Chapter 17

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 the cause of an ischemic stroke?

Blockage of a cerebral artery

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

Confusion and fatigue

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

Hypovolemia

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

Respiratory failure or cardiopulmonary arrest

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.

Febrile seizures:

are usually benign but should be evaluated.

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

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

The most basic functions of the body, such as breathing, blood pressure, and swallowing, are controlled by the:

brain stem.

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

cerebral vasodilation.

A 29-year-old male complains of a severe headache and nausea that has gradually worsened over the past 12 hours. He is conscious, alert, and oriented and tells you that his physician diagnosed him with migraine headaches. He further tells you that he has taken numerous different medications, but none of them seem to help. His blood pressure is 132/74 mm Hg, his pulse is 110 beats/min and strong, and his respirations are 20 breaths/min. Treatment should include:

dimming the lights in the back of the ambulance and transporting without lights and siren.

The spinal cord exits the cranium through the:

foramen magnum.

The MOST significant risk factor for a hemorrhagic stroke is:

hypertension

You are caring for a 68-year-old 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.

When transporting a stable stroke patient with a paralyzed extremity, place the patient in a:

recumbent position with the paralyzed side down.

A generalized (tonic-clonic) seizure is characterized by:

severe twitching of all the body's muscles.

Successful treatment of a stroke depends on whether:

thrombolytic therapy is given within 3 hours of symptoms beginning.

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-year-old 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.