Paramedic
Which of the following questions would be of LEAST pertinence when trying to determine a patient's current health status?
" You will also need to ask about any accidents or injuries the patient had within the last month or so and about any operations or hospitalizations within the last 6 months or so.
Which of the following is not an example of an open-ended question?
"Does the pain radiate to your arm or jaw?"
Which of the following questions will allow you to gain insight quickly when performing a check of a patient's body systems?
"Has your doctor ever told you that you have a heart, lung or brain problem?"
If the wife of a critically ill man asks you if her husband is going to die, the MOST appropriate response should be?
"He is very sick, but we are doing everything we can to help him."
A helicopter landing zone should be:
100 feet by 100 feet in size, and on a surface that is firm, level, and free of debris
Q. Approximately how far should you insert a 5.0mm ET tube in a 4-year-old child?
15 cm (diameter x 3)
The most significant fall occurs from a height greater than:
15 feet
With hyperbaric oxygen therapy, carbon monoxide is typically eliminated from the body within:
15 to 20 minutes
Q. Approximately ___ mL of air remain in the anatomic dead space of an adult with a tidal volume of 500 mL.
150
Average blood loss during the third stage of labor is approximately?
150 mL
The greatest amount of kinetic energy would be created if a ___ pound driver struck a tree while traveling at ___ mph.
150, 40
What is the target heart rate for a 35 yo man with a resting heart rate of 75 bpm?
152 beats/min
The typical upper limit of the fetal heart rate is?
160 beats/min
A 25-year-old woman presents with acute abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding. She tells you that she has soaked 8 high-absorbency tampons in the past 2 hours. Approximately how much blood has she lost externally?
160 mL
Which of the following patients is NOT an emancipated minor?
17 yo woman who goes to college and lives with her parents
According to the rule of nines, an adult man with partial- and full-thickness burns to his head, face and anterior chest has burns to ___% of his total body surface area (TBSA).
18
An infant's fontanelles are typically fused together by the age of?
18 months
* At birth, a pulse rate of up to ___ beats/min and a respiratory rate of up to ___ breaths/min are considered normal.
180, 60
You would MOST likely encounter bilateral dependent edema in a patient with:
1st- heart failure, 2nd- hepatic cirrhosis.
The recommended dose and method for administering naloxone to a patient who overdosed on a narcotic and is unresponsive and hypoventilating is:
2 mg injected slowly until the patient's respirations improve
When scoring a patient's deep tendon reflexes, normally active reflexes would be assigned a score of:
2+ "Active (expected response)".
The approximate total blood volume of a 60-pound child is:
2.2 liters
Atrial kick is MOST accurately defined as?
20% of ventricular filling caused by atrial contraction.
You are administering a normal saline bolus to a patient in hypovolemic shock secondary to severe external blood loss. How much saline will remain in the patient's intravascular space after 20 minutes if you have infused a total of 500 mL?
200 mL
During normal menstruation, approximately ___ to ___ mL of blood is discharged from the vagina?
25, 65
If hypovolemia is suspected or confirmed, you should administer ___ mL of normal saline to a 6-pould newborn over a period of:
27, 5 to 10 minutes
In the average female, the menstrual cycle lasts ___ days.
28
* In what age range can most children begin to use and understand full sentences?
3 to 4 years
What is the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of a patient who opens her eyes when you call her name, is confused when she speaks, and points to her area of pain?
3,4,5=12
Stridor
A high-pitched noise while inhaling
The brief pause between the P wave and QRS complex represents:
A momentary conduction delay at the AV junction.
Which of the following statements regarding the use of vasopressin in cardiac arrest is MOST correct?
A one-time dose of 40 units of vasopressin may be given to replace the first or second dose of epinephrine.
Which of the following statements regarding paralysis is MOST correct?
A paralyzed patient has lost the ability to voluntarily move a body part
Where would you MOST likely find a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) that provides information about a hazardous material?
A permanent manufacturing or storage facility
In which of the following situations would a transfusion reaction MOST likely occur?
A person with type O blood receives type AB blood
The proper compression-to-ventilation ratio for two-rescuer adult CPR when an oropharyngeal airway is in place is:
30:2
In which of the following situations would a newborn MOST likely experience a seizure?
34 weeks' gestation
A term infant is born between ___ after conception.
37 and 42 weeks
During a 20-minute transport of a critical patient, you should make a concerted effort to perform an ongoing assessment ___ times.
4
Newborn hypoglycemia is defined as a blood glucose level lower than:
40 mg/dL
The correct positive-pressure ventilation rate for an apneic newborn is?
40 to 60 breaths/min
Formed elements of the blood account for approximately ___% of the total blood volume.
45%
What dose and concentration of glucose would be MOST appropriate for a 6-pound hypoglycemic newborn?
5.5 mL of 10% dextrose (D10)
Q. When administering a nebulized bronchodilator, the oxygen flow rate should be set to at least ___ liters per minute.
6
The volume of plasma in an adult with a total blood volume of 6.5 liters is approximately?
6.5x0.55 = 3.6L
The pulse rate of a 16-year-old adolescent typically ranges between?
60 and 100 beats/min
Chest compressions are indicated in the newborn if its heart rate remains less than ___ beats/min despite effective positive-pressure ventilations for ___ seconds.
60, 30
Which of the following general statements regarding trauma is MOST correct?
Blunt trauma is difficult to diagnose by paramedics in the field and is often more lethal than penetrating trauma
External bleeding would be the LEAST difficult to control in a patient with a large laceration to the ___ and a BP of ___ mmHg.
Brachial artery, 68/46
The ___ is the largest component of the central nervous system and contains billions of neurons that serve a variety of functions.
Brain
Which of the following is NOT patient data that typically is communicated during your radio report to the hospital?
ALL IMPORTANT
What type of injuries would MOST likely occur if a passenger is wearing his or her lap belt above the pelvic bone during a frontal impact?
Abdominal and lumbar spine
Which of the following is NOT typically associated with leukemia?
Absence of fever
Which of the following statements regarding an abusive parent is MOST correct?
Abusive parents have unrealistic expectations of their children and try to control their children through negative and authoritarian means
During the detailed physical exam of a trauma patient with a significant cardiac history, you should:
Acquire a 12 lead ECG (If you have time For all Pt w/cardiac history at least run a 3 lead.)
Which of the following statements regarding acrocyanosis is MOST correct?
Acrocyanosis is cyanosis of the hands and feet, and is a normal finding in infants younger than 2 months of age who are cold.
Which of the following interventions generally is preferred for a patient who overdosed on a barbiturate more than 1 hour ago?
Activated charcoal
A 39-year-old man in asystole has been unresponsive to CPR and 2 doses of epinephrine. The patient is intubated and an intraosseous catheter is in place. What intervention should you perform next?
Administer 1 mg of atropine.
Whether your patient's problem is medical or traumatic in origin, you must:
Ask two questions, first "Is my patient sick?" a yes or no answer. Second "How sick is my patient?" attempts to rate the events severity. Answer both within 60-90 sec.
You are assisting in the delivery of a baby. As the infant's head begins to emerge from the vagina, you should support the head as it turns and then?
Assess for a nuchal cord
An opaque black area against the red reflex of the eye is indicative of:
Cataracts
Which of the following statements regarding the use of cellular telephones and landline telephones is MOST correct?
Cellular and landline phones overcome problems caused by overcrowded ems radio frequencies.
Bulging of a child's anterior fontanelle is:
Common while crying, pathologic when observed in a quiet child.
Which of the following statements regarding compartment syndrome is MOST correct?
Compartment syndrome is more likely to occur with closed injuries
Injury to or disease of the ___ may cause prolapse of a cardiac valve leaflet, allowing blood to regurgitate from the ventricle into the atrium.
Cordae tendineae
A patient taking ___ would MOST likely experience a delay in the healing of a wound.
Corticosteroids
The paramedic must always keep in mind that the information he or she fails to obtain:
Could be the info needed to treat the pt.
When assessing a trauma patient's chest, you should remember that:
Couldn't find a definitive answer, just the usual equal rise and fall/symmetry. And lung sounds in a least 6 fields.
Intermittent claudication is MOST accurately defined as:
Cramp-like pain in the lower legs due to poor circulation
Bruising in the periumbilical area is indicative of:
Cullen's sign (indicative of intraperitoneal hemorrhage) Common causes are ruptured ectopic pregnancy and acute pancreatitis.
Using casual nicknames can be especially problematic when:
Cultural differences exist between you and the patient.
The only area of the spine that allows for significant rotation is:
C1-C2
When performing a cranial nerve assessment of a patient with a suspected spinal injury, you note that the patient's pupil is constricted and the upper eyelid droops. This indicates an injury to:
C3
Following a spinal injury, a patient presents with abdominal breathing and use of the accessory muscles in the neck. This suggests injury at or above:
C3-C4
The accuracy of your patient care report depends on all of the following factors, EXCEPT:
DOCUMENTATION ACCURACY INCLUDES: times, narrative information, checkboxes, and it must be comprehensive and precise
Knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology are MOST important during the ___stage of critical thinking.
Data Interpretation
Signs and symptoms of marijuana use include all of the following, EXCEPT?
Decreased appetite
Which of the following is NOT a predisposing risk factor for trauma in the elderly?
Decreased body water
Central Neurogenic Hyperventilation
Deep, rapid respirations, indicating incranial pressure
Kussmaul's Respiration
Deep, slow, or rapid gasping, breathing, commonly found in diabetic ketoacidosis
The MOST important initial pieces of equipment to bring to the side of an unconscious patient are the?
Defibrillator and airway management equipment.
Protocols, or standing orders, specify the paramedic's performance parameters, which:
Define what a paramedic can do offline and when they must call medical control.
Which of the following wounds usually requires substantial irrigation and debridement prior to closure?
