EMT Section 8
Which of the following questions should you ask if you suspect a patient may have congestive heart failure?
"How many pillows do you sleep on?"
Which of the following tasks should be done during triage?
- moving patients to the treatment area - Establishing a morgue (if necessary)
Which of the following is a physiologic change that occurs during the process of aging?
A decline in kidney function
arteriosclerosis
A disease that causes the arteries to thicken, Harden, and calcify
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA)
A rapidly fatal condition in which the walls of the aorta in the abdomen weaken and blood leaks into the layers of the vessel, causing it to bulge
Delirium
A sudden change in mental status marked by the inability to focus, think logically, and maintain attention; this condition is generally acute and reversible
You are working on a geriatric patient who reports severe abdominal pain radiating through her back and flank. She also reports discomfort in her right leg and your assessment reveals a diminished pulse in the extremity. What should you suspect?
Abdominal aortic aneurysm
When assessing an older patient who has multiple bruises in various stages of healing, the EMT should do all of the following, EXCEPT:
Accuse a caregiver of physical abuse
Which of the following would be part of the "S" component of the GEMS diamond?
Activities of daily living
Which of the following is a nonpreventable factor in stroke?
Age
What does the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) dictate?
All health care facilities must provide a medical assessment and treatment, regardless of the patient's ability to pay.
Atherosclerosis
An accumulation of fat and cholesterol in the arteries
Aneurysm
And abnormal enlargement of a part of an artery, resulting from weakening of the arterial wall
elder abuse
Any action on The part of an older person's family member, caregiver, or other associated person that takes advantage of the older persons person, property, or emotional state
A 71-year-old man with a history of hypertension and vascular disease presents with tearing abdominal pain. His blood pressure is 80/60, his heart rate is 120 bpm, and his respirations are 28 breaths per minute. Your assessment reveals that his abdomen is rigid and distended. Considering his medical history and vital signs, you should be most suspicious for an
Aortic aneurysm
________ is a developmental disorder characterized by impairment of social interaction.
Austism
A condition that clouds the lens of the eye is called:
Cataract
As a person ages, the heart may enlarge as a result of
Chronically increased afterload
Cataracts
Clouding of the lens of the eye or its surrounding transparent membranes
Hemoptysis
Coughing up blood
Which of the following mnemonics is helpful when you are dealing with a tracheostomy tube obstruction?
DOPE
Osteoporosis is defined as:
Decrease in bone mass and density
In arteriosclerosis, overproduction of abnormal collagen and decreased quantities of elastin lead to what?
Decreased coronary artery perfusion
You are at the home of an elderly man who has a tracheostomy tube and is on mechanical ventilation. His ventilator has malfunctioned. Once you disconnect the ventilator, what should you do?
Deliver oxygen using a face mask over the stoma.
The slow onset of progressive disorientation, shortened attention span, and loss of cognitive function is called:
Dementia
You are dispatched to a skilled nursing care facility for an 80-year-old female with abnormal behavior. The patient is clearly confused and asks you if you are her husband. As your partner administers oxygen to the patient, you should:
Determine the patient's baseline Mental status
The LEAST common cause of death in patients over 65 years of age is:
Drug overdose
Which of the following is the best source of information when you are dealing with an autistic patient?
Family members/caregivers
Ascites
Fluid in the abdomen
On auscultation of a patient's lungs, you hear crackles. These lung sounds are caused by air passing through what?
Fluid in the alveoli
Which level of PPE do you need to wear when dealing with a Level 1 or 2 toxicity level?
For slightly hazardous levels of toxicity, you should wear SCBA and a level-C suit.
Inflicted bruises are commonly found in all of the following areas, EXCEPT:
Forearms
Good General communication techniques with the elderly include:
Frequently asking the patient if he or she understands
Which of the following is NOT a reason why the exact extent and prevalence of elder abuse is unknown?
Human resource agencies fail to investigate.
When treating a patient with spina bifida, which of the following is most likely to produce anaphylaxis?
Latex
Which interview technique should you use when addressing a geriatric patient?
Listen carfully to the answer the patient provides
What is the primary difference between a disaster and an MCI?
MCIs are usually short term and disasters are long term
Which of the following is true regarding delirium?
Memory remains intact
Which of the following statements regarding suicide in the older patient is correct?
Older patients tend to use more lethal means than younger patients.
Which of the following is not part of the general staff defined in the ICS?
Organization
Which of the following conditions makes the elderly patient prone to fractures from even minor trauma?
Osteoporosis
You are assessing an 80-year-old patient who explains that he was awakened by a sudden feeling of suffocation and respiratory distress. What are his symptoms a characteristic of?
Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea
You are triaging victims of a train derailment. Patient A has significant bleeding from an abdominal injury. Patient B has several simple fractures of the femur and ulna. Patient C is conscious and complaining of head and neck pain. Patient D is in cardiac arrest. How would you prioritize these patients?
Patient A has significant bleeding from an abdominal injury and should be tagged as red. Patient B has relatively minor fractures and should be tagged as green. Patient C likely has a neck injury and should be tagged as yellow. Patient D will likely not survive and should be tagged as black.
A productive cough, fever, and chills in an 80-year-old patient with a compromised immune system should make you MOST suspicious for:
Pneumonia
Sedentary behavior while healing from a hip fracture would MOST likely predispose the older patient to:
Pneumonia
Which type of drum is used for the storage of corrosives such as acids, bases, or oxidizers?
Polyethylene
During triage, how should you tag a child who is breathing fewer than 15 breaths/min?
Red
Nerve damage to the inner ear results in what?
