EMT Exam 2

Delirium tremens (DTs) is a syndrome associated with withdrawal from:

alcohol.

The term "behavioral crisis" is MOST accurately defined as:

any reaction that interferes with activities of daily living or is deemed unacceptable by others.

A 60-year-old female presents with a tearing sensation in her lower back. Her skin is sweaty and she is tachycardic. The EMT should suspect:

aortic aneurysm.

The normal blood glucose level is between:

80 and 120 mg/dL.

You are dispatched to a residence for a 40-year-old female who complains of lower abdominal pain, fever and chills, and a foul-smelling vaginal discharge. Which of the following additional assessment findings would increase your index of suspicion for pelvic inflammatory disease?

A shuffling gait when walking

Which of the following statements regarding anaphylaxis is correct?

Anaphylaxis is characterized by airway swelling and hypotension.

A 58-year-old male presents with confusion, right-sided weakness, and slurred speech. His airway is patent and his breathing is adequate. His wife is present and is very upset. Which of the following has the MOST immediately priority?

Asking his wife when she noticed the symptoms

Which of the following sets of vital signs would the EMT MOST likely encounter in a patient with acute cocaine overdose?

BP, 200/100 mm Hg; pulse, 150 beats/min

Which of the following MOST accurately describes the cause of an ischemic stroke?

Blockage of a cerebral artery

Which of the following conditions would MOST likely lead to pelvic inflammatory disease if left untreated?

Chlamydia

Which of the following assessment findings is MOST indicative of a cardiovascular problem?

Jugular venous distention

Which of the following medications would the EMT be LEAST likely to administer to a patient with a medical complaint?

Ibuprofen

Heroin is an example of a(n):

Opioid

Airborne substances should be diluted with:

Oxygen

A 60-year-old male presents with acute respiratory distress. He is conscious and alert, has pink and dry skin, and has respirations of 22 breaths/min with adequate depth. Which of the following treatments is MOST appropriate for this patient?

Oxygen via nonrebreathing mask and a focused secondary assessment

Which of the following organs lies in the retroperitoneal space?

Pancreas

Which of the following statements regarding dialysis is correct?

Patients who miss a dialysis treatment often present with weakness.

In addition to obtaining a SAMPLE history and asking questions related to the chief complaint, what else should you specifically inquire about when assessing a patient with a potentially infectious disease?

Recent travel

A patient with a history of schizophrenia called EMS because he was experiencing abdominal pain. When law enforcement arrived, the patient became violent, necessitating the placement of handcuffs. When you assess the patient, he tells you that killing someone will make his abdominal pain go away. His vital signs are stable. How should you manage this situation?

Request a police officer to accompany you in the ambulance

Which of the following is an example of a functional behavioral disorder?

Schizophrenia

Treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) would MOST likely be contraindicated in which of the following situations?

Shortness of breath and a blood pressure of 76/56 mm Hg

Harsh, high-pitched inspiratory sounds are characteristic of:

Stridor

Which of the following statements regarding glucose is correct?

The brain requires glucose as much as it requires oxygen.

Which of the following would MOST likely provide clues regarding the source of a patient's allergic reaction?

The environment in which the patient is found

Which of the following statements regarding the hypoxic drive is correct?

The hypoxic drive stimulates a person to breathe on the basis of low oxygen levels.

Which of the following statements regarding the acute abdomen is correct?

The initial pain associated with an acute abdomen tends to be vague and poorly localized.

Organic brain syndrome is defined as:

a dysfunction of the brain caused by abnormal physical or physiological function.

A 75-year-old male with type 1 diabetes presents with chest pain and a general feeling of weakness. He tells you that he took his insulin today and ate a regular meal approximately 2 hours ago. You should treat this patient as though he is experiencing:

a heart attack.

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) occurs when:

a small clot in a cerebral artery causes temporary symptoms.

Activated charcoal administration is contraindicated in patients who have ingested:

acids or alkalis.

A 35-year-old obese woman is complaining of localized pain in the right upper quadrant with referred pain to the right shoulder. The MOST likely cause of her pain is:

acute cholecystitis.

The primary prehospital treatment for most medical emergencies:

addresses the patient's symptoms more than the actual disease process.

The MOST common reason that many people experiencing AMI do not seek immediate medical attention is because they:

are in denial.

Febrile seizures:

are usually benign but should be evaluated.

