Chapter 9
An unstable patient should be reassessed at least every:
5 minutes.
Normal skin color, temperature, and condition should be:
pink, warm, and dry.
When performing a full-body scan on a trauma patient, you note the presence of Battle's sign. This is defined as:
bruising behind the ear.
A blood pressure cuff that is too small for a patient's arm will give a:
falsely high systolic and diastolic reading.
Which of the following findings indicates that your patient has a patent airway?
forceful coughing
A 71-year-old female slipped on a rug and fell. She is conscious and alert and complains of severe pelvic pain. Her respirations are 22 breaths/min with adequate depth and her heart rate is 120 beats/min. Which of the following would NOT be appropriate for this patient?
gentle palpation of the pelvis
Which of the following signs of respiratory distress is seen MOST commonly in pediatric patients?
seesaw breathing
Normal respiration rates should not exceed ____ breaths per minute in children and ____ breaths per minute in infants.
30, 50
An elderly patient has fallen and hit her head. You assess her level of consciousness as unresponsive using the AVPU scale. Your initial care should focus on:
airway, breathing, circulation.
When using the pulse oximeter as part of your assessment of a patient, it is important to remember that:
any situation that causes vasoconstriction or loss of red blood cells, such as anemia or bleeding, may result in an inaccurate or misleading value.
Poor peripheral circulation will cause the skin to appear:
ashen.
When palpating the carotid pulse of a responsive older patient, you should:
avoid compressing both carotid arteries simultaneously.
With regard to the assessment of a patient's cardiovascular status, capillary refill time is MOST reliable in:
children who are younger than 6 years of age.
While en route to the scene of a shooting, the dispatcher advises you that the caller states that the perpetrator has fled the scene. You should:
confirm this information with law enforcement personnel at the scene.
When you inspect a patient's pupils with a penlight, the pupils should normally react to the light by:
constricting.
When palpating a patient's pulse, you note that it is grossly irregular. You should:
count the pulse rate for a full minute to obtain an accurate reading.
A patient's short-term memory is MOST likely intact if he or she correctly answers questions regarding:
date and event.
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.
A patient with profuse swearing is referred to as being:
diaphoretic.
You should suspect that a patient is experiencing respiratory failure if he or she:
has bradycardia and diminished muscle tone.
Upon arriving at the scene of a patient with difficulty breathing, you determine that the scene is safe. You enter the residence and find the patient sitting in a chair in obvious distress. Your first action should be to:
introduce yourself to the patient.
What maneuver should be used to open the airway of an unresponsive patient with suspected trauma?
jaw-thrust maneuver
Typical methods of assessing a patient's breathing include all of the following, EXCEPT
observing for nasal flaring during inhalation.
A 40-year-old male crashed his motorcycle into a tree. He is semiconscious, has snoring respirations, and has a laceration to the forearm with minimal bleeding. You should:
open his airway with the jaw-thrust maneuver.
An injured patient is assigned a total score of 9 on the GCS. He is assigned a score of 2 for eye opening, a score of 3 for verbal response, and a score of 4 for motor response. Which of the following clinical findings is consistent with his GCS score?
opens eyes in response to pain, uses inappropriate words, withdraws from pain
A full-body scan should be performed on:
patients with a significant MOI and unresponsive medical patients.
You are assessing a 72-year-old man with abdominal pain. The patient is sitting in a chair; he is conscious, alert, and calm. As you are talking to the patient, your partner discreetly directs your attention to a handgun, which is located on a nearby table. You should:
position yourself in between the patient and the gun and ask your partner to request law enforcement assistance.
A 50-year-old male presents with an altered mental status. His wife tells you that he had a "small stroke" 3 years ago but had otherwise been in good health. The patient is responsive but unable to follow commands. After administering oxygen, you should:
prepare for immediate transport.
A palpable pulse is created by:
pressure waves through the arteries caused by cardiac contraction.
During the primary assessment, circulation is evaluated by assessing:
pulse quality, external bleeding, and skin condition.
Which of the following actions would NOT be performed during the scene size-up?
rapidly assessing a patient's respiratory status
If a patient develops difficulty breathing after your primary assessment, you should immediately:
reevaluate his or her airway status.
When performing a reassessment of your patient, you should first:
repeat the primary assessment.
When interviewing a patient, you can show him or her that you understand the situation by:
repeating statements back to him or her.
Which of the following abnormal breath sounds indicates obstruction of the upper airway?
stridor
When assessing a patient's abdomen, you will typically evaluate for all of the following, EXCEPT:
subcutaneous emphysema
Which of the following would the EMT most likely NOT perform on a responsive patient with a headache and no apparent life-threatening conditions?
systemic head-to-toe examination
The pressure exerted against the walls of the artery when the left ventricle contracts is called the:
systolic pressure.
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 pressure from the:
ventricles relaxing.