Sensorineural deafness
Dyspnea
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
You are called to a neatly kept residence for an 80 year old woman who lives by herself. She burned her hand on the stove and experienced a full thickness burn. When treating this patient, it is important to note that:
Slowing of reflexes causes a delayed pain reaction in older people
According the the GEMS Diamond, a persons activities of daily living are evaluated during the:
Social assessment
Decubitus ulcers
Sores caused by the pressure of skin against a surface for long periods; can range from a pink discoloration of the skin to a deep wound that may invade into A bone or organs; also known as bedsores
Which of the following techniques should you use when you are communicating with a patient who has autism?
Speak normally and provide simple, one-step directions.
Which of the following is a requirement when labeling pesticide bags?
The EPA establishment number
Geriatrics
The assessment and treatment of disease in someone who is 65 years or older
deep vein thrombosis
The formation of a blood clot within the larger veins of an extremity, typically following a period of prolonged immobilization
Which of the following statements regarding the aging process is correct?
The process of aging is gradual, and the rate at which a person loses functions does not increase with age.
Which of the following statements regarding the aging process is correct?
The process of aging is gradual, at the rate at which a person loses functions does not increase with age
Dementia
The slow onset of progress of this orientation, short and attention span, and loss of cognitive function; this condition is generally chronic and irreversible
What does the TEAM approach stand for?
Trust Every Available Member
A patient with epilepsy is likely to have which of the following medical devices?
Vagus nerve stimulator
Which of the following groups are most likely to commit suicide?
White males older than 85
What is the best position in which to transport an obese patient?
With the head elevated
advance directive
Written documentation that specifies medical treatment for a competent patient should the patient become unable to make decisions; also called a living will or healthcare directive
Osteoporosis is defined as:
a decrease in bone mass or density
From which of the following sources could you find out the physical and health hazards of a chemical as well as signs and symptoms of exposure to the chemical?
a material safety data sheet
You receive a call for a sick person. When you arrive, you find the patient, a 75-year-old male, lying unresponsive in his bed. His respirations are slow and irregular and his pulse is slow and weak. His daughter tells you that he fell the day before, but refused to allow her to call 9-1-1. His past medical history is significant for hypothyroidism, deep vein thrombosis, heavy alcohol use, and liver cirrhosis. His medications include blood thinners and vitamins. You should be MOST suspicious that this patient is experiencing:
a subdural hematoma.
When assessing an older patient who has multiple bruises in various stages of healing, the EMT should do all of the following, EXCEPT:
accuse a caregiver of physical abuse.
A 73-year-old female experienced a syncopal episode while watching TV. She is now conscious, but is diaphoretic, tachycardic, and hypotensive. Your assessment reveals abdominal tenderness and a pulsating mass to the left of her umbilicus. You should suspect:
an aortic aneurysm
A 73-year-old female experienced a syncopal episode while watching TV. She is now conscious, but is diaphoretic, tachycardic, and hypotensive. Your assessment reveals abdominal tenderness and a pulsating mass to the left of her umbilicus. You should be MOST suspicious for:
an aortic aneurysm.
Because of the complexity of the older patient and the vagueness of his or her complaint, you should:
attempt to differentiate between chronic and acute problems.
Syncope in the older patient is:
caused by an interruption of blood flow to the brain.
As a person ages, the heart may enlarge as a result of:
chronically increased after load
You are dispatched to a skilled nursing care facility for an 80-year-old female with abnormal behavior. The patient is clearly confused and asks you if you are her husband. You should:
determine the patient's baseline mental status.
Upon arriving at the residence of an elderly female who apparently fainted, you find the patient lying supine on her living room floor. She is not moving and her eyes are closed. A neighbor tells you that she found the patient this way but did not move her. When you gently tap the patient, she does not respond. You should:
direct your partner to manually stabilize her head while you quickly visualize her chest for signs of breathing.
Upon arriving at the residence of an elderly female who apparently fainted, you find the patient lying supine on her living room floor. She is not moving and her eyes are closed. A neighbor tells you that she found the patient this way, but did not move her. When you gently tap the patient, she does not respond. You should:
direct your partner to manually stabilize her head while you quickly visualize her chest for signs of breathing.
The two important underlying principles of the NIMS are standardization and what?
flexibility
Good general communication techniques with the elderly include:
frequently asking the patient if he or she understands
The purpose of the GEMS diamond is to:
help EMS personnel remember what is different about elderly patients.
In contrast to delirium, dementia:
is usually considered irreversible.
Which toxicity level includes materials that are extremely hazardous to health?
level 4
A productive cough, fever, and chills in an 80-year-old patient with a compromised immune system should make you MOST suspicious for:
pneumonia
The use of multiple prescription drugs by a single patient, causing the potential for negative effects such as overdosing or drug interaction, is called:
polypharmacy
Which of the following is a member of the command staff?
public information officer (PIO), and liaison officer.
When performing your secondary assessment on an older patient who has been injured, it is important to:
recall that it will take a less severe mechanism of injury to cause significant injuries.
You are dispatched to a residence for an 80-year-old female who fell. When you arrive, you find the patient conscious, lying in a recumbent position on the floor in her living room. In addition to providing the appropriate treatment, you should ask the patient if:
she became dizzy or fainted before falling
You are dispatched to a residence for an 80-year-old female who fell. When you arrive, you find the patient conscious, lying in a recumbent position on the floor in her living room. In addition to providing the appropriate treatment, you should ask the patient if:
she became dizzy or fainted before falling.
When caring for a geriatric patient with a traumatic injury, it is important to consider that:
the injury may have been preceded by a medical condition.
In contrast to a living will, a "do not resuscitate" (DNR) order becomes valid when:
the patient develops cardiac arrest
In contrast to a living will, a "do not resuscitate" (DNR) order becomes valid when:
the patient develops cardiac arrest.
In which control zone would you find the decontamination area?
warm zone