Degloving injuries
Poor skin turgor in an infant or child is MOST indicative of:
Dehydration
Distention of the jugular veins indicates:
Depending on the clinical situation, patients with JVD may be experiencing cardiogenic shock or have a ruptured cardiac valve. In the setting of chest trauma, neck vein distention and hypotention may symbolize a tension pneumothorax or pericardial tamponade. Indicates increased venous capacitance
Asking the patient about the date, time, location, and events surrounding the current situation will enable you to:
Determine if the patient is (A&Ox4) Alert to Person, Place, Time and Event
A key part of making your practice of prehospital care successful is for you to:
Develop and cultivate your own style of assessment and an overall strategy for evaluating and providing care for the patients you will encounter in the unique and varied circumstances in the field setting
The residual pressure in the circulatory system while the left ventricle is relaxing is called the:
Diastolic pressure
A 55-year-old man complains of severe pain between his shoulder blades, which he describes as "ripping" in nature. He tells you that the pain began suddenly and has been intense and unrelenting since its onset. His medical history includes HTN; however, he admits to being noncompliant with his antihypertensive medication. Which of the following assessment findings would MOST likely reinforce your suspicion regarding the cause of his pain?
Difference in blood pressure between the two arms.
Dysphonia
Difficulty speaking
Which of the following cardiac medications has a small therapeutic window and the GREATEST propensity to reach toxic levels?
Digoxin
Common medications used to treat pediatric seizures in the prehospital setting include all of the following, EXCEPT:
Dilantin
A patient who complains of double vision has:
Diplopia
Which of the following statements regarding the black widow spider is MOST correct?
Following a black widow spider bite, the patient's abdomen is often rigid due to severe muscle spasms
Cellular telephones are more advantageous than regular two-way radios in that cellular telephones:
For EMS: cell phones have a longer range than a two-way radio - For the Public: 911 service is free + cell phones have GPS capability
Which of the following terms is MOST descriptive of an abnormal mental status?
GCS of 10 or less
Which of the following interventions is influenced strongly by the amount of time that has elapsed since a patient ingested a toxic substance?
Gastric lavage
In EMS, the process of concept formation involves:
Gathering information - things you see, hear, smell, or feel.
The paramedic must make a field diagnosis in order to:
Get the info needed to make the best decisions for your patient.
Common complaints in patients experiencing an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) include all of the following, EXCEPT:
HA
Which of the following mechanisms of injury would be the LEAST likely to cause life-threatening injuries?
HIGH POTENTIAL: ejection from any vehicle (car, motorcycle, or all-terrain vehicle), death of another patient in the same passenger compartment, falls from more than 20' (or 3x the patient's height), vehicle rollover (unrestraintd occupant), high-speed motor vehicle crash, vehicle-pedestrian collision, motorcycle crash, or penetrating wounds to the head, chest or abdomen
Which of the following statements regarding the human papillomavirus (HPV) is MOST correct?
HPV has been identified as a causative agent in cervical cancer
Which of the following is a sign of severe barbiturate withdrawal?
Hallucinations
A nulliparous woman?
Has never delivered a baby
You are in the BEST position to decide what, if any, care needs to be provided at the scene versus en route to the hospital once you:
Have qualified whether your patient is sick or not sick, and then you must quantify how sick the patient is.
The presence of dizziness in a patient with a suspected myocardial infarction is MOST likely the result of:
a reduction in cardiac output
You are dispatched to a residence for a 34-year-old woman who is "sick." Upon your arrival, the patient greets you at the door. She states that she recently had her menstrual period, which was accompanied by more pain than usual. Her vital signs are stable, she is conscious and alert, and denies vaginal bleeding or fever. This patient MOST likely has?
a ruptured ovarian cyst
A compression or burst fracture of the cervical spine would MOST likely occur following:
a significant fall in which the patient lands head first
Obesity is often attributed to:
a slow basal metabolic rate
A person taking beta blockers or calcium channel blockers would MOST likely present with:
a slower than usual heart rate
Early signs or symptoms of breast cancer include?
a small, painless lump in the breast
The galea aponeurotica is:
a tendon expansion that connects the frontal and occipital muscles of the cranium
Which of the following statements regarding documentation is MOST correct?
a thorough and accurate medical record is the paramedic's best protection in court
A young child who falls from a significant height would MOST likely experience?
a traumatic brain injury
Inadvertent lithium toxicity would MOST likely occur in a patient who is taking:
a tricyclic antidepressant
Down syndrome occurs when:
a triplication of chromosome 21 occurs
Professional skepticism is?
a useful tool and facilitates sound clinical decision making
A painless, progressive enlargement of the lymphoid glands that most commonly affects the spleen and lymph nodes is called:
Hodgkin lymphoma
The body's reaction to increased internal or external temperature would MOST likely cause the skin to become:
Hot and moist
When chlorine gas comes in contact with the body's mucous membranes, it forms?
Hydrochloric acid
Which of the following is NOT a common sign of lead poisoning?
Hypotension
Which of the following statements regarding hypotension and shock is MOST correct?
Hypotension is a classic sign of shock, but it occurs late
•
Identify himself or herseld and the agency
Which of the following statements regarding the Apgar score is MOST correct?
If resuscitation is necessary, the Apgar score is completed to determine the result of the resuscitation
•
If the emergency is a motor vehicle collision find out vehicle type, number of persons, and apparent hazards at the scenes.
When a patient presents with two seemingly unrelated complaints, it is MOST important for the paramedic to determine:
If the two complaints are related. If they are not related, which one will take priority.
Which of the following statements regarding a closed head injury is MOST correct?
In a closed head injury, the dura mater remains intact.
Biot's Respirations
Irregular pattern of rate and depth with sudden, periodic episodes of apnea, indicating increased intracranial pressure
Unlike the prenatal period, the gestational period?
Is 38 weeks in gestation
Examination of the head is MOST important when assessing a patient who:
Is a trauma patient or a patient with altered mental status or are unresponsive.
Torsades de pointes?
Is a variant of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and is often caused by a prolonged Q-T interval.
Myocardial ischemia occurs when the heart muscle?
Is deprived of oxygen because of a blocked coronary artery.
For purposes of refusing medical care, a patient's mental status may be considered impaired if he or she:
Is not orientated to person, place, time, and event. or makes non sensical statments.
Which of the following statements regarding the hangman's fracture is MOST correct?
It is a fracture of C2 that is secondary to significant distraction of the neck
When examining the anterior abdomen of a patient who complains of abdominal pain:
It's best to make the patient as comfortable as possible. The patient must be in the supine position.
The pulse of the superficial temporal artery can be felt:
Just anterior to the ear in the temporal region.
The MOST effective way to obtain a medical history from a patient who is crying is to:
Keep a calm demeanor and patient approach; appropriate touch, such as a hand on the shoulder; and a quite, "I'm in control now" tone of voice will help get the crying to stop.
When caring for a prolapsed umbilical cord, you should?
Keep the presenting part of the baby off the umbilical cord during rapid transport to the hospital
Which of the following drugs is contraindicated in patients with bronchospastic diease?
Labetalol
What spinal nerve tract carries information regarding pain and temperature?
Lateral spinothalamic
Which of the following statements regarding methyl alcohol is MOST correct?
Methyl alcohol is also known as wood alcohol, and is present in paints, paint removers, windshield washer fluid, and varnishes.
In contrast to dementia, delirium is:
More consistent with an acute sudden change in mental status, secondary to some significant underlying aberration.
Which of the following statements regarding a hazardous materials toxicity level is NOT correct?
Most ambulances carry protective gear that would be required for dealing with level 2 and above hazardous materials.
Which of the following statements regarding idioventricular rhythm is MOST correct?
Most patients with an idioventricular rhythm are hemodynamically unstable.
If a patient's trigeminal nerve is intact, he or she should be able to:
Motor:Chew; Sensory:face, sinuses, teeth.(Table 13-2) Check jaw clench; touch both sides of of face at forehead, cheeks, and jaw.
When transmitting data over the radio, you should NOT disclose the patient's:
Name
Which of the following statements MOST accurately describes an acute myocardial infarction (AMI)?
Necrosis of a portion of the myocardium due to a prolonged lack of oxygen
If you suspect that a patient has been abused, you should:
Never hesitate to call for law enforcement personnel.
Which of the following statements regarding carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is MOST correct?
Never rule out CO poisoning because of the absence of cherry red skin
You are assessing a conscious and alert middle-aged male who complains of chest discomfort and nausea. His blood pressure is 112/70 mmHg, pulse is 90 beats/min and regular, and respirations are 20 breaths/min and regular. The patient's past medical history is significant for hypothyroidism and hyperlipidemia. His medications include Synthroid, Lipitor, Cialis, and 1 baby aspirin per day. Which of the following medications would you LEAST likely administer?
Nitroglycerin
The main disadvantage of patient care algorithms is that they:
Only address classic patient care presentations, frequently don't address vague patient complaints or address patients with multiple disease etiologies and patients who require multiple treatment modalities.
On most runs, the two MOST important pieces of patient history information that you need to obtain initially are the:
Patient's Name and Chief Complaint
•
Patients age/sex
You will MOST likely make your field diagnosis of a patient based on the:
Patients history and chief complaint.
•
Patients l.o.c and degree of distress
A patient who gives the emergency department physician completely different information than he or she gave to you in the field:
Patients may be too frightened or embarrassed to give particular information to a paramedic but will give a physician the information. May have an organic condition such as a brain tumor.
Which of the following situations is MOST challenging with regard to your critical thinking and decision-making skills?
Patients whose conditions fall somewhere around the midpoint on the spectrum between "no big deal" minor and "oh my gosh" serious pose as the greatest challenge.
The MOST important thing you can do to facilitate the exchange of information between you and your patient is to:
Pay Attention!
The ___ are cone-shaped fossae that enclose and protect the eyes.
Orbits
The symptoms and medical management of patients poisoned by ___ are identical to those of the nerve agents.
Organophosphate insecticides
What is the MOST correct sequence of treatment for a patient with a suspected acute myocardial infarction?
