Operations - EMSTA

You are called to treat a 55-year-old man who is experiencing difficulty breathing. After making contact with your patient, he extends his arm out to allow you to take his blood pressure. This is an example of:

actual consent

As soon as you begin transport of a patient to the hospital, you should:

advise dispatch of your status

A 30-year-old woman crashed her car into a tree at a high rate of speed. She is conscious and alert and has stable vital signs. She has some small lacerations and abrasions to her arms and face, but no obviously life-threatening injuries. As you are loading her into the ambulance, she tells you that she does not want to go to the hospital. You should:

advise the patient that she should be transported to the hospital because of the seriousness of the crash.

A conscious and alert 92-year-old woman with chest pain is refusing EMS treatment and transport to the hospital. Her family insists that you transport her. This situation is MOST appropriately managed by:

advising the patient of the risks of refusing care.

Which of the following statements regarding the use of an escort vehicle when en route to an emergency call is correct?

an escort vehicle should be used only if you are unfamiliar with the patient's location

All of the following are considered key components at the scene of a mass-casualty incident, EXCEPT:

an on-scene emergency physician

In most states, the EMT is required to report which of the following occurrences?

animal bite

While triaging patients at a mass-casualty incident, you encounter a responsive middle-aged female with a respiratory rate of 26 breaths/min. What should you do next?

assess for bilateral radial pulses

You arrive at the scene of an 80-year-old woman who is weak and lightheaded. Her son, who called 911, is present and asks you to transport his mother to the hospital. You should:

assess the woman and determine if she wishes to be treated and transported.

While you are inside a crashed vehicle assessing a patient who is entrapped, the rescue team should be:

assessing exactly how the patient is trapped and determining the safest way to extricate him or her.

At the scene of a mass-casualty incident, you notice a bystander who is emotionally upset. An appropriate action to take would be to:

assign the bystander a simple, non-patient-care task.

Most crashes involving ambulances occur:

at intersections

According to the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), minimum staffing for a basic life support ambulance includes:

at least one EMT in the patient compartment

You arrive at the scene where a man fell approximately 40 feet and landed on his head. He is unresponsive, has agonal gasps, and has a weak carotid pulse. Further assessment reveals an open head injury with exposed brain matter. Upon identifying this patient as an organ donor, you should:

manage the patient aggressively and provide rapid transport.

The technique of rapid extrication from a vehicle involves:

manually stabilizing the head, applying a cervical collar, and removing the patient from the vehicle onto a long backboard.

The role of triage officer at a mass-casualty incident should be assumed by the:

most knowledgeable EMS provider

You arrive at the scene of a young male who was stabbed when a burglar broke into his house. Law enforcement officers are present. The patient, who is unresponsive with several stab wounds to the chest, is lying in a narrow space between a couch and coffee table. You should:

move the coffee table, begin patient care, and notify a police officer.

A man armed with a shotgun has taken two people hostage and has shot one of them. Upon arriving at the scene, you should:

have the incident commander guide you to a shielded staging area and wait for the tactical team to bring the patient to you.

While en route back to your station from the emergency department, you discover that you forgot to include vital patient information on the front of your patient care report (PCR). Having left a copy of your PCR with the emergency department staff, you should:

include the information on an addendum and furnish it to the hospital.

As an EMT, your primary responsibility is to:

keep yourself as safe as possible

Proper body mechanics when lifting and moving a patient include:

keeping the weight as close to you as possible

Which of the following scene size-up findings is LEAST suggestive of an unsafe environment?

large man standing in his yard awaiting your arrival

A patient injured his arm and asks to be transported to a specific hospital because he has been there before. The EMT states that he does not feel the doctors there are competent and recommends a different hospital. The EMT's behavior is:

legal, but unethical

The immobilization device MOST appropriate to use for a patient with multiple injuries and unstable vital signs is the:

long spine board immobilization device.

While you are caring for an emotionally disturbed 30-year-old male, he suddenly becomes violent and needs to be physically restrained. During the restraint procedure, you should:

maintain communication with him and closely monitor his airway.

You are caring for a 6-year-old child with a swollen, painful deformity to the left forearm. As you communicate with the parents of this child, you should:

make sure that they remain aware of what you are doing

You receive a call at 3:00 a.m. for a patient who is slumped over the steering wheel of his car, which is parked on the shoulder of the road. Your unit and a police officer arrive at the scene at the same time. You should:

stay in your unit until the police officer checks the patient.

Which of the following statements BEST describes a mass-casualty incident?

the number of patients overwhelms your resources

As you step out of the ambulance at the scene of a nighttime motor-vehicle crash on the highway, your MOST immediate concern should be:

the presence of oncoming traffic.

While en route to the scene of an injured person, dispatch advises you that law enforcement personnel are at the scene. This indicates that:

the scene is potentially unsafe.

