EMT Medical Exam

Dyspnea is MOST accurately defined as:

A. shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. ch 15 introduction pg 585

You are assessing a 49-year-old man who, according to his wife, experienced a sudden, severe headache and then passed out. He is unresponsive and has slow, irregular breathing. His blood pressure is 190/94 mm Hg and his pulse rate is 50 beats/min. His wife tells you that he has hypertension and diabetes. He has MOST likely experienced:

A) a ruptured cerebral artery chapter 17 stoke pg 679

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

A) is in shock ch 23 patient assessment pg 835

Common signs and symptoms of AMI include all of the following, EXCEPT:

A) pain exacerbated by breathing Ch 16 pathophysiology pg 638-6639

You are transporting a 33-year-old male who was involved in a motor vehicle crash. You have addressed all immediate and potentially life-threatening conditions and have stabilized his condition with the appropriate treatment. With an estimated time of arrival at the hospital of 20 minutes, you should:

A) reassess his condition in 5 minutes Ch 12 Patient Assessment for Shock pg 499

What is the minute volume of a patient with a tidal volume of 500 mL, a dead space volume of 150 mL, and a respiratory rate of 16 breaths/min?

A. 5,600 mL Ch 10 Physiology of breathing pg 394 (Tidal volume - Dead space) x Respiratory Rate = Minute Volume (aka Alveolar ventilation)

To which of the following diabetic patients should you administer oral glucose?

A. a confused 55 year old male with tachycardia and pallor ch 19 emergency medical care for diabetic emergencies pg 738

A 62 year old man with a history of CHF presents with severe respiratory distress and with an oxygen saturation of 82%. When you auscultate his lungs, you hear widespread rales. He is conscious and alert, is able to follow simple commands, and can only speak in two-to-three word sentences at a time. You should:

A. apply a CPAP device, monitor his BP, and observe him for sings of improvement or deterioration ch 15 treatment of specific conditions pg 615

Which of the following statements regarding gastrointestinal bleeding is correct?

A. bleeding within the GI tract is a sx of another disease, not a disease itself. ch 18 pathophysiology pg 710

Cardiogenic shock following AMI is caused by:

A. decreased pumping force of the heart muscle ch 16 pathophysiology pg 640

Neurogenic shock occurs when

A. failure of the nervous system causes widespread vasodilation. ch 12 types of shock pg 493

When a woman presents with abdominal pain or other vague symptoms, the EMT is often unable to determine the nature of the problem until he or she:

A. has gathered patient history information ch 23 patient assessment pg 833

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

A. provide reassurance and give oxygen as needed ch 15 treatment of specific conditions pg 617 hyperventilation caused this; breathing into a bag could cause hypoxia

You are assessing a 49-year-old man who complains of chest pressure that began the night before. He is conscious, but anxious, and tells you he has a history of angina and hypertension. After applying high-flow oxygen, you expose his chest to auscultate his lungs and note that he has a nitroglycerin patch on his right upper chest. His skin is cool and pale, his blood pressure is 78/50 mm Hg, and his pulse is 110 beats/min and irregular. You should:

A. remove the nitroglycerin patch, place him in a supine position and elevate his lower extremities, and prepare for immediate transport. ch 16 pathophysiology - pg 641 - remove nitro because it can worsen the hypotension; elevate LE so blood doesn't pool

Which of the following statements regarding ventricular fibrillation (V-Fib) is correct?

B) V-fib results in an absence of forward blood flow In V-Fib, the heart is not pumping any blood and the patient is pulseless. **** V-fib = NO PULSE **** V-tach = FAST/IRREGULAR PULSE

When assessing an 80-year-old patient in shock, it is important to remember that:

B) age-related changes in the cardiovascular system may make the patient less able to compensate for decreased perfusion. Ch 7 Older Adults pg 252

To select the proper size oropharyngeal airway, you should measure from the:

B) corner of the mouth to the earlobe Ch 10 Basic Airway Adjuncts pg 412-413

You are dispatched to an apartment complex where a 21-year-old female has apparently overdosed on several narcotic medications. She is semiconscious and has slow, shallow respirations. You should:

B) insert a nasopharyngeal airway and begin assisted ventilation Ch 15 patient assessment pg 603

Which of the following medication routes has the slowest rate of absorption?

B) oral Ch 11 How medications work pg 457

You are ventilating a 40-year-old uninjured man who is apneic but has a pulse. When your partner reassesses his blood pressure, he notes that it has decreased significantly from previous readings. You elevate the patient's legs, but this action has no effect. You should:

B) reduce the rate or volume of the ventilations you are delivering ch 10 assisted and artificial ventilation pg 427 - with positive pressure breathing, the rate of venous return (BP) is decreased due to the increase in intrathoracic pressure in the chest wall

You are dispatched to a residence for a 67 year old female who was awakened by shortness breath and sharp chest pain. Her husband tells you that she was recently discharged from the hospital after having hip surgery. Your assessment reveals dried blood around her mouth, facial cyanosis, and an oxygen saturation of 88%. You should suspect:

B. acute pulmonary embolism ch 15 causes of dyspnea pg 600

When gathering a patient's medications, you find the following: Isordil, Lasix, Nexium, and Digoxin. Which of these medications can be obtained over-the-counter (OTC)?

