situational crisis is typically the result of an ongoing situation, such as a loved one with a terminal disease; b: most situational crises are sudden and unexpected and cannot be handled by a person's usual coping mechanisms; c: a situational crisis always causes the patient to exhibit socially unacceptable, self-destructive, or dangerous behavior; d: situational crises are of long duration and usually can be managed by the patient's coping mechanisms.

b: most situational crises are sudden and unexpected and cannot be handled by a person's usual coping mechanisms

While assisting paramedics in the attempted resuscitation of a 60-yr old woman in cardiac arrest, the senior paramedic determines that the patient is dead after exhausting all efforts. When you attempt to comfort the patient's husband, he becomes verbally abusive and tells you that you should have been able to save his wife's life. You should: a: as the senior paramedic if he or she did everything possible; b: realize that the man's behavior is not a personal attack on you; c: include the husband's comments in your patient care report; d: reassure the husband that his wife's death is not your fault

b: realize that the man's behavior is not a personal attack on you

Common principles used when assessing patients with a behavioral crisis include all of the ff except: a: allowing the patient to tell you what happened; b: informing the patient what you are doing; c: asking the patient if he or she has any children; d: asking questions in a calm, reassuring voice

c: asking the patient if he or she has any children

Which of the ff statements regarding the explosive phase of the abuse cycle is correct? a: the explosive phase is the longest part of the abuse cycle; b: the victim usually tries to deny or minimize the abuse; c: most injuries to the victim occur during this phase; d: during this phase, the abuser makes all sorts of promises

c: most injuries to the victim occur during this phase

You are dispatched to a residence for an injured child. Your unit and a police officer arrive at the scene at the same time. The patient, a 9-yr old boy, has a possible broken arm. The child's father, who appears very nervous, tells you that his son wrecked his bike and that he will take his son to the hospital. Your assessment of the child reveals a deformed left arm and multiple bruises of various colors. The child is clearly frightened and looks at his father every time you ask the child a question. You should: a: splint the child's arm with the father present and then ask the police officer to arrest the father for abusing his child; b: ask the father if he intentionally injured his son and advise him that he will be arrested if he does not tell the truth; c: provide care for the child's injury and ask the police officer to speak with the father in another room as you speak to the child; d: place the child's arm in a splint and allow the father to transport his son to an appropriate medical facility

c: provide care for the child's injury and ask the police officer to speak with the father in another room as you speak to the child

Behavior that is characterized by abnormal thought process or lost contact with reality is called: a: schizophrenic behavior; b: psychological behavior; c: psychotic behavior; d: situational behavior

c: psychotic behavior

While responding in a high-crime area of town for a young man who was shot in the chest, the dispatcher advises you that the patient is unconscious and that the perpetrator may still be at the scene. Law enforcement is en route to the scene as well, but the responding paramedics will be delayed. What should you do? a: advise the dispatcher that the paramedics and law enforcement will handle the situation and then return to service; b: continue to the scene, stay in your vehicle when you arrive, and wait for law enforcement to secure the scene; c: stop a few blocks away from the scene, stay in your vehicle, and wait for law enforcement to arrive at the scene to ensure that the scene is safe; d: proceed cautiously to the scene, exit your vehicle and stay low when you arrive, and quickly move the patient to an area of safety

c: stop a few blocks away from the scene, stay in your vehicle, and wait for law enforcement to arrive at the scene to ensure that the scene is safe

Which of the ff is not a common factor to consider if you are required to physically restrain a violent patient? a: the patient's size and apparent strength; b: the gender of the patient; c: the exact diagnosis pf the patient's illness; d: the method of restraint you plan to use

c: the exact diagnosis pf the patient's illness

A 44-yr old man shot himself in the head with a small-caliber handgun. Law enforcement personnel are at the scene and have the weapon in their possession. The patient is unconscious and is bleeding heavily from the gunshot wound. His wife, who is also present at the scene, tells you that her husband had been severely depressed after losing his job. You should: a: obtain a thorough history of the incident from the patient's wife and then begin treating the patient's injury; b: wait for law enforcement to take pictures of the patient's airway; c: provide immediate emotional support to the patient's wife and tell her that his suicide attempt is not her fault; d: control the bleeding from the wound and then assess the status of the patient's airway and breathing

d: control the bleeding from the wound and then assess the status of the patient's airway and breathing

Which of the ff findings is least indicative of a patient who may become violent? a: use of alcohol or drugs; b: shouting obscenities; c: inability to sit still; d: large body size

d: large body size

The term "restatement" is defined as: a: asking a person a question and then asking him or her to rephrase it and repeat it back to you; b: repeating a person's words and thoughts word for word back to the person; c: asking a person a question and having him or her repeat your question back to you; d: rephrasing a person's words and thoughts and repeating them back to the person

d: rephrasing a person's words and thoughts and repeating them back to the person