The set of regulations and ethical considerations that define the extent or limits of an EMT's job is called:

the scope of practice

Which of the following components is NOT part of an injury or illness prevention program?

training a group of daycare employees on infant and child CPR

When providing care to multiple patients at the scene of a mass-casualty incident, your goal should remain focused on:

transporting patients to the hospital

When requesting medical direction for a patient who was involved in a major motor-vehicle accident, you should do all of the following, EXCEPT:

use radio codes to describe the situation

While functioning at a large-scale terrorist incident, it is important for the EMT to:

use triage and base patient care on available resources.

Which of the following patients has the highest priority at the scene of a mass-casualty incident?

35-year-old unresponsive woman with snoring respirations and severe burns

Which of the following is considered minimum personal protective equipment (PPE) when suctioning an unresponsive patient's airway?

gloves and full facial protection

Which of the following situations would necessitate treatment using implied consent?

A 65-year-old man who is confused and suspected of having a severe stroke

During the triage process, which of the following injuries or conditions would classify a patient as a high priority?

A large avulsion to the arm and an altered mental status

Which of the following situations presents the greatest risk for suicide?

A man who was recently diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer

If the EMT could initially only take two pieces of equipment to the side of a patient in cardiac arrest, which of the following should he or she select?

AED and suction device

You arrive at the scene of a traffic accident in which multiple vehicles are involved. You see at least two patients who are lying on the road and are not moving. You should:

request additional ambulances

When is it MOST appropriate to complete your patient care report for a critically ill or injured patient?

As soon as all patient care activities are completed

Which of the following actions demonstrates an EMT's knowledge of crime scene preservation?

Advising a law enforcement officer after moving a coffee table to access a critically injured patient

Following a call in which a 6-week-old infant in cardiac arrest did not survive, your partner is exhibiting significant anxiety and irritability. How can you MOST effectively help him?

Allow him to voice his feelings to you.

You are giving a presentation to a group of laypeople on the importance of calling EMS immediately for cardiac arrest patients. Which point should you emphasize the MOST?

CPR and defibrillation are key factors in patient survival

Which of the following is the MOST practical method of standard precautions when treating multiple patients during a mass-casualty incident?

Changing your gloves in between contact with different patients

Following an apparent terrorist attack, numerous patients present with shortness of breath and persistent coughing. A green haze is noted in the area in which the patients are located. Which of the following agents should you suspect they were exposed to?

Chlorine (CL)

Who has ultimate authority for all issues regarding patient care at the scene of a mass-casualty incident?

EMS medical director

In which of the following situations is an emergency move of a patient from his or her wrecked vehicle clearly indicated?

Gas is leaking from the vehicle and there is a small fire in the engine compartment

How does a unified incident command system differ from a single incident command system?

In a unified incident command system, plans are made in advance by all agencies that assume a shared responsibility for decision making.

Upon returning to quarters after working a major car accident involving an entire family, a member of the press calls and requests information regarding the call. Which of the following would be the EMT's MOST appropriate action?

Inform him that the patients were transported to the hospital, but that you cannot disclose the extent of their injuries

Which of the following statements regarding the high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) respirator is correct?

Long sideburns or a beard will prevent the proper fit of a HEPA respirator.

Which of the following is an example of the EMT providing care based on standing orders?

The EMT defibrillates a patient with the automated external defibrillator, directs immediate resumption of CPR, and then contacts medical control for further guidance

You are dispatched to a call for an unresponsive patient. Which of the following is the MOST important information that you should initially obtain from the dispatcher?

The exact location of the patient

Which of the following practices will provide you with the highest degree of safety when responding to an emergency call?

Wearing your seat belt and shoulder harness

While treating a patient in cardiac arrest, you turn the AED on and attach the pads to the patient. However, when the AED begins to analyze the patient's cardiac rhythm, it signals "low battery" and then shuts off. The patient subsequently dies. Which of the following statements regarding this scenario is MOST correct?

You and your partner may be held liable for negligence.

Which of the following situations is an example of abandonment?

a paramedic transfers care to an advance EMT

Failure of the EMT to obtain consent from a responsive patient before taking his or her blood pressure may constitute:

battery

When calling in your radio report to the receiving hospital, you should:

be brief, concise, and factual

A 10-year-old child was struck by a car while crossing the street. He has bilateral femur fractures and a head injury. His father has been notified and is 20 minutes away from the scene. The EMT should:

begin immediate transport and have law enforcement update the father

Your partner, a veteran EMT of 20 years, has been showing up late to work with increasing frequency over the last several shifts. When he arrives, he is in a bad mood and is clearly not interested in being at work. His behavior is MOST consistent with:

burnout

When called to the scene of a structural fire to stand by in case any injuries occur at the scene, you should:

ensure that your ambulance does not block or hinder other arriving fire apparatus.

