Module V

Which of the following is MOST characteristic of adequate breathing?

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

A patient with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) tells you that the device's pump flow is continuous. Which of the following should you expect to encounter during your assessment?

Absence of a palpable pulse

Which of the following is a major difference between angina pectoris and AMI?

Anginal pain typically subsides with rest.

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?

Aspiration pneumonia

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 implantable cardiac defibrillator (AICD). The AED advises that a shock is indicated. What should you do?

Deliver the shock followed by immediate resumption of CPR.

Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of artifact on an ECG tracing?

Excessive movement of the patient

which of the following statements regarding the pain associated with AMI is correct

It can occur during exertion or when the patient is at rest.

Which of the following statements regarding pulse oximetry is correct?

Pulse oximetry measures the percentage of hemoglobin that is saturated with oxygen, but does not measure the actual hemoglobin content of the blood.

Dyspnea is MOST accurately defined as:

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.

which of the following statements regarding AED and defibrillation is correct

The AED will not analyze the rhythm of a moving patient.

Which of the following statements regarding the hypoxic drive is correct? Select one:

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

Albuterol is a generic name for:

Ventolin

common signs and symptoms of a hypertensive emergency include

a bounding pulse, a severe headache, and dizziness.

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

a group of symptoms that are caused by myocardial ischemia.

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

abnormal breath sounds

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:

adequate air exchange.

In what area of the lungs does respiration occur?

alveoli

the MOST common reason that many people experiencing AMI do not seek immediate medical attention is because they

are in denial

which of the following medications is commonly given to patients with chest pain to prevent blood clots from forming or getting bigger

aspirin

A 49 year old male presents an acute onset of crushing chest pain and diaphoresis you should

assess the adequacy of his respirations

upon arriving at the residence of a patient with a possible cardiac problem it is MOST important to

assess the scene for potential hazards.

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:

assist her ventilations with a bag-valve mask.

Narrowing of the coronary arteries caused by a buildup of fatty deposits is called:

atherosclerosis

The ability of cardiac muscle cells to contract spontaneously without a stimulus from a nerve source is called:

automaticity

You and your partner arrive at the scene of a middle-aged man who collapsed about 5 minutes ago. He is unresponsive, apneic, and pulseless. Bystanders are present, but have not provided any care. You should:

begin high-quality CPR and apply the AED as soon as possible.

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:

begin ventilatory assistance.

Alkalosis is a condition that occurs when:

blood acidity is reduced by excessive breathing.

The inferior vena cava returns deoxygenated blood to the right side of the heart from all of the following areas, EXCEPT the:

brain

The head and brain receive their supply of oxygenated blood from the:

carotid arteries

cardiogenic shock following AMI is caused by

decreased pumping force of the heart muscle

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

deep and rapid

which if the following signs is commonly observed in patients with right sided heart failure

dependent edema

A conscious and alert 29-year-old female with a history of asthma complains of difficulty breathing that began after her morning jog. The temperature outside is 40°F (5°C). On exam, you hear bilateral expiratory wheezing. After providing supplemental oxygen, you should:

determine if she has been prescribed a beta-agonist inhaler.

A percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) restores blood flow to the ischemic myocardium by:

dilating the affected coronary artery with a small inflatable balloon.

A 66-year-old woman presents with a stabbing pain in the middle of her chest that radiates to her back. She tells you that the pain suddenly began about 30 minutes ago and has been severe since the onset. She has a history of hypertension, but admits to being noncompliant with her antihypertensive medications. When you assess her, you find that her blood pressure is significantly higher in her left arm than it is in her right arm. What do these signs and symptoms MOST likely indicate?

dissecting aortic aneurysm

Prior to attaching the AED to a cardiac arrest patient, the EMT should:

dry the chest if it is wet

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

expiratory wheezing

Risk factors for AMI that cannot be controlled include:

family history

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

feel for a pulse while compressions are ongoing.

the iliac arteries immediately subdivide into the

femoral arteries

A pleural effusion is MOST accurately defined as:

fluid accumulation outside the lung.

Common side effects of nitroglycerin include all of the following, EXCEPT:

hypertension

Asthma is caused by a response of the:

immune system

The two processes that occur during respiration are:

inspiration and expiration

You are assisting an asthma patient with his prescribed metered-dose inhaler. After the patient exhales, and before inhaling, the patient should put his or her lips around the inhaler, take a deep breath, and depress the inhale. You should:

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

After assisting your patient with prescribed nitroglycerin, you should:

reassess his or her blood pressure within 5 minutes to detect hypotension.

the AED is MOST advantageous to the EMT because

it delivers prompt defibrillation to patients with ventricular fibrillation.

angina pectoris occurs when

myocardial oxygen demand exceeds the supply

An acute myocardial infarction (AMI) occurs when:

myocardial tissue dies secondary to an absence of oxygen.

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

narcotic overdose

which if the following statements regarding nitroglycerin is correct

nitroglycerin usually releves a anginal chest pain within five minutes

Prior to assisting a patient with his or her prescribed nitroglycerin, the EMT must:

obtain authorization from medical control

when preparing to obtain a 12 lead ECG the LL and RL electrodes should be placed

on the thighs or ankles

In order for efficient pulmonary gas exchange to occur:

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

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

pain exacerbated by breathing

Your EMS team is performing CPR on a 60- year-old male in cardiac arrest. You connect the AED, push the analyze button, and receive a "no shock advised" message. You should:

perform CPR for 2 minutes and reassess.

which if the following blood vessels transports oxygenated blood

pulmonary veins

The left ventricle has the thickest walls because it:

pumps blood into the aorta and systemic circulation

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. 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:

remove the nitroglycerin patch, administer oxygen, and place him in a supine position.

When the level of arterial carbon dioxide rises above normal:

respirations increase in rate and depth.

Deoxygenated blood from the body returns to the:

right atrium

Right coronary artery supplies blood to

right ventricle and inferior wall of the left ventricle.

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

severe anxiety

the electrical impulse generated by the heart originates in the

sinoatrial node

In contrast to the sympathetic nervous system, the parasympathetic nervous system:

slows the heart and respiratory rates.

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

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

Harsh, high-pitched inspiratory sounds are characteristic of:

stridor

Common signs and symptoms of acute hyperventilation syndrome include:

tachypnea and tingling in the extremities.

A dissecting aortic aneurysm occurs when:

the inner layers of the aorta become separated.

cardiac output may decrease if the heart beats to rapidly because

there is not enough time in between contractions for the heart to refill completely.

Most patients are instructed by their physician to take up to _______ doses of nitroglycerin before calling EMS

three

The descending aorta divides into the two iliac arteries at the level of the:

umbilicus

When documenting a patient's description of his or her chest pain or discomfort, the EMT should:

use the patient's own words.

Which of the following cardiac dysrhythmias has the greatest chance of deteriorating into a pulseless rhythm?

ventricular tachycardia

Defibrillator pads are placed on the patient's chest:

with one pad to the right of the upper sternum and the other pad to the left lower chest below the armpit.