Oxygen, aspirin, nitroglycerin, morphine.
Which of the following actions has the LEAST impact on the paramedic's ability to think under pressure?
POSITIVES: Take a moment to scan the situation. Take another moment to stop and think. Make decisions and act on behalf of the patient. Stay calm, and maintain clear, concise mental control. Plan to regularly and continually re-evaluate the patient.
The area of conduction tissue in which electrical activity arises at any given time is called the?
Pacemaker
In sinus bradycardia, the?
Pacemaker site is the SA node.
The skin becomes ___ when red blood cell perfusion to the capillary beds of the skin is poor.
Pallor
To obtain a heart rate in infants younger than 1 year of age, you should:
Palpate the brachial artery to assess the pulse
Resting tremor of an extremity and bradykinesia are associated with:
Parkinson's disease
A young man is found unresponsive by his girlfriend. Your assessment reveals marked respiratory depression, a slow, weak pulse, and pinpoint pupils. There are numerous medication bottles found in his home. Of these, he has MOST likely ingested:
Percodan
___ entails gently striking the surface of the body, typically where it overlies various body cavities.
Percussion
Which of the following pieces of equipment does NOT require calibration?
Stethoscope
Babinski sign, grasping, and sucking sign are:
Primative reflexes - normal in children.
Q. Which of the following findings is MOST clinically significant in a 30-year-old woman with difficulty breathing and a history of asthma?
Prior ICU admission for her asthma
When dealing with a patient who has multiple complaints, the MOST effective way to develop an appropriate care plan is to:
Prioritize the pt complaints.
When asking questions pertaining to a patient's sexual history, it is MOST important to remember that:
Private setting is essential, also certain factors may inhibit truthful response.
Cheyne-Stokes Respirations
Progressively deeper, faster breathing alternating gradually with shallow, slower breathing, indicating brainstem injury
Which of the following ECG abnormalities is MOST suggestive of cocaine toxicity?
Prolongation of the QT interval
Which of the following drugs possesses beta-2-specific properties?
Proventil
Stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system causes:
Sweating
In which of the following situations would spinal motion restriction precautions likely NOT be necessary?
Syncopal episode in which the patient was already seated or supine
Arterial pulses are a physical expression of:
Systolic blood pressure.
A patient with diaphragmatic breathing without intercostal muscle use has MOST likely experienced a spinal injury above the level of:
T-2
•
Take charge of the conversation
If a patients family member is hostile and begins shouting at you, you should:
Tell the person directly that if he or she continues to shout, you will not feel safe enough to do your assessment and will need to call law enforcement personnel.
EMS providers who read off a list of questions to the patient to fill in all the blanks on the run report:
Tend to make little or no eye contact.
Which of the following conditions would result in obstructive shock?
Tension pneumothorax
At its worst, kyphosis can become a source of:
Restrictive airway disease
What portion of the brain stem is responsible for maintenance of consciousness, specifically one's level of arousal?
Reticular activating system
The ___ conducts signals to the brain via the optic nerve and interprets them as vision.
Retina
When transferring a geriatric patient from a hospital to an extended care facility, it is MOST important to:
Review the patient's transfer paperwork.
When analyzing a cardiac rhythm strip in lead II, you should routinely evaluate all of the following components, EXCEPT?
S-T segment.
Flushed skin is commonly seen as a result of all the following, EXCEPT:
SIGNS INCLUDE: Patient's with fever, and it may be seen in patients experiencing an allergic reaction.
Clinical signs of an inflamed joint include all of the following, EXCEPT:
SIGNS INCLUDE: swelling, tenderness, increased heat, redness, ecchymosis, decreased function, deformity, diminished strength, atrophy or asymmetry from one side to the other
Which of the following statements regarding selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (RRSIs) is most correct?
SSRIs have fewer anticholinergic and cardiac effects than tricyclics.
Injury to the inferior wall of the myocardium would present with:
ST segment elevation in leads II, III and aVF.
Which of the following clinical findings is LEAST suggestive of left side heart failure?
Sacral edema.
The ___ has the authority and responsibility to stop an emergency operation if he or she believes a rescuer is in danger.
Safety officer
In recent years, the use of telemetry has returned because:
The AHA recommended that a 12 lead ECG be taken and transmitted to the receiving facility for all patients with potential acute coronary syndrome.
What portion of the eye may become icteric in patients with hepatitis?
Sclera
If a woman who is being treated with the antibiotic metronidazole for bacterial vaginosis consumes alcohol during treatment?
She may develop severe nausea and vomiting
Comments such as "I can't believe you called EMS for this!":
Show a lack of interest in providing the best care possible.
Notification of EMS usually occurs when:
Someone tells EMS that an emergency exists.
Which of the following statements regarding body armor is MOST correct?
Sound survival skills to avoid dangerous situations provide more protection than body armor
•
Speak directly into the mouthpiece
•
Specific info concerning the patients condition
If a patient is able to shrug his or her shoulders and turn his or her head from left to right, the ___ nerve is likely intact.
Spinal accessory
Alveolar Volume (Va)
The amount of gas in the Tidal Volume (Vt) that reaches the alveoli for gas exchange It is the difference between Tidal Volume (Vt) and Dead Space Volume (Vd) Va = Vt - Vd
Dead Space Volume (Vd)
The amount of gas in the Tidal Volume (Vt) that remains in air passageways unavailable for gas exchange. Avg Adult(M) - 150mL
Minute Volume (Vmin)
The amount of gas moved in and out of the respiratory tract in one minute Vmin = Vt X RR
Alveolar Minute Volume (V a-min)
The amount of gas that reaches the alveoli for gas exchange in one minute V a-min = ( Vt - Vd ) X RR or V a-min = Va X RR
Which of the following is the safest method for preparing to enter a residence?
Stand to the doorknob side of the door, knock, and announce that you are a paramedic.
You receive a call to a skilled nursing facility for an elderly man with generalized weakness. The patients nurse tells you that he has not eaten anything in the past 18 hours. She presents you with his chart, which states that he has a history of atrial fibrillation, CHF, and hypertension. His medications include Vasotec, digoxin, and Warfarin. As you apply the cardiac monitor, your partner takes the patients vital signs, which reveal a blood pressure of 136/76 mmHg, a rapid and irregular pulse, and respirations of 22 breaths/min. The ECG reveals atrial fibrillation with a variable rate between 110 and 130 beats/min, and a 12-lead ECG tracing reveals the same. After applying supplemental oxygen, you should?
Start an IV line to keep the vein open, administer diltiazem, and transport.
Tidal Volume (Vt)
The average volume of gas inhaled or exhaled in one respiratory cycle. Avg Adult(M)- 500mL
Vascular compromise in a lower extremity is characterized by:
This doesn't make a lot of sense but its what i found in the book(pg 14.28 Bottom right paragraph) A significant variation in pulse strength in one extremity, especially when associated with pallor or cyanosis.
•
Treatment given and response
If your patient becomes seductive or makes sexual advances towards you, you should advise the patient that your relationship with him or her is strictly professional and then:
Try to keep your partner, law enforcement, or a family member in the room with you at all times.
A bruit indicates ___ blood flow, and is MOST significant in the ___ arteries.
Turbulent, carotid
When the blood vessels supplying the skin are fully dilated, the skin becomes:
Warm and Pink
Which of the following statements regarding cold water submersion is NOT correct?
Water that is colder than 70 degrees F will cause a marked increase in oxygen demand
A pathologic fracture occurs when:
When normal forces are applied to abnormal bone structures
Which of the following statements regarding windshield removal is MOST correct?
When the windshield is struck with a center punch, a small break occurs but the structure of the glass remains intact
Documentation of your physical examination should be:
When you are recording examination finding's, note objective signs, pertinent negatives, and other similar relevant information.
As the first responding unit to arrive at the scene of a confined space rescue, what is the MOST important information to share with the technical rescue team when they arrive?
Whether the incident has changed significantly since your arrival
Which of the following statements regarding loading and securing a patient in the back of the ambulance is MOST correct?
Whether the patient is lying on the stretcher or sitting on the bench seat, he or she must be properly seat-belted.
Which of the following words would be the MOST difficult to hear over the radio?
Yes and no, use affirmative and negative
When caring for a patient who is mentally challenged:
You may need to get information from family members, friends, or another caregiver.
The MOST common cause of death following a tricyclic antidepressant overdose is:
a cardiac dysrhythmia
Multiple sclerosis is:
a chronic central nervous system disease caused by destruction of the myelin and nerve axons within the brain and spinal cord
The heart hypertrophies with age, MOST likely in response to:
a chronically increased afterload caused by arteriosclerotic blood vessels
Q. You should be MOST suspicious of tube misplacement following an open cricothyrotomy if:
a crackling sensation is noted when palpating the neck.
If a knife is impaled in the neck:
a cricothyrotomy may be required to establish a patent airway
The MOST significant complication associated with a full bladder in a patient with spinal cord disruption and paralysis is:
a dangerous elevation in blood pressure
The MOST disastrous consequence of a severe traumatic brain injury is:
a decrease in cerebral perfusion pressure
Q. Common clinical findings in patients with obstructive lung disease include all of the following, EXCEPT:
a decreased expiratory pause
Sinus arrest is characterized by:
a dropped PQRST complex.