Your actions at the scene of a critically injured patient who was shot during a robbery should include:

caring for the patient while manipulating the scene to a minimal extent

You are called to a residence for a woman in cardiac arrest. Shortly after you start CPR, the patient's husband presents you with an unsigned document that states "do not attempt resuscitation." You should:

continue CPR until you have contacted medical control for guidance

A 70-year-old man with a history of emphysema and congestive heart failure is in cardiac arrest. His wife tells you that he collapsed about 5 minutes before your arrival. Your partner begins one-rescuer CPR as you prepare the AED. As you are applying the AED pads, the man's wife tells you that she wants you to let him die in peace. You should:

continue performing CPR and ask her if he has a living will.

Upon arriving at the scene of a crash involving a large truck, you immediately note the presence of an orange placard on the side of the tank that the truck is pulling. This indicates that the vehicle is carrying a/an ______________ agent.

explosive

While caring for a trauma patient, blood splashes into an EMT's eyes. This is an example of:

exposure

When driving in emergency mode on a multilane highway, the emergency vehicle operator should keep to the:

extreme left lane so motorists can yield to the right

The ultimate goal of any EMS quality improvement program is to:

deliver a consistently high standard of care to all patients who are encountered.

The scene size-up includes all of the following components, EXCEPT:

donning personal protective gear

The safest emergency vehicle operator is one who:

drives with due regard

The MOST effective means of preventing the spread of disease is:

effective handwashing

You and your partner have secured a trauma patient to a long backboard and are preparing to lift the backboard onto the stretcher. When doing so, you should:

ensure that the strongest EMT is positioned at the head of the backboard

When sizing up a motor-vehicle crash in which a small passenger car struck a bridge pillar and sustained severe damage, you should:

ensure that there are no hazards and then try to open one of the doors

When using the power lift to lift a stretcher, you should:

ensure that you lift with your palms facing up

You are the first ambulance to arrive at the scene of a motor-vehicle crash. As you approach the scene, you see three patients: two have been ejected from their vehicles and the other is still in his vehicle. You should:

request additional ambulances to respond to the scene

Upon arriving at the scene of a multiple-vehicle crash, you can see that at least two patients have been ejected from their vehicles. You should:

request at least one more ambulance

Upon arriving at the scene of an overturned tanker truck, you see a clear liquid leaking from the rear of the tank. The driver is still in the vehicle, and you can see that his face is covered with blood. You should:

request fire department assistance if they are not already en route

The primary clinical feature associated with exposure to a vesicant agent is:

skin blistering

Which of the following vaccinations is NOT currently recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)?

smallpox

A patient presents with severe bradycardia, hypersalivation, vomiting, and excessive tearing. Which of the following agents would MOST likely cause his signs and symptoms?

soman

The EMT should avoid focusing all of his or her attention on a single critical patient during the triage process because:

other patients may die from causes that could have been prevented.

Upon arriving at a scene in which a tanker truck overturned and is spilling an unknown liquid on the ground, you should:

park upwind from the scene

EMTs arrive at a one-vehicle crash on the left shoulder of a 3-lane highway. The fire department has parked their apparatus on the left shoulder, behind the crashed vehicle. The ambulance should be parked:

past the crashed vehicle, on the left shoulder

A 52-year-old woman crashed her minivan into a tree. She is pinned at the legs by the steering wheel and is semiconscious. After gaining access to the patient, you should:

perform a primary assessment and provide any lifesaving care before extrication.

While caring for an injured patient, you remove blood-soaked clothing to treat his injuries. You should dispose of the clothing by:

placing it in a biohazard bag

You are called to a local state park where a hiker fell from a cliff into a thick, wooded area with rough terrain. It is cold and foggy, and a thunderstorm is approaching. You will MOST likely move the patient to the ambulance by:

placing the patient in a basket stretcher and using at least four people to carry him to the ambulance.

You are called to transport a patient with terminal lung cancer from a skilled nursing facility to the emergency department for evaluation of possible pneumonia. As you are reviewing the transfer paperwork, you see that the patient has a valid "do not attempt resuscitation" order. During transport, you should:

provide supportive care, such as oxygen, and keep the patient comfortable

Proper guidelines for safe reaching include all of the following, EXCEPT:

reaching no more than 30" in front of your body

Medical control has ordered you to administer one tube of oral glucose to a hypoglycemic patient. Immediately after receiving this order, you should:

repeat the order back to medical control word for word

When the incident command system is activated at the scene, you should expect to:

report back to your section officer in between assignments

After arriving at a mass-casualty incident where other ambulances are already present, you should notify the dispatcher and then:

report to the staging area

Upon arriving at a mass-casualty incident, the EMT is assigned to the treatment area. Upon completion of duties in the treatment area, the EMT should:

report to the treatment officer for further instructions