Components of the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale include:

arm drift, speech, and facial droop.

A 38-year-old woman was bitten by fire ants while at the park. Your primary assessment reveals that she is semiconscious; has labored breathing; and has a rapid, thready pulse. She has a red rash on her entire body and her face is swollen. You should:

assist her ventilations with 100% oxygen.

Law enforcement has summoned you to a nightclub, where a 22-year-old female was found unconscious in an adjacent alley. Your primary assessment reveals that her respirations are rapid and shallow and her pulse is rapid and weak. She is wearing a medical alert bracelet that identifies her as an epileptic. There is an empty bottle of vodka next to the patient. You should:

assist ventilations, perform a rapid exam, and prepare for immediate transport.

A young female is unconscious after intentionally ingesting a large amount of aspirin. You will MOST likely find her respirations:

deep and rapid.

Narrowing of the coronary arteries caused by a buildup of fatty deposits is called:

atherosclerosis.

Upon initial contact with a patient who appears to be unconscious, you should:

attempt to elicit a verbal response by talking to the patient.

The ability of cardiac muscle cells to contract spontaneously without a stimulus from a nerve source is called:

automaticity.

Your priority in caring for a patient with a surface contact poisoning is to:

avoid contaminating yourself.

You are dispatched to a residence for a 56-year-old male with an altered mental status. Upon arrival at the scene, the patient's wife tells you that he complained of chest pain the day before, but would not allow her to call EMS. The patient is semiconscious; has rapid, shallow respirations; and has a thready pulse. You should:

begin ventilatory assistance.

General guidelines for managing a patient with a behavioral emergency include:

being prepared to spend extra time with the patient.

The onset of menstruation usually occurs in women who are:

between 11 and 16 years of age.

Activated charcoal is given to patients who have ingested certain substances because it:

binds to the substance and prevents absorption.

The head and brain receive their supply of oxygenated blood from the:

carotid arteries.

The three major parts of the brain are the:

cerebrum, cerebellum, and brain stem.

Esophageal varices MOST commonly occur in patients who:

consume a lot of alcohol.

A 19-year-old male complains of "not feeling right." His insulin and a syringe are on a nearby table. The patient says he thinks he took his insulin and cannot remember whether he ate. He is also unable to tell you the time or what day it is. The glucometer reads "error" after several attempts to assess his blood glucose level. You should:

contact medical control and administer oral glucose.

Diabetes is MOST accurately defined as a(n):

disorder of glucose metabolism.

Common side effects of epinephrine include all of the following, EXCEPT:

drowsiness.

Common signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction include all of the following, EXCEPT:

drying of the eyes.

During the primary assessment of a semiconscious 70-year-old female, you should:

ensure a patent airway and support ventilation as needed.

Proper procedure for administering oral glucose to a patient includes all of the following, EXCEPT:

ensuring the absence of a gag reflex.

A 30-year-old male presents with acute shortness of breath, widespread hives, and facial swelling. He denies any past medical history and takes no medications. During your assessment, you hear wheezing over all lung fields. His blood pressure is 90/50 mm Hg and his heart rate is 110 beats/min. In addition to giving him high-flow oxygen, the MOST important treatment for this patient is:

epinephrine

Risk factors for AMI that cannot be controlled include:

family history.

Blood that is ejected from the right ventricle:

flows into the pulmonary arteries.

Signs and symptoms of a hypertensive emergency would MOST likely be delayed in patients who:

have chronic hypertension.

Chemicals that are responsible for the signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction to a bee sting include:

histamines and leukotrienes.

Urticaria is the medical term for:

hives.

The MOST significant risk factor for a hemorrhagic stroke is:

hypertension.

In a healthy individual, the brain stem stimulates breathing on the basis of:

increased carbon dioxide levels.

In contrast to type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes:

is caused by resistance to insulin at the cellular level.

In contrast to the assessment of a trauma patient, assessment of a medical patient:

is focused on the nature of illness, the patient's chief complaint, and his or her symptoms.

If a woman with vaginal bleeding reports syncope, the EMT should assume that she:

is in shock.

The mental status of a patient who has experienced a generalized seizure:

is likely to improve over a period of 5 to 30 minutes.

Chronic renal failure is a condition that:

is often caused by hypertension or diabetes.

