Chapter 9: Patient Assessment

Which of the following statements regarding stridor is MOST correct?

It is a high-pitched, crowing upper airway sound.

Which of the following conditions would be LEAST likely to cause an altered level of consciousness?

acute anxiety

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.

Which of the following is the MOST effective method of assessing the quality of air movement in the lungs?

auscultating breath sounds with a stethoscope

The goal of the primary assessment is to:

identify and rapidly treat all life-threatening conditions.

The MOST effective way to determine whether your patient's problem is medical or traumatic in origin is to:

perform a careful and thorough assessment.

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.

During an EMS call, you should take standard precautions:

upon exiting the ambulance, but before actual patient contact.

Supplemental oxygen via nonrebreathing mask should be administered to patients:

with difficulty breathing and adequate tidal volume.