EMR Chapter 12: Behavioral Emergencies

Which of the following is not an appropriate response when acknowledging a patient's or family member's anger?

"Get control of yourself."

You are assisting paramedics who are attempting to resuscitate an elderly man in cardiac arrest. The patient's wife, who is emotionally distraught, is standing alone in the corner of the room observing. One of the paramedics asks you to provide emotional support to the wife. What should you say?

"We are doing everything that we possibly can"

Redirection is a technique used to:

focus a patient's attention on the immediate situation or crisis.

Noting a patient's appearance; activity; speech; orientation to person, place, and time; and memory are MOST useful when assessing his or her:

mental status

The first and most important step in crisis management is to:

talk to the patient

Which of the following most accurately defines a behavioral emergency?

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

Which of the following events would most likely cause posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Childhood neglect

Which of the following statements regarding suicide is correct?

Many patients who fail to kill themselves will attempt suicide again

Which of the following statements regarding the explosive phase of the abuse cycle is correct?

Most injures to the victim occur during this phase

Which of the following statements regarding a situational crisis is correct?

Most situational crises are sudden and unexpected and cannot be handled by a person's usual coping mechanisms.

Which of the following is caused by a sudden and disruptive event such as a physical illness or death of a loved one?

Situational crisis

While responding in a high-crime area of town for a young man who was shot in the chest, the dispatchers 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?

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

Which of the following action would not reassure an emotionally disturbed patient that you are interested in helping him or her?

Telling the patient that everything will be all right

Which of the following is not a common factor to consider if you are required to physically restrain a violent patient?

The exact diagnosis of the patient's illness

During a crisis situation, it is often easier for the patient or a family member to vent his or her feelings on:

an unknown person

The most difficult emotional reaction for the emergency medical responder (EMR) to deal with objectively is:

anger

When a patient or family member has accepted a tragic situation, he or she often feels:

apologetic or guilty

You are attempting to communicate with a severely depressed man who lives in a small apartment. In additions to you, there are three law enforcement officers and two fire fighters in the apartment. The patient appears anxious and will not answer your questions. You should

ask all nonessential personal to leave the apartment

Common principles used when assessing patients with a behavioral crisis include all of the following, except:

asking the patient if he or she has any children

If you are unable to withdraw form an unsafe scene, your first action should be to:

attempt to remain calm

When dealing with a patient who is exhibiting abnormal behavior, your initial action should be to:

conduct a careful size-up of the scene

A 44-year-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 form the gunshot wound. His wife, who is also present at the scene, tells you that her husband has been servery depressed after losing his job. You should:

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

Common factors that contributes to negative behavioral changes include all of the following,except:

decreased responsibility at work.

The most important assessment skill to use when caring for a patient with a behavioral emergency is:

effective communication

The first phase of a situational crisis, which if characterized by cool and clammy skin, nausea and vomiting, and general inactivity, is called:

emotional shock

Imagining yourself in another person's situation, sharing his or her feelings and ideas, is called:

empathy

To treat am emotionally disturbed patient against his or her will, you must

have a reasonable belief that the patient would harm himself, herself, or others

If you must treat an unarmed patient who is or may become violent, you should first:

immediately attempt to establish verbal and eye contact with the patient

If you are confronted by a person who is armed with a gun, knife, or other weapon, you should:

immediately attempt to withdraw from the situation

Sign and symptoms of extreme stress include all of the following,except:

increased sex drive

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 patient's apartment, you find her sitting on her couch. She is crying and in obvious emotional distress. You should:

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

Which of the following findings if least indicative of a patient who may become violent?

large body size

If you suspect that a person has been abused, your initial responsibility is to:

maintain safety for yourself and the patient

When responding to a situations involving domestic violence, you should:

maintain safety for yourself and the patient and be able to preform effective assessment and treatment

Which of the following is not an effective way to avoid a violent situation?

physically restraining the patient before trying to communicate

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-year-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 that looks at his father every time you ask the child a question. You should:

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

Behavior that is characterized by defective or lost contact with reality is called:

psychotic behavior

While assisting paramedics in the attempted resuscitation of a 60-year-old woman in cardiac arrest, the senior paramedics 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:

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

The term "restatement" is defined as:

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

A 29-year-old woman was sexually assaulted. Your primary assessment reveals no life-threatening injuries. As you proceed with you secondary assessment, the patient, who is conscious and alert, tells you that she does not want to go to the hospital and that she wants you to get away from her. You should:

request a rescuer who is the same sex as the patient, unless one is already present on the scene

During the _____ phase of the abuse cycle, the victim may try to minimize or deny the abuse.

tension

One of the main cause of suicide in older people is:

terminal disease

The BEST person to communicate with a patient who has the potential to become violent is:

the rescuer with whom the patient seems to have the best rapport

All of the following factors increase the risk for violence in the workplace, except:

working in large numbers

How well you can help the dying patient and his or her family largely depends on:

your own personal feelings about death