Which of the following scenarios reflects a violation of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA)?
a hospital transfers an unstable patient to another facility
Proximate cause is MOST accurately defined as?
a link between the paramedic's improper action and the pt's injury
In addition to bleeding and contamination, the MOST immediate danger associated with an avulsion is:
a loss of blood supply to the avulsed flap
Your index of suspicion for elder abuse should increase if:
a mentally competent patient allows the caregiver to respond to your questions
An endogenous ligand is?
a molecule that is produced by the body and binds to a receptor
Which of the following statements regarding a patient's physical pain is MOST correct?
a patient should never have to be a patient about any pain that the paramedic can alleviate
A patient with a blood pressure of 210/100 mm Hg would be expected to have a pulse that is:
a patient who is hypertensive will produce a pulse that is more forceful than usual
A shift of heart tones and severe respiratory distress despite positive-pressure ventilations is MOST indicative of:
a pneumothorax
In contrast to delirium, dementia is:
a progressive disease that produces irreversible brain failure
Children are at higher risk for serious injury than adults because of?
a proportionately larger head
Q. Surfactant is:
a proteinaceous substance that decreases surface tension on the alveolar walls
Youths usually join a gang for all of the following reasons, EXCEPT:
a psychiatric illness
Which of the following scenarios MOST accurately depicts abandonment?
a pt with a possible fracture of the radius wishes to go to the hospital, but does not have transportation, so you arrange for a friend to take him to the emergency department the next day
A third-service EMS system is one in which:
a public agency not affiliated with the fire department provides EMS service
During your rapid assessment of a newborn's cardiopulmonary status, you not that its respirations are adequate, you feel 8 pulsations in a 6-second time frame, and the newborn is centrally pink but peripherally cyanotic. The MOST appropriate next action should be to:
administer positive-pressure ventilations
A 25-year-old woman was involved in a motor vehicle accident in which she struck the rear end of another car at a low rate of speed. When you arrive at the scene and exit the ambulance, you immediately hear the patient screaming, "My baby, my baby!" After calming the patient down, she tells you that she is 10 weeks pregnant and that she is afraid that the car accident injured her child. She confirms that she was properly restrained at the time of impact. She is conscious and alert, denies abdominal pain, and has stable vital signs. She refuses spinal motion restriction precautions, but does consent to EMS transport. You should?
administer supplemental oxygen, establish a large-bore IV line and set the rate to keep the vein open, provide emotional support, and transport her to an appropriate hospital.
A 9-year-old, 55-pould girl presents with generalized hives, marked facial swelling, and loud inspiratory stridor. She is conscious, but appears sleepy. You can MOST rapidly improve the child's condition by:
administering 0.25 mg of epinephrine intramuscularly
You are dispatched to a restaurant for a patient that is choking. Upon arrival, you find the patient, a 30-year-old man, in obvious respiratory distress. His face is flushed and his arms are covered with hives. You are unable to obtain a blood pressure because the patient is restless; however, you are able to palpate his pulse, which is rapid and weak. In addition to ensuring adequate oxygenation and ventilation, the MOST important treatment for this patient involves:
administering epinephrine as soon as possible
Q. A 21-year-old man experienced an acute onset of pleuritic chest pain and dyspnea while playing softball. He is noticeably dyspneic, has an oxygen saturation of 95% on room air, and diminished breath sounds to the upper right lobe. The MOST appropriate treatment for this patient involves:
administering high flow supplemental oxygen and transporting at once.
Elder abuse is generally substantiated by:
adult protective services
If a patient asks you for advice regarding a treatment decision that his or her physician made, you should?
advice the patient that he or she should speak with his or her physician
Alcohol potentiates Valium. This means that:
alcohol enhances the effects of the Valium
Lap belts that are worn alone and high by a pregnant woman:
allow enough forward flexion and subsequent compression to rupture the uterus
You are dispatched to a grocery store for a woman with severe abdominal pain. When you arrive, you find the patient lying on her side in the manager's office. She is confused, diaphoretic, and appears to be bleeding from her vagina. Her blood pressure is low, and her pulse and respiratory rates are elevated. You should?
apply high-flow oxygen, visually inspect her vagina and cover it with sterile dressings, keep her warm, begin transport, establish at least one large-bore IV en route, and administer enough crystalloid fluid to maintain radial pulses
Diffuse rales, rhonchi, and wheezing in an infant:
are typical signs of lower airway inflammation
A metallic taste in the mouth, explosive diarrhea, and a skin rash are MOST indicative of:
arsenic poisoning
The MOST immediate danger to a deeply unconscious patient with acute alcohol intoxication is:
aspiration of vomitus
When immobilizing a sitting patient with a vest-type extrication device, you should manually stabilize his or her head and then:
assess distal pulse and sensory and motor fuctions
When conduction the scene size-up of a call involving a gynecologic emergency, it is MOST important to?
assess for danger because any scene should be considered volatile
* Hyperkalemia is most accurately defined as?
an elevated SERUM potassium level
Abdominal pain that is associated with polycythemia is usually associated with:
an enlarged spleen
Which of the following is LEAST suggestive of hearing impairment?
an inability to speak
A critical incident is MOST accurately defined as?
an incident that overwhelms the ability of an EMS worker or system to cope with the experience, either at the scene or later
Anemia would result from all of the following conditions, EXCEPT:
an increase in iron
Failure of the body's compensatory mechanisms to preserve perfusion results in all of the following, EXCEPT:
an increase in preload
Decreased elasticity of the lungs and calcification of the costochondral cartilage results in:
an increase in residual lung volume
During compensated shock:
an increase in respiratory rate and depth creates a compensatory respiratory alkalosis to offset the metabolic acidosis
Atrial fibrillation can be interpreted by noting:
an irregularly irregular rhythm and absent P waves.
Unlike sinus tachycardia, reentry supraventricular tachycardia in infants is characterized by?
an unvarying pulse rate
Routine pre-hospital treatment for a patient with internal hemorrhage and shock includes all of the following, EXCEPT:
analgesia if the systolic BP is greater than 70 mmHg
Q. Which of the following statements regarding anatomic dead space is MOST correct?
anatomic dead space is about 1 mL per pound of body weight.
A woman who does not take prenatal vitamins during the course of her pregnancy is at GREATEST risk for?
anemia
Hematologic manifestations of lead poisoning include:
anemia
Pickwickian syndrome is characterized by all of the following except:
anemia
Displacement of bony fragments in the anterior portion of the spinal cord results in:
anterior cord syndrome
The MOST effective way to maintain your own knowledge of standard medical terminology is to:
learn the established and accepted medical terms and abbreviations for your EMS operation. Ongoing review of the A&P chapter.
The onset of eclampsia is marked by the presence of?
grand mal seizures
A beta-blocking drug would counteract all of the following medications, EXCEPT:
atropine
A female paramedic is attempting to ask a hearing-impaired man about his past medical history. However, when she asks him a question, he looks at her male partner and smiles. The male partner should:
attempt to communicate with the patient, as his voice will likely have a lower pitch
A 74-year-old man experienced partial- and full-thickness burns to his arms and chest resulting from a fire that started after he fell asleep while smoking his cigar. The patient's son, who arrived at the scene shortly after you, states that his father has congestive heart failure, rheumatoid arthritis, and atrial fibrillation. In addition to administering supplemental oxygen, it is MOST important for you to:
auscultate his breath sounds before administering IV fluids
A 39-year-old man crashed his vehicle into a wooded area and was not found for approximately 8 hours. When you arrive at the scene and assess him, you note that he is conscious but anxious. He is unable to feel or move below his mid-thoracic area and complains of a severe headache. His blood pressure is 210/130 mmHg, heart rate is 48 beats/min, and respirations are 22 breaths/min. This patient's clinical presentation is MOST consistent with:
autonomic dysreflexia
When troubleshooting a hearing aid that is not working, you should:
avoid attempting to clean the device
When communicating with a patient who is hearing impaired, you should:
avoid exaggerated lip movement
When landing a helicopter at night, you should:
avoid shining a spotlight up at the descending aircraft
When caring for a patient who has a central venous access device, you should:
avoid taking a blood pressure on the arm with the access device
You arrive at the scene of a shooting. The pt, a 19 yo man, has a GSW to the side of his head with a large amount of exposed brain mater. Further assessment reveals that the pt is apneic and pulseless. Law enforcement personnel advise you that the person who shot the patient is in their custody. You should?
avoid unnecessary contact with the pt and document the finding of your visual assessment of the pt and scene
When functioning at the scene of a major incident, communication should:
be face to face to minimize radio traffic
When caring for a patient with cerebral palsy, it is MOST important to:
be prepared for seizures and have suction ready
The paramedic's #1 priority is to?
be prepared to respond to and treat injuries that inevitable will occur
* If a patient sees you as someone with whom it is safe to be, who does not pose a threat, and who honestly cares, then he or she will most likely?
be reassured that you will handle the crisis
* Common signs and symptoms of ulcerative colitis include all of the following, EXCEPT?
bloating after milk ingestion
If a pregnant woman is injured and bleeding severly?
blood flow will be diverted away from the uterus
The son of a 76-year-old woman called 911 because his mother is "ill." The patient presents with mild confusion, poor skin turgor, and tachycardia. She is incontinent of urine and asks you for a glass of water. Her son tells you that she had not been feeling well for the past several weeks, but would not allow him to take her to the doctor. Which of the following assessment parameters will MOST likely reinforce your suspicion regarding the underlying cause of this patient's condition?
blood glucose
Which of the following documentation styles would likely be MOST difficult and time-consuming to apply in EMS?
body systems approach
Once in the body, approximately 90% of inorganic lead accumulates in:
bone
The primary site for cell production in the human body is the:
bone marrow
In contrast to chronic leukemia, acute leukemia occurs when:
bone marrow is replaced with abnormal lymphoblasts.