Because the stinger of a honeybee remains in the wound following a sting:

it can continue to inject venom for up to 20 minutes.

Substance abuse is MOST accurately defined as:

knowingly misusing a substance to produce a desired effect.

When an auto-injector is used to give epinephrine, the primary injection site is the:

lateral portion of the thigh.

The physical examination of a sexual assault victim should be:

limited to a brief survey for life-threatening injuries.

A strangulated hernia is one that:

loses its blood supply due to compression by local tissues.

A patient who presents with a headache, fever, confusion, and red blotches on his or her skin should be suspected of having:

meningitis.

Angina pectoris occurs when:

myocardial oxygen demand exceeds supply.

An acute myocardial infarction (AMI) occurs when:

myocardial tissue dies secondary to an absence of oxygen.

Atropine sulfate and pralidoxime chloride are antidotes for:

nerve gas agents.

You arrive at a grocery store shortly after a 35-year-old male stopped seizing. Your assessment reveals that he is confused and incontinent of urine. The patient's girlfriend tells you that he has a history of seizures and takes topiramate (Topamax). When obtaining further medical history from the girlfriend, it is MOST important to:

obtain a description of how the seizure developed.

Before giving activated charcoal, you should:

obtain approval from medical control.

The MOST common and significant complication associated with an acute abdomen is:

peritonitis.

Status epilepticus is characterized by:

prolonged seizures without a return of consciousness.

An important aspect in the treatment of a patient with severe abdominal pain is to:

provide emotional support en route to the hospital.

A 22-year-old female patient is complaining of dyspnea and numbness and tingling in her hands and feet after an argument with her fiancé. Her respirations are 40 breaths/min. You should:

provide reassurance and give oxygen as needed.

A 29-year-old female presents with confusion and disorientation. Her respirations are rapid and shallow and her pulse is 120 beats/min and thready. She is markedly diaphoretic and has an oxygen saturation of 89%. You should:

provide ventilatory support.

Patients with thrombophilia are at an increased risk for:

pulmonary embolism.

Pain that may be perceived at a distant point on the surface of the body, such as the back or shoulder, is called:

referred pain.

You have administered one dose of epinephrine to a 40-year-old female to treat an allergic reaction that she developed after being stung by a scorpion. Your reassessment reveals that she is still having difficulty breathing, has a decreasing mental status, and has a blood pressure of 80/50 mm Hg. You should:

request permission from medical control to give another dose of epinephrine.

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

severe twitching of all the body's muscles.

In contrast to the sympathetic nervous system, the parasympathetic nervous system:

slows the heart and respiratory rates.

Solid abdominal organs include the:

spleen, kidneys, and pancreas.

When caring for a patient experiencing excited delirium, the EMT should remember that:

sudden death can occur if the patient's violence is not controlled.

A 42-year-old male is found unresponsive on his couch by a neighbor. During your assessment, you find no signs of trauma and the patient's blood glucose level is 75 mg/dL. His blood pressure is 168/98 mm Hg, his heart rate is 45 beats/min and bounding, and his respirations are 8 breaths/min and irregular. The patient is wearing a medical alert bracelet that states he has hemophilia. You should:

suspect that he has intracranial bleeding, assist his ventilations, and transport rapidly to an appropriate hospital.

The left cerebral hemisphere controls:

the right side of the body.

If you uncertain how to treat a patient who has been poisoned or exposed to a specific substance, you should:

try to find the container the substance was in.

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) typically does NOT affect the:

urinary bladder.

Two of the MOST common signs of anaphylaxis are:

urticaria and angioedema.

You receive a call to a residence where a man found his wife unresponsive on the couch. The patient's respiratory rate is 8 breaths/min, her breathing is shallow, her heart rate is 40 beats/min, and her pulse is weak. The husband hands you an empty bottle of hydrocodone (Vicodin), which was refilled the day before. You should:

ventilate her with a BVM device.

You respond to a local motel for a young female who was sexually assaulted. The patient is conscious but confused. She tells you that the last thing she remembers was drinking beer at a club with her friends the night before. When she awoke, she was in the bed of the motel room. You should suspect that this patient:

was given flunitrazepam (Rohypnol).

Epinephrine is indicated for patients with an allergic reaction when:

wheezing and hypotension are present.

Classic signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia include:

cool, clammy skin; weakness; tachycardia; and rapid respirations.