ems chapter 15

increased carbon dioxide levels.

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

oxygen and carbon dioxide must be able to freely diffuse across the alveolar-capillary membrane.

In order for efficient pulmonary gas exchange to occur:

alveoli

In what area of the lungs does respiration occur?

provide reassurance and give oxygen as needed.

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:

epinephrine

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:

spontaneous pneumothorax

A 59-year-old male with a history of emphysema complains of an acute worsening of his dyspnea and pleuritic chest pain following a forceful cough. Your assessment reveals that he has a barrel-shaped chest, unilaterally diminished breath sounds, and tachycardia. What is the MOST likely cause of this patient's condition?

Oxygen via nonrebreathing mask and a focused secondary assessment

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?

apply a CPAP device, monitor his blood pressure, and observe him for signs of improvement or deterioration.

A 62-year-old man with a history of congestive heart failure 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:

fluid accumulation outside the lung.

A pleural effusion is MOST accurately defined as:

deep and rapid

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

toxic chemical inhalation.

Acute pulmonary edema would MOST likely develop as the result of:

ventolin

Albuterol is a generic name for:

blood acidity is reduced by excessive breathing.

Alkalosis is a condition that occurs when:

adequate air exchange

An alert patient presents with a regular pattern of inhalation and exhalation and breath sounds that are clear and equal on both sides of the chest. These findings are consistent with:

expiratory wheezing.

At the onset of an acute asthma attack, patients commonly experience difficulty breathing and:

immune system

Asthma is caused by a response of the

tachypnea and tingling in the extremities.

Common signs and symptoms of acute hyperventilation syndrome include:

a narcotic overdose

Hyperventilation could be associated with all of the following, EXCEPT:

shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Dyspnea is MOST accurately defined as:

stridor

Harsh, high-pitched inspiratory sounds are characteristic of:

chronic stretching of the alveolar walls

The respiratory distress that accompanies emphysema is caused by:

inspiration and expiration

The two processes that occur during respiration are:

start at the lower lung fields and determine at which level you start hearing clear breath sounds.

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

abnormal breath sounds

When auscultating the lungs of a patient with respiratory distress, you hear adventitious sounds. This means that the patient has:

respirations increase in rate and depth

When the level of arterial carbon dioxide rises above normal:

respirations increase in rate and depth.

When the level of arterial carbon dioxide rises above normal:

severe anxiety

Which of the following conditions would be LEAST likely to result in hypoxia?

24 breaths/min with bilaterally equal breath sounds and pink skin

Which of the following is MOST characteristic of adequate breathing?

Anaphylaxis is characterized by airway swelling and hypotension.

Which of the following statements regarding anaphylaxis is correct?

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

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

Aspiration pneumonia

While auscultating an elderly woman's breath sounds, you hear low-pitched "rattling" sounds at the bases of both of her lungs. This finding is MOST consistent with which of the following conditions?

jugular vein distention

You are assessing a patient with respiratory distress and are unsure if the cause is congestive heart failure (CHF) or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Which of the following clinical signs would be the MOST helpful in determining whether the patient has CHF or COPD?

instruct him to hold his breath for as long as he comfortably can.

You are assisting an asthma patient with his prescribed metered-dose inhaler. After the patient takes a deep breath and depresses the inhaler, you should:

acute pulmonary embolism

You are dispatched to a residence for a 67-year-old female who was awakened by shortness of 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:

insert a nasopharyngeal airway and begin assisted ventilation.

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:

assist her ventilations with a bag-valve mask

You receive a call for a 70-year-old female with respiratory distress. Her husband tells you that she has congestive heart failure; however, he does not think that she has been taking her medications as prescribed. The patient is laboring to breathe, appears tired, and has cyanosis around her lips. You should:

shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

dyspnea is most accurately defined as