Choanal atresia is MOST accurately defined as a:
bony or membranous obstruction of the back of the nose
Q. Whether you are using the PtL or the Combitube:
both devices are inserted blindly into the posterior pharynx
Which of the following statements regarding growth spurts in adolescents is most correct?
boys generally experience this stage of growth later in life than girls do
A decreased number of pacemaker cells in the sinoatrial node would MOST likely contribute to a decline in cardiac output secondary to:
bradycardia
Pain receptors are found in all the following locations, EXCEPT the:
brain
An ambulance should be removed from service immediately if you feel or hear:
brake fade
Clinical signs and symptoms following exposure to a toxin will manifest MOST rapidly if the patient:
breathes in the toxic chemical
An elderly person is more likely to sustain serious injury following trauma due to:
brittle, demineralized bone
The MOST effective injury prevention program is one that is?
broad and ongoing
Which of the following statements regarding bronchiolitis is MOST correct?
bronchiolitis is a viral infection of the lower airway that commonly affects infants and children younger than 2 years of age
Motor vehicle trauma accounts for nearly 70% of trauma in pregnancy?
but only about 20% of maternal deaths
Q. Intubation of the trauma patient is MOST effectively performed:
by two paramedics
Q. End-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) detection is a reliable method for confirming proper ET tube placement because:
carbon dioxide is not present in the esophagus
Patients with delirium tremens often experience:
hallucinations
Initial signs and symptoms of toxic shock syndrome (TSS) include all of the following, EXCEPT?
cardiac dysrhythmias
Child neglect is MOST accurately defined as:
harm or endangerment to a child that occurs when a caregiver fails to provide basic necessities or engages in dangerous child-rearing practices
A patient with thrombocytopenia:
has a decreased platelet count
A responsive patient who is talking or crying:
has an adequate airway
Q. In contrast to the right lung, the left lung:
has two lobes
Patients with type A hemophilia:
have a deficiency of factor VIII
In contrast to infants, toddlers?
have a slower respiratory rate
Patients with an ileostomy:
have a stoma that connects the small intestine to the outside of the abdomen where a collection bag is attached
Q. It would be appropriate to insert a nasopharyngeal airway in patients who:
have an altered mental status with an intact gag relfex
Two thirds of children born with Down syndrome:
have congenital heart disease
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunts are typically placed in children who:
have impaired circulation and absorption of CSF, leading to an increased size of the ventricles of the brain and increased intracranial pressure
The purpose of estimating a patient's total body surface area (TBSA) burns in the prehospital setting is to:
help the paramedic determine the most appropriate destination hospital
When staging at an appropriate distance from the scene until the hazardous materials team arrives to investigate the chemical leaking from an overturned tanker, you should:
check the wind direction periodically and be prepared to relocate
The ONLY indication for removing contact lenses in the prehospital setting is:
chemical eye burns
Which of the following statements regarding a child's chest wall is MOST correct?
children are belly breathers because they rely heavily on their diaphragms
All of the following chemicals are vesicant agents, EXCEPT:
chlorine
Nerve agents block ___, an essential enzyme of the nervous system.
cholinesterase
Q. Emphysema is caused by:
chronic destruction of the alveolar walls
Q. Pneumonitis is especially common in older patients with:
chronic food aspiration
Heat gain or loss in response to environmental changes is delayed in elderly people for all of the following reasons, EXCEPT:
chronic hyperthyroidism
Q. Digital clubbing is MOST indicative of:
chronic hypoxia
After obtaining an elderly patient's chief complaint, gathering additional information about the history of present illness would MOST likely be complicated because:
chronic problems may affect the acute problem
Burnout is a consequence of?
chronic, unrelieved stress
Which of the following is atypical of an alcoholic:
chronically pale face and palms
Major risk factors for lung cancer include?
cigarette smoking and exposure to asbestos
Just after birth, the ductus arteriosus constricts and closes, resulting in?
circulation through the pulmonary system
Hypernasality would MOST likely be caused by conditions such as:
cleft palate and enlarged adenoids
What part of the female genitalia is homologous to the glans penis of the male?
clitoris
When performing chest compressions on a newborn, you should:
compress the chest one third the anteroposterior depth of the chest
The parietal lobe of the brain:
controls somatic functions for the contralateral side of the body
Q. Neuromuscular blocking agents:
convert a breathing patient with a marginal airway into an apneic patient with no airway
The staging officer is responsible for:
coordinating with all incoming and outgoing ambulances
A hospital that is in violation of EMTALA?
could forfeit all of its Medicare funding
You should be MOST suspicious that a patient has systemic iron toxicity if he or she presents with:
hematemesis
The MOST significant immediate threat to a patient with a soft-tissue injury is:
hemorrhage
Q. You would MOST likely observe a grossly low respiratory rate and volume in a patient who overdosed on:
heroin
The MOST important prehospital treatment intervention for a patient with carbon monoxide poisoning is:
high-flow oxygen
Q. The diaphragm of the stethoscope is designed to auscultate:
high-pitched sounds
Fall-related fractures in the elderly occur MOST often to the ___, usually in patients with underlying:
hip, osteoporosis
If an individual has A-positive blood:
his or her blood contains the Rh antigen
After an adult victim is struck by lightning and experiences cardiac arrest:
his or her heart may resume beating spontaneously
A chronically ill patient who has been on home oxygen therapy for several years would MOST likely call EMS when:
his or her oxygen demand exceeds the current supply
An injured patient's head should be secured to the long backboard only after:
his or her torso has been secured adequately
During the inflammation phase of the healing process:
histamine causes vasodilation and increased blood flow to the injury
For a responsive patient with a medical complaint, you will MOST likely form your working diagnosis based on information gathered during the:
history-taking process
Which of the following is an example of a speech production disorder:
hoarseness
Q. Once you have confirmed that the lighted stylet-ET tube comination has entered the trachea, you should:
hold the stylet in place and advance the tube about 2 to 4 cm into the trachea.
The MOST appropriate vagal maneuver for an infant involves:
holding ice packs firmly to the face
Eye-to-eye contact with a patient communicates?
honesty and concern
The headache commonly experienced by a women during their menstrual cycle is caused by?
hormonal release
The term "frequency," as it applies to radio communications, is MOST accurately defined as:
how frequently the wave recurs in a given time (usually 1 second)
Toxic effects of alcohol on the liver include all of the following, EXCEPT:
hyperglycemia
Q. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in the emergency setting is used to treat patients with certain obstructive airway diseases by:
improving patency of the lower airway through the use of positive-end expiratory pressure.
Which of the following statements regarding an ectopic pregnancy is MOST correct?
in ectopic pregnancy, a fertilized egg implants somewhere other than the uterus
Which of the following statements regarding the reporting of suspected child abuse is MOST correct?
in most states, the paramedic is a mandated reporter in cases of child abuse and neglect
Radio transmission distances from a mobile transceiver are reduced:
in mountainous areas or where there are many tall buildings.
Aging brings a widespread disease in bone mass, especially:
in postmenopausal women
Triage and emergency medical treatment should be performed:
in the cold zone
The main disadvantage of using a scoop stretcher to transfer a patient to the long backboard is:
inability to conduct a visual exam of the back for injuries
The MOST common reasons for ineffective bag-mask ventilations in the newborn are:
inadequate mask-to-face seal and incorrect head position
Q. While transporting an intubated 8-year-old boy, he suddenly jerks his head and becomes cyanotic shortly thereafter. His oxygen saturation and capnometry readings are both falling, and he is becoming bradycardic. You attempt to auscultate breath sounds, but are unable to hear because of the drone of the engine. What has MOST likely happened?
inadvertent extubation
Gestational diabetes is caused by?
increased insulin production and decreased cellular sensitivity to insulin
Hypocalcemia and hypomagnesemia would MOST likely result in:
increased myocardial irritability.
Stimulation of the nervous system during the fight-or-flight response causes?
increased perspiration
In a patient with left heart failure and pulmonary edema:
increased pressure in the left atrium and pulmonary veins forces serum out of the pulmonary capillaries and into the alveoli.
* All of the following factors would cause potassium to shift into the cell, EXCEPT:
increased vagal tone
When documenting a statement made by the patient or others at the scene, you should:
indicate who made the statement and place the exact words in quotations
When checking the ambulance engine, the odor of sewer gas:
indicates that the acid in the battery has boiled
The history of present illness is MOST accurately described as:
information about the chief complaint, obtained using the OPQRST mnemonic
People who call 911 at the moment of a loved one's death MOST often needed?
information and support
The focused physical exam of a patient is guided by:
information you gathered during the initial assessment and history-taking phase.
The dieffencachia plant is also referred to as "dumb cane" because:
ingestion can result in the patient being unable to speak.
If a burn patient presents with a hoarse voice and states, "I'm cold," your MOST immediate concern should be:
inhalation injury
Q. Removal of a dental appliance after intubating a patient is:
dangerous and may cause dislodgement of the tube.
Which of the following situations would be LEAST likely to require a critical incident stress debriefing (CISD)?
death of a 91 yo pt with lung CA
When dispatched to an emergency call, the paramedic must:
decide which route will be used to arrive at the scene safely
Cardiogenic shock would MOST likely develop following:
decompensated congestive heart failure
A patient who overdosed on heroin and is unconscious with slow, shallow respirations would MOST likely experience?
decreased PaCO2 levels
During the second stage of disseminated intravascular coagulopathy:
decreased clotting factors cause uncontrolled hemorrhage
Physiologic age-related decreases in skin elasticity are the result of:
decreased collagen and elastin production
Edema in an upper extremity following a mastectomy is the result of:
decreased lymphatic drainage
Elderly patients experience a slower physiologic response to hypoxemia and hypercarbia because of:
decreased sensitivity to changes in arterial blood content
When assessing an unresponsive older person's airway, it is MOST important to remember that:
delayed gastric emptying increases the risk of aspiration
Which of the following outward signs is LEAST suggestive of a communicable disease?
depression
If you receive another call before completing the patient care report accurately for the previous call:
details may be forgotten and important information left out, or worse, inaccurate information may be written
When establishing communication with a conscious and alert patient who is speech impaired, you should FIRST:
determine how he or she is most comfortable communicating with you
When assessing an anxious patient who presents with tachycardia, you must:
determine if the tachycardia is causing hemodynamic instability.
