Chapter 12
Which of the following statements regarding the metered-dose inhaler (MDI) is correct?
An MDI delivers the same amount of medication every time it is used
What is true about an MDI?
An MDI delivers the same amount of medication every time it is used.
A semiliquid substance that is administered orally in capsule form or through plastic tubes
gel
a gas that all cells need for metabolism; the heart and brain, especially, cannot function without it
oxygen
With the flowmeter set at 6 L/min, the nasal cannula will deliver up to _______ oxygen.
44%
an oral medication that binds and absorbs ingested toxins in the gastrointestinal tract for treatment of some poisonings and medication overdoses. it is carried on the EMS unit
Activated charcoal
You are dispatched to a state park for a young female experiencing an allergic reaction. Your assessment reveals that her breathing is severely labored and her blood pressure is very low. You carry epinephrine auto-injectors on your ambulance and have been trained and approved by your medical director to administer them. As your partner gives the patient high-flow oxygen, you attempt to contact medical control but do not have a signal from your cell phone. You should:
Administer epinephrine to the patient, begin immediate transport, and attempt to contact medical control en route to the hospital.
A 49-year-old male with an extensive cardiac history presents with 2 hours of crushing chest pain and shortness of breath. He is pale and diaphoretic and tells you that he feels like he is going to die. His medications include nitroglycerin, sildenafil (Viagra), and enalapril (Vasotec). His blood pressure is 140/90 mm Hg and his heart rate is 110 beats/min. In addition to administering 100% oxygen, you should:
Ask him if he took his Viagra within the past 24 hours.
A 62-year-old male presents with crushing chest pain, which he describes as being the same kind of pain that he had with a previous heart attack. He has prescribed nitroglycerin but states that he has not taken any. After administering 100% oxygen and contacting medical control, you should:
Assist him with his nitroglycerin unless his systolic blood pressure is less than 100 mm Hg.
A 37-year-old male is found unconscious in his car. His airway is patent and his respirations are rapid and labored. As you and your partner are assessing and treating the patient, a police officer hands you a medication named Alupent, which he found in the backseat of the patient's car. This medication suggests that the patient has a history of:
Asthma. Asthma.
When assessing an elderly male who complains of nausea and generalized weakness, you find that he takes simvastatin (Vytorin) and clopidogrel (Plavix). This medication regimen suggests a history of:
Cardiovascular disease.
when the EMT directly administers the medication to the patient
EMT-administered medication
Which of the following statements regarding glucose is correct?
Glucose is a simple sugar that is readily absorbed by the bloodstream.
Which of the following is required for an EMT to administer a drug to a patient?
Medical director approval
A medication that increases cardiac perfusion by causing arteries to dilate; you may be allowed to help the patient self-administer the medication
Nitroglycerin
A simple sugar that is readily absorbed by the bloodstream; it is carried on the EMS unit
Oral glucose
What is the difference between parenteral Medications and Enteral Medications?
Parenteral medications are absorbed more quickly than enteral medications.
Which of the following statements regarding parenteral medications is correct?
Parenteral medications are absorbed more quickly than enteral medications.
the process by which medication works on the body
Pharmacodynamics
The study of the properties and effects of medications
Pharmacology
Which of the following medication routes delivers a drug through the skin over an extended period of time, such as a nitroglycerin or nicotine patch?
Transcutaneous
Which of the following is an example of a brand (trade) name of a drug?
Tylenol
The process by which medications travel through body tissues until they reach the bloodstream.
absorption
The therapeutic effect of a medication on the body
action
the process of binding or sticking to a surface
adsorption
The process of binding or sticking to a surface is called:
adsorption.
A medication that causes stimulation of receptors
agonist
A medication that binds to a receptor and blocks other medications
antagonist
Which of the following is an example of a generic name of a drug?
aspirin
An EMT may administer aspirin to a patient if:
authorization from medical control has been obtained.
Subcutaneous injections deliver medication:
between the skin and the muscle.
You are treating a middle-aged man with chest discomfort. He has a history of three previous heart attacks and takes nitroglycerin as needed for chest pain. You have standing orders to administer aspirin to patients with suspected cardiac-related chest pain or discomfort. While your partner is preparing to give oxygen to the patient, you should:
confirm that the patient is not allergic to aspirin, administer the appropriate dose of aspirin, and document the time and dose given.
You are dispatched to a movie theater for a 39-year-old woman with signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction. During your assessment, she takes an epinephrine auto-injector out of her purse and hands it to you. After administering 100% oxygen, you should:
contact medical control.
conditions that make a particular medication or treatment inappropriate; for example, a condition in which a medication should not be given because it would not help or may actually harm a patient
contraindications
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of epinephrine?
decreases heart rate and blood pressure
The amount of medication given on the basis of the patient's size and age
dose
Medications that enter the body through the digestive system
enteral medications
Activated charcoal is frequently suspended in sorbitol, a complex sugar that:
facilitates movement through the digestive system.
the therapeutic uses for a specific mediction
indications
The effect that a medication is expected to have on the body
intended effect
A mucosal atomizer device (MAD) is used to deliver certain medications via the:
intranasal route.
A drug is contraindicated for a patient when it:
may cause harm or have no positive effect.
a miniature spray canister used to direct medications through the mouth and into the lungs
metered-dose inhaler (MDI)
Which of the following medication routes has the slowest rate of absorption?
oral
medications that may be purchased directly by a patient without prescription
over-the-counter (OTC) medications
When the EMT assists the patient with the administration of his or her own medication
patient -assisted medication
Which of the following patient populations typically require a modified drug dose?
pediatric patients
when the EMT administers medication to him or herself or to a partner
peer-assisted medication
the simultaneous use of multiple medications as typically seen in elderly people
polypharmacy
medications that are distributed to patients only by pharmacists according to a physician's order
prescription medication
A 74-year-old woman has been experiencing heaviness in her chest, nausea, and sweating that suddenly began about an hour before your arrival. She is conscious and alert, but anxious. Her blood pressure is 144/84 mm Hg and her heart rate is 110 beats/min. She took two of her prescribed nitroglycerin (0.4-mg tablets) before your arrival but still feels heaviness in her chest. You should:
recall that geriatric patients often have slower absorption and elimination times, which may necessitate modification of the dosing of certain drugs
Nitroglycerin, when administered to patients with cardiac-related chest pain:
relaxes the walls of the coronary arteries.
any effects of a medication other than the desired ones
side effects