B. aspirin ch 11 how meds work pg 456

The process of exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide between the alveoli and the blood of the capillaries is called:

B. external respiration ch 10 physiology of breathing, pg 396

You are ventilating an apenic woman with a BVM. She has dentures, which are tight fitting, Adequate chest rise is originally present with each ventilation and the patient's O2sat reads 96%. When you reassess the patency of her airway, however, you note that her dentures are now loose, and you are finidng it more difficult to ventilate. You should:

B. remove her dentures, resume ventilations, and assess for adequate chest rise Ch 10 FB airway obstruction pg 442

While providing CPAP to a patient in severe respiratory distress, you note that his heart rate has increased by 20 beats/min. He is conscious, but is no longer following verbal commands. You should:

B. remove the CPAP device and ventilate him with a bag-valve mask. Ch 10 Continuous + airway pressure pg 436

If gastric distention begins to make positive-pressure ventilation difficult, you should:

B. reposition the patient's airway ch 13 opening the airway and providing artificial ventilation, pg 526

A 70 year old female was recently discharged from the hospital following a total hip replacement. Today, she presents with restlessness, tachycardia, and a BP of 100/64 mmHg. Her skin is hot and moist. You should be MOST suspicious that she is experiencing:

B. septic shock ch 12 types of shock pg 493

Which of the following statements regarding hepatitis B transmission is incorrect?

C) Everyone who is vaccinated develops immediate immunity. ch 14 common or serious communicable disease pg 572-573

Kussmaul respirations are an indication that the body is:

C) attempting to eliminate acids from the blood ch 19 endocrine emergencies pg 731

A 71-year-old male is semiconscious following a sudden, severe headache. There is vomitus around his mouth and his respirations are slow and shallow. The EMT must immediately:

C) perform oropharyngeal suctioning Ch 10 Suctioning pg 408

An absence seizure is also referred to as a:

C) petit mal seizure Ch 17 Seizures pg 682

Which of the following clinical signs is unique to anaphylactic shock?:

C) wheezing ch 12 Types of shock pg 495

A 50-year-old man with diabetes has an altered mental status and is unable to tell you when he last ate or took his insulin. Your glucometer keeps malfunctioning and you are unable to determine his blood glucose level. Which of the following clinical signs would MOST likely lead you to the correct diagnosis? Select one:

C. Deep and rapid breathing Ch 19 Endocrine Emergencies pg 730

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a term used to describe:

C. a group of symptoms that are caused by myocardial ischemia ch 16 pathophysiology pg 637

Whenever possible, a female sexual assault victim should be:

C. given the option of being treated by a female EMT. ch 23 patient assessment pg 833

Common side effects of nitroglycerin include all of the following except:

C. hypertension ch 16 Emergency Medical Care for Chest Pain or Discomfort pg 648

The left ventricle has the thickest walls because it:

C. pumps blood into the aorta and systemic circulation. Ch 16 A&P pg 630

You are dispatched to a convenience store for a patient who passed out. Upon arriving at the scene, you find two bystanders performing CPR on the patient, a 58 year old male. Your initial action should be to:

C. quickly apply the AED and follow the prompts ch 16 emergency medical care for cardiac arrest pg 660

when assessing for fluid collection in the lungs during auscultation of lung sounds, you should

C. start at the lower lung fields and determine at which level you start hearing clear breath sounds ch 15 patient assessment pg 604

A young male is unresponsive after overdosing on an opioid. He is not breathing and his pulse is weak. The EMT should immediately:

C. ventilate with a BVM ch 13 special resuscitation circumstances pg 548

A 60-year-old man complains of chest pain. He is conscious and alert and denies shortness of breath. Which of the following questions would be the MOST appropriate to ask him?

D) "Do you have any heart problems or take any medications?" Ch 4 Therapeutic Communication pg 116-117

Which of the following statements regarding smooth muscle is correct?

D) A person has no voluntary control over smooth muscle ch 6 The Musculoskeletal System: Anatomy pg 186-187

A 73 year old man presents with a generalized rash, which he thinks may have been caused by an antibiotic that he recently began taking. He has a history of CAD, HTN, and emphysema. He is conscious and alert, his BP is 144 /94 mmHg and his pulse is 64 beats/min and regular. You auscultate his breath sounds and hear scattered wheezing, although he is not experiencing respiratory distress. You should:

D. administer oxygen if needed, transport the patient and monitor him for signs of deterioration ch 20 emergency med care of immunologic emergencies pg 760

A 58 year old man complains of chest discomfort and nausea. He is conscious and alert; his blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg his pulse is 104 BPM and his respirations are 16 breaths/min. your partner has applied supplemental oxygen. Prior to assisting the patient with one of his prescribed nitroglycerin tablets, you ask him if he takes medication to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) and he tells you that he does. You should:

D. ask him what he takes, how much, and when he last took it ch 14 patient assessment pg 565

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:

D. begin ventilatory assistance ch 16 pathophysiology pg 641

A 40 year old man is in cardiac arrest. Your partner is performing CPR. You are attaching the AED when the patient's wife tells you that he has an automatic implanted cardiac defibrillator (AICD). The AED advises that a shock is indicated. What should you do?

D. deliver the shock followed by immediate resumption of CPR ch 16 heart surgeries and cardiac assistive devices pg 654

You are dispatched to a residence where a middle aged man was found unconscious in his front yard. There are no witnessess who can tell you what happened. You find him in a prone position; his eyes are closed and he is not moving. Your FIRST action should be to:

D. palpate for the presence of a carotid pulse ch 10 opening the airway pg 405

Abdominal thrusts in a conscious child or adult with a severe upper airway obstruction are performed:

D. until he/she loses consciousness ch 13 foreign body airway obstruction in adults pg 543

When assessing an unresponsive diabetic patient, the primary visible difference between hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia is the:

D.rate and depth of breathing. Ch 19 endocrine emergencies pg 730

The MOST appropriate treatment for a patient with a mild upper airway obstruction includes:

a. administering oxygen and transporting immediately. Ch 13 foreign body airway obstruction in adults pg 542