A pt has requested to be transported to a specific hospital; however, the hospital does not have the proper resources to meet the patient's needs. You should?
determine if there is a more appropriate medical facility within a reasonable distance
When a patient advises you of his or her chief complaint, you should:
determine if this is a new problem or the worsening of a preexsisting condition
Q. The pulse oximeter would be LEAST useful when:
determining how much oxygen to give a patient
The social assessment component of the GEMS diamond includes:
determining if activities of daily living are being provided by another person
In addition to identifying and evaluating any hazards, scene stabilization typically involves all of the following components, EXCEPT:
determining if air transport is available
Common actions performed by the dispatcher after receiving an emergency call include all of the following, EXCEPT?
determining if an ambulance should be dispatched
Most patients with muscular dystrophy:
die as a result of pulmonary or cardiac complications
You are dispatched to a residence for a 17-year-old woman with acute abdominal pain. When you arrive and begin your assessment, it is clear that the patient is uncomfortable with the presence of her parents because she is reluctant to answer your questions. You should:
diplomatically ask the parents if their daughter can have some privacy
You are caring for a patient with non-life-threatening injuries in the treatment section of a mass casualty incident when you are approached by several TV reporters who are seeking details regarding the incident. You should:
direct the reporters to the public information officer
Uterine rupture MOST commonly occurs?
during active labor
Which of the following conditions poses the LEAST risk for shock due to vaginal bleeding?
dysmenorrhea
When caring for an amputated body part:
early notification of the hospital is important
In pregnancy, magnesium sulfate is used principally for?
eclamptic seizures
* The cardinal sign of overhydration is?
edema
Q. The major advantage of the multilumen airway is that:
effective ventilation is possible if the tube enters the esophagus or the trachea
Cardiac dysrhythmias in patients with cystic fibrosis are MOST often secondary to:
electrolyte imbalance
You are assessing an injured 9-year-old girl. The child's father, who appears to be intoxicated, is sitting on the couch and does not seem concerned about his daughter's injury. When asked when the injury occurred, the father tells you, "I can't remember, but it's been at least a few hours ago." You should:
elicit your partner's help and conduct a thorough assessment of the child
Q. In contrast to a needle cricothyrotomy, an open cricothyrotomy:
enables the paramedic to provide greater tidal volume
While preparing equipment for newborn resuscitation, which of the following equipment is NOT considered optional?
endotracheal tubes
Elderly people are more susceptible to intracranial bleeding because of:
enlargement of the subdural space
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is characterized by?
enlargement or thickening of the heart muscle
You are transferring a 60-year-old man with COPD from a community hospital to a metropolitan hospital. The patient is mildly dyspneic, but is otherwise stable. He is receiving oxygen via nasal cannula, has an IV line of normal saline in place, and an ECG applied. When reading his chart, you note that he has polycythemia, a history of a prior stroke, and HTN. The patient tells you that he feels a fluttering sensation in his chest. You glance at the cardiac monitor and see a narrow complex tachycardia at a rate of 160 beats/min. The patient's blood pressure is 116/70 mmHg and he remains conscious and alert. You should:
ensure adequate oxygenation and ventilation, administer 6 mg of adenosine, and reassess his cardiac rhythm
A 23-year-old woman with sickle cell disease presents with severe joint pain and fever (102.5). She is conscious and alert, and tells you that her symptoms began yesterday and suddenly worsened today. Her blood pressure is 118/76 mmHg, pulse rate is 120 beats/min and regular, and respirations are 24 breaths/min with adequate depth. After applying high-flow oxygen, and initiating transport, you should:
ensure that she is in a comfortable position, cover her with a blanket, start an IV line at a KVO rate, and monitor her throughout transport.
If your EMS system protocols permit you to administer oxytocin to the mother following delivery of the placenta, it is MOST important to?
ensure that she is not delivering a second baby
A 51-year-old woman sustained a large laceration to her cheek when she was cut by a knife during a robbery attempt. The patient is conscious and alert and has severe oral bleeding. She denies any other trauma. Your FIRST action should be to:
ensure that she is sitting up and leaning forward
During the delivery of a post-term baby, you note the presence of particulate meconium in the amniotic fluid. Your post-delivery assessment of the newborn reveals that it is active, has a strong cry, and has a heart rate of 110 beats/min. You should:
ensure that the infant is warm and dry, administer free-flow oxygen if needed, and provide continuous monitoring
If you must break a window to gain access to a patient trapped in his or her vehicle, you should:
ensure that the patient and all rescuers are protected properly
While at the scene of an incident in which several patients were possibly exposed to Lewisite, you are informed that an unresponsive patient with multiple blisters on his body and inadequate breathing is being brought to you for treatment. You should:
ensure that the patient has been decontaminated before initiating any treatment
Prior to unloading a patient from the ambulance, you should:
ensure that the patient is secured to the stretcher
You have just performed synchronized cardioversion on a patient with unstable ventricular tachycardia. Upon reassessment, you note that the patient is unresponsive, apneic, and pulseless. You should:
ensure that the synchronizer is off, defibrillate one time, and check for a pulse.
When establishing intravenous (IV) access in a patient with paralysis to the right side of the body, it would be MOST appropriate to:
establish the IV on the side of the body that is not paralyzed
During the proliferative phase?
estrogen stimulates the endometrium to increase in thickness in preparation for the reception and future growth of a fertilized egg.
The kind of stress that motivates an individual to achieve is called?
eustress
After gathering information from the patient, scene, and any bystanders, you must next:
evaluate the info
When returning your unit to service following a call, the responsibility of ensuring that the unit is restocked and ready for another call rests with?
everyone on the EMS team
The BEST indicator of possible child abuse is:
evidence gathered from a thorough physical exam and case history
Upon completing your rapid assessment of an unresponsive trauma patient's head and neck, you should next:
examine your gloves for signs of bleeding, and place a properly sized rigid cervical collar
When caring for a confused elderly patient, it is MOST important for the paramedic to?
explain what he or she is doing at all times
Which of the following statements regarding the initiation of resuscitative efforts on an infant with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is MOST correct?
initiating resuscitative efforts on the infant may not be ethically appropriate and may cause the family additional suffering
According to the Haddon matrix framework:
injuries occur in a certain time sequence
Modification of your physical examination of a patient with a suspected spinal cord injury following a two-car motor vehicle crash is based on all of the following factors, EXCEPT:
injuries to patients in the other vehicle
You should prioritize the needs of your patient based on the?
injury or illness that requires the most urgent treatment
The upper thoracic spinal nerves:
innervate the muscles of the chest that help in breathing and coughing
You respond to call for a 67-year-old man with respiratory distress. When you arrive, the patient's wife greets you at the door. As she is escorting you to her husband, she tells you that he has myasthenia gravis and type 2 diabetes. As you begin your assessment of the patient, you note that he is responsive to pain only, is breathing at a slow rate with shallow depth, and has perioral cyanosis. You should:
insert a nasopharyngeal airway and assist his ventilations with a bag-mask device
Q. After inserting the needle into through the cricothyroid membrane, you should next:
insert the needle about 1 cm farther and then aspirate with a syringe.
You have been providing bag-mask ventilation to a newborn with a sustained heart rate of 75 beats/min for approximately 5 minutes. The infant's abdomen is markedly distended. Although you are properly trained, your protocols do not allow you to intubate newborns. The MOST appropriate intervention involves:
inserting an orogastric tube
* A paramedic who looks the part of professional?
inspires confidence in his or her patients
Mental retardation is MOST accurately defined as:
insufficient development of the brain that results in the inability to learn and socially adapt at the usual rate
The skin is also referred to as the:
integument
The LEAST common cause of death from fires is:
integument burns
Which of the following central nervous system functions does NOT change as a person ages?
intelligence level
A woman who is taking pentosan polysulfate sodium (Elmiron) MOST likely has?
interstitial cystitis
A 19-year-old woman fell from a second story window and landed on her head. She is unconscious with a blood pressure of 148/94 mmHg, heart rate of 58 beats/min, and irregular respirations of 8 breaths/min. Further assessment reveals blood draining from her nose and bilaterally dilated pupils that are slow to react. In addition to employing full spinal precautions, the MOST appropriate treatment for this patient involves:
intubating her trachea after preoxygenating her for 2 to 3 minutes with a bag-mask device, transporting immediately, starting at least one large-bore IV en route, applying a cardiac monitor, and performing frequent neurologic assessments.
* Most immunologic diseases that exhibit familial tendencies:
involve an overactive immune system
A partial-thickness burn is considered to be critical if it:
involves more than 30% of the body surface area
In contrast to sexual assault, rape:
involves penile penetration of the genitalia without the victim's consent
A diffuse axonal injury (DIA):
involves stretching, shearing, or tearing of the extension of the neuron that conducts electrical impulses away from the cell body.
Nasotracheal intubation of a patient with upper airway burns:
is a complicated procedure and should be avoided
The spine:
is a major structural component of the axial skeleton
Reiter syndrome?
is a rare complication associated with untreated Chlamydia and is characterized by arthritis and skin lesions
When reading the scene, the paramedic must remember that:
is a relative goldmine of information and becomes unavailable once you initiate transport to the hospital. Primary elements include: evaluate the overall safety of the situation, the environmental conditions, the immediate surroundings, access and exit issues, and evaluating the mechanism of injury
In contrast to a type II ambulance, a type III ambulance:
is a specialty van that usually has a modular ambulance body
The paramedic is in the BEST position to formulate an appropriate treatment plan for an ill patient if the paramedic?
is able to identify the etiology of the patient's illness
Delirium in the chronically ill patient:
is an acute alteration in mentation that is often reversible
An 8-year-old child:
is anatomically and physiologically similar to an adult
Untreated depression in people over 65 years of age:
is associated with a higher suicide rate than any other age group
Q. A patient with a suppressed cough mechanism:
is at high risk for aspiration
Lowering of a significantly elevated blood pressure:
is best accomplished in a hospital setting.
A newborn is at GREATEST risk for meconium aspiration if he or she:
is born at more than 42 weeks gestation
By definition, a premature infant:
is born before 37 weeks gestation
HTN is present when the blood pressure:
is consistently greater than 140/90 mmHg while at rest.
Body substance isolation (BSI) differs from universal precautions in that BSI?
is designed to approach all body fluids as being potentially infectious
A subtle seizure in the newborn is characterized by:
eye deviation
In adult patients, oral ingestion of a caustic substance:
is usually intentional
A pathologic Q wave:
is wider than 0.04 seconds and is seen in 2 or more contiguous leads.
* The body's rejection of an organ following transplantation is MOST likely the result of?
isoimmunity
Lactated Ringer's is a/an ___ solution because its solute concentration is equal to that of the inside of the cell.
isotonic
Prior to transporting a 66 yo woman with CP to the hospital, she expresses the need to retrieve her bible and say a prayer. You should?
leave the room if your religious beliefs are not consistent with hers
Safe practices when parking your emergency vehicle on a roadway at night include all of the following, EXCEPT:
leaving the headlights on
You are dispatched to a residence at 4:00 am for an elderly man with shortness of breath. The patient tells you that he was awakened with the feeling that he was smothering. You note traces of dried blood around his mouth. The patient tells you that he has some type of "breathing problem," for which he uses a prescribed inhaler. Based on the information you have obtained thus far, you should be MOST suspicious for:
left-sided heart failure
* In decompensated shock, systolic blood pressure is?
less than the fifth percentile for the age
If methylprednisolone (Solu-Medrol) is administered to a patient with a spinal cord injury, it should be given:
less then 3 hours after the injury
The peak magnitude of the pressure wave experienced by a person:
lessens as the person is farther away from the center of the explosion
When assessing the severity of a traumatic brain injury, the single most important assessment parameter is the patient's:
level of consciousness
The objective of dash displacement is to:
lift the dash up and move it forward
Q. The MOST effective way to minimize the risk of hypoxia while intubating a child is to:
limit your intubation attempt to 20 seconds.
A patient in shock due to internal bleeding will benefit MOST from:
limited scene time and rapid transport
Unique dangers associated with confined spaces include:
limited ventilation
In contrast to a complex febrile seizure, a simple febrile seizure:
lasts less than 15 minutes and occurs in children without underlying neurologic abnormalities
If a pt experiences prolonged hypotension or requires prolonged CPR, his or her ___ would be inappropriate for organ or tissue donation.
liver
Production of clotting factors is a function of the:
liver
Therapeutic doses of certain drugs may reach toxic levels in older people due to deterioration of the:
liver
Which of the following factors typically does NOT affect the vital signs for a 65-year-old patient?
living conditions
When transporting one stable and one critical patient in the same ambulance, you should:
load the most critical patient last so he or she can be unloaded first.
Upon arriving at a scene in which the incident command system has already been established, you should:
locate the medical staging officer to receive your assignment
Unlike a midline venous catheter, a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) can be used for:
long-term fluid therapy
A child has probably NOT been abused if he or she:
looks to the parent for reassurance after being injured
Hypotension that is associated with neurogenic shock is the result of:
loss of alpha receptor stimulation
If intubation of a burn patient becomes necessary, you should avoid cutting the ET tube down to make it shorter because:
facial edema may cause tube dislodgement 2 to 3 days after the burn
Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is MOST commonly used to:
facilitate sexual assault
Which of the following significant mechanisms of injury is unique to the infant and child?
falls from more than 10', a bicycle collision, or being struck by a vehicle
The shock wave velocity from an explosion is slower and its duration is longer if a person is:
farther from the explosion
Which of the following factors would MOST likely cause vague or atypical signs of acute myocardial infarction?
female sex and diabetes
Following a head-on collision of a motorcycle and a truck, the motorcyclist would MOST likely experience initial injury to the:
femurs and tibias
Teething is commonly accompanied by?
fever
Upon arriving at the scene of a 4-year-old girl who is ill, you assess her and note that she is tachypneic and tachycardic. Her skin is warm and moist and there are no signs of increased work of breathing. The child's mother denies any vomiting or diarrhea. This child's tachycardia and tachypnea is MOST likely the the result of:
fever and anxiety
Which of the following statements regarding fever in children is MOST correct?
fever is generally a sign of underlying illness
Which of the following statements regarding infection in immunocompromised patients is MOST correct?
fever is often the only sign of infection in the immunocompromised patient
Which of the following statements regarding fever in the newborn is MOST correct?
fever may not always be a presenting feature in newborns with an infection
The MOST immediate forms of reperfusion therapy for an injured myocardium are:
fibrinolytics and placement of a coronary stent.
When a pt minimizes his or her symptoms by stating, "I'm fine," the paramedic should?
find a reliable informant among the pt's family or friends
When dealing with the caregivers of an infant who died suddenly, you should:
find out the infant's name and use it
Which of the following psychosocial changes is common during adolescence?
fixation on public image and fear of embarrassment
Signs and symptoms of retinal detachment include:
flashing lights, specks or floaters in the field of vision
The hyoid bone:
floats in the superior aspect of the neck just below the mandible
Burn shock is caused by:
fluid loss across damaged skin and volume shifts within the rest of the body
Considering the physiologic changes that occur with age, which of the following interventions would pose the GREATEST risk for harm when caring for an elderly patient with a severe burn that is complicated by a spinal injury?
fluid replacement
Which of the following statements regarding central venous access devices is MOST correct?
flushing the device with heparin may cause heparin-induced thrombocytopenia
Care for a patient with profound shock begins by:
following BSI precautions
Obesity is a result of an imbalance between:
food eaten and calories used
When applying the precordial leads, lead I should be placed in the:
fourth intercostal space at the right sternal border.
___ is the process in which individual units or different organizations make independent decisions about the next appropriate action.
freelancing
Q. When determining the correct-sized nasogastric tube for a patient, you should measure the tube:
from the nose to the ear and to the xiphoid process.
The MOST common type of ovarian cyst is the ____ cyst, which generally develops during the?
functional, menstrual cycle
The dome-shaped top of the uterus is called the?
fundus
Necrosis of tissue caused by an anaerobic, toxin-producing bacterium is called:
gangrene
A patient with dysarthria has:
garbled or slurred speech.
Q. Uncontrollable coughing and hemoptysis in a cigarette smoker are clinical findings MOST consistent with:
lung cancer
If nonencapsulated bacteria enter the body?
macrophages begin to destroy them immediately
A 21-year-old woman was thrown from a horse and landed on her head. Upon arrival at the scene, you find the patient lying supine. She is conscious and has her head turned to the side. As you attempt to move her head to a neutral in-line position, she screams in pain. You should:
maintain her head in the position found and continue with your assessment
The goal of volume replacement for a patient with hemorrhagic shock is to:
maintain perfusion without increasing internal or uncontrollable external bleeding
Part of your therapeutic role as a paramedic includes?
maintaining a calm and confident attitude
Prehospital treatment of the patient with a traumatic brain injury must focus primarily on:
maintaining cerebral perfusion pressure
While caring for an unresponsive young woman who was apparently sexually assaulted, you note that her respirations are slow and shallow, her pulse is slow and weak, and her blood pressure is low. There is a small amount of dried blood on her thigh, but no grossly active bleeding. Immediate care for this patient involves?
maintaining her airway and providing ventilatory assistance.
When managing a patient who is entrapped by a crushing object, it is MOST important to:
make every effort to treat the patient before removing the crushing object
Upon entering the residence of a vision-impaired patient, the FIRST thing you should do is:
make your presence known
The term mid-life crisis BEST describes a person who?
makes a dramatic gesture in a bid to reclaim his or her youth
If you want reliable answers to personal questions, you should?
manage the scene so you can ask such questions quietly and privately
At a very large incident, the operations section is responsible for:
managing the tactical operations job usually handled by the incident commander on route EMS calls
A 40-year-old unrestrained man was ejected from his small truck when it struck a tree. He patient is found approximately 20 feet from the wreckage. Your initial actions should include:
manually stabilizing his head and opening his airway with the jaw-thrust maneuver.
A young man was assaulted and has extensive maxillofacial injuries. Your initial assessment reveals that he is semiconscious, has poor respiratory effort, and has blood draining from the corner of his mouth. Initial management for this patient involves:
manually stabilizing his head in a neutral position, suctioning his oropharynx, and assisting ventilations with a bag-mask device and 100% oxygen
Ricin is a neurotoxin that is derived from:
mash that is left from the castor bean
Q. The anterior portion of the palate is formed by the:
maxilla and palatine bones
The permissible exposure limit (PEL) of a given chemical is the:
maximum concentration of a chemical that a person may be exposed to under OSHA regulations
Unlike chemical burns, radiation burns:
may appear hours or days after exposure
In contrast to paper documentation, computer-based documentation:
may assist you in writing accurate, timely, and legible reports.
Q. A hyperventilating patient:
may be acidotic and is trying to decrease his or her pH level
Gestational hypertension?
may be an early sign of preeclampsia
In contrast to conductive deafness, sensorineural hearing loss:
may be congenital or secondary to a birth injury
Systemic effects following exposure to a hazardous material:
may be delayed for hours or even years
A burn patient with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease:
may be triaged as a critically burned patient, even if the burn injury is small
Full-thickness circumferential burns to the chest:
may cause significant restriction of respiratory excursion
Bleeding from a scalp laceration with an underlying skull deformity:
may contribute to hypovolemia in adults
Q. Patients with decompensated asthma or COPD that require positive-pressure ventilation:
may develop a pneumothorax or experience a decrease in venous return to the heart if they are ventilated too rapidly
When assessing and caring for a 17-year-old gang member, it is MOST important to remember that he or she:
may have a weapon and a reputation to earn
Low-band frequencies:
may have ranges up to 2,000 miles but are unpredictable because changes in ionospheric conditions may cause "skip interference", with patchy losses in communication
Indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma:
may never spread from the lymphoid system
Patients experiencing a right ventricular infarction:
may present with hypotension
In contrast to endometritis, endometriosis?
may present without abdominal pain
A child in anaphylactic shock:
may require a low-dose epinephrine infusion
Dysmenorrhea that occurs before, during, and after menstrual flow?
may signal an underlying illness.
People who abuse their partner or spouse:
may use intimidation and threats to maintain control
Which of the following statements regarding uterine fundus measurement is MOST correct?
measurement of the fundus in centimeters corresponds to the number of gestational weeks
Endotracheal intubation is clearly indicated in the newborn if:
meconium is present in the amniotic fluid and the newborn is limp and has a heart rate of 70 beats/min.
Uncertainty regarding the specific cause of a patient's problem is called:
medical ambiguity.
A paramedic is considered a health care professional, and as such should?
meet societal expectations whether he or she is on or off duty
Severe salicylate toxicity produces:
metabolic acidosis
The hyperpnea and tachypnea associated with methyl alcohol intoxication is secondary to:
metabolic acidosis
During you assessment of a 33-year-old woman who you suspect is under the influence of a drug, the patient tells you that she was "listening to the painting on the wall" before you arrived. Her pulse rate and blood pressure are both elevated. This clinical presentation is MOST consistent with the use of:
methamphetamine
A poorly written patient care report:
might lead a judge or jury to decide in favor of the plaintiff.
The goal of a system status management (SSM) is to:
minimize response times by deploying EMS resources strategically
Which of the following changes occurs in the respiratory system of a pregnant woman?
minute ventilation increases by as much as 50%, which causes the PaCO2 to drop by about 5%.
A patient with full-thickness burns surrounded by areas of superficial and partial-thickness burns should be treated with all of the following, EXCEPT:
moist dressings
When suctioning the newborn's oropharynx to clear secretions prior to intubation, it is MOST important to:
monitor a newborn's heart rate
Risk factors for pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) include all of the following, EXCEPT?
monogamy
Which of the following factors is associated with the HIGHEST risk of newborn hypoglycemia?
morbid obesity in the mother
In contrast to adults, retractions in children are:
more evident in the intercostal area
Air ambulances are advantageous for all of the following reasons, EXCEPT:
more experience of the flight paramedics
* The ___ reflex happens when an infant is startled and opens his or her arms wide?
moro
Which of the following is NOT a reason why EMS providers are in the ideal position to serve as advocates for injury prevention?
most EMS systems require their personnel to participate actively in injury prevention programs
After falls, ___ is/are the second leading cause of accidental death among the elderly people.
motor vehicle accidents
When approaching a van at night to determine if the driver, who is reportedly unconscious, is in need of medical assistance, you should:
move 10 to 15 feet away from the passenger side and walk parallel to the van
You are dispatched to a residence for a 29-year-old woman with difficulty breathing. The patient was recently diagnosed with leukemia and has just completed her first round of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Upon arriving at the scene, you find the patient sitting in a recliner. Her level of consciousness is markedly diminished and her breathing is shallow. Her husband, obviously frightened, pleads with you to do something. You should FIRST:
move her to the floor and open her airway
* When functioning at a noisy scene, communication will be MOST effective if you?
move the patient to the ambulance as soon as you can
Common causes of respiratory distress in the newborn include:
mucous obstruction of the nose
In order for the paramedic to talk and transmit an ECG simultaneously on one frequency, a ___ system is required.
multiplex
The equipment and supplies that are carried in the back of an ambulance:
must be stowed safely yet easily accessible
When you address a patient by saying, "Hi, my name is Stephen Rahm and I'm a paramedic. What's your name?", the patient:
must go through a variety of very specific sequence of physical and mental responses that amounts to a mini-mental status examination
If an EMS agency's call volume is too heavy to allow response within an appropriate time frame?
mutual aid resources are not legally required to assist
You are caring for a young woman with constant, diffuse abdominal pain, referred pain to both shoulders, and vaginal bleeding. She states that her last menstrual period was 2 months ago, but she adamantly denies being pregnant. Her blood pressure is 86/50 mmHg, pulse rate is 120 beats/min and weak, and respirations are 24 breaths/min and regular. Which of the following interventions is NOT appropriate for this patient?
narcotic analgesia
You are assessing a 7-month-old infant who presents with listlessness, pallor, and increased work of breathing. The infant's mother tells you that the child was born 2 months premature and was in the neonatal intensive care unit for 3 weeks. She denies any recent vomiting, diarrhea, or fever. The infant's oxygen saturation is 89% and does not improve with supplemental oxygen. Her heart rate is rapid and weak and does not vary with activity. When you apply the cardiac monitor, you will MOST likely encounter a:
narrow QRS complex rhythm with absent P waves and a heart rate greater than 220 beats/min
Cervical spondylosis is a degenerative change in the cervical spine that causes:
narrowing of the spinal canal and pressure on the spinal cord
Which of the following was NOT a required component identified by the Emergency Medical Services System Act of 1973?
national EMS certification
Relative to younger adults, older adults generally have a harder time breathing because the?
natural elasticity of the lungs decreases
Biological agents are:
naturally occurring organisms that are cultivated in a laboratory
The general type of illness a patient is experiencing is called the:
nature of illness (NOI)
Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus:
need exogenous insulin to survive
The wrongful act that gives rise to a civil suid is called?
negligence
Management for a ingested poison focuses mainly on:
neutralizing the poison in the stomach
Common signs and symptoms of lymphoma include:
night sweats and chills
Cardiac-related chest pain is often palliated by:
nitroglycerin.
Q. The cricothyroid membrane is the ideal site for making a surgical opening into the trachea because:
no important structures lie between the skin covering the cricothyroid membrane and the airway
Q. Intrapulmonary shunting occurs when:
nonfunctional alveoli inhibit pulmonary gas exchange
Cerebral palsy is a:
nonprogressive, bilateral neuromuscular disorder in which voluntary muscles are poorly controlled
Which of the following statements regarding ethics in the workplace is MOST correct?
off-duty misconduct on the part of the paramedic may lessen the public's confidence of EMS in general
In contrast to stable angina, unstable angina:
often awakens the patient from his or her sleep.
One aspect of the technique of contact and cover involves:
one paramedic making contact with the patient to provide care while the second paramedic obtains patient information from another person while gauging his or her level of tension
During transport of a newborn, timely intervention of acute deterioration is most effectively achieved by?
ongoing observation and frequent assessment
When applying a vest-type extrication device to a seated patient, his or her head should be secured to the device:
only after the torso is fastened securely
An immature egg is called a/an?
oocyte
You have just delivered a little girl that was born 4 weeks premature. There is no evidence of meconium in the amniotic fluid. After drying, warming, suctioning, positioning,and stimulating the infant, she remains acrocyanotic and is not crying. You should:
open her airway and assess respirations
The severity with which a hazardous material interferes with the body's internal processes is LEAST affected by the:
part of the body exposed
* The induction phase of the immune response begins when?
part of the immune system recognizes an antigen
* An injection of immunoglobulin is an example of?
passive acquired immunity
The study of the functioning of an organism in the presence of disease is called?
pathophysiology
Patient autonomy is MOST accurately defined as the?
patient's right to direct his or her own care and to decide how end-of-life care should be provided
Which of the following statements regarding toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is MOST correct?
patients with TSS may show signs of liver failure
Which of the following statements regarding sickle cell disease is MOST correct:
patients with sickle cell disease become hypoxic because their misshapen red blood cells are poor carriers of oxygen
When arriving at a residence for any EMS call, you should make it a routine habit to:
pay attention and listen for loud, threatening voices
The second impact that occurs when an adult pedestrian is struck by a motor vehicle would MOST likely result in injuries to the:
pelvis and chest
With regard to injury prevention, effective educational techniques include all of the following EXCEPT?
penalties
The relatively high use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs by older patients predisposes them to:
peptic ulcer disease
You and an EMT-B are performing CPR on an elderly woman in cardiac arrest as your paramedic partner prepares to intubate her. After the patient has been intubated and proper ET tube placement has been confirmed, you should:
perform asynchronous CPR while ventilating the patient at a rate of 8 to 10 breaths/min.
Q. Two attempts to ventilate an unconscious 10-year-old boy have been unsuccessful. You should next:
perform chest compressions
Q. Several cycles of basic life support maneuvers have failed to relieve a severe airway obstruction in an unconscious 44-year-old woman. You should:
perform direct laryngoscopy and attempt to remove the obstruction with Magill forceps
Lung fields with areas of consolidation are MOST suggestive of:
pneumonia
Q. The pressure relief valve on an automatic transport ventilator (ATV) may lead to unrecognized hypoventilation in patients with all of the following conditions, EXCEPT:
prolonged apnea
Common signs and symptoms of infection with the cytomegalovirus (CMV) include:
prolonged high fever
In addition to an IV dextrose bolus, the MOST important treatment for newborn hypoglycemia is?
proper thermal management
Which of the following statements regarding hearing aids is NOT correct?
properly maintained hearing aids can restore hearing to normal
The purpose of the wafer that is included in an ostomy kit is to:
protect the skin from irritation
Structural protection afforded to a motorcycle rider during a crash comes from:
protective gear worn by the rider
Which of the following statements regarding protocols is MOST correct?
protocols are usually developed in conjunction with national standards
The presence of rales during auscultation of the chest indicates all of the following conditions:
pulmonary edema, heart failure, toxic inhalation, submersion.
Vascular injury following trauma to the anterior neck would MOST likely present with:
pulse deficits
Which of the following assessment parameters is MOST difficult to interpret when a pregnant woman is injured?
pulse rate
A pulse that alternates in strength from one beat to the next beat is called:
pulsus alternans
Thousands of fibrils that are distributed throughout the ventricles, which represent the end of the cardiac condition system, are called the:
purkinje fibers.
Meningococcal meningitis with sepsis is typcially characterized by a/an?
purpuric rash
In contrast to serous exudate, purulent exudate is:
pus that consists of white blood cells and bacteria
The hazardous materials team has deemed it safe for you to enter and remove patients from an office building that exploded. As you are moving the patients, it is MOST important to:
remain alert to the possibility of a secondary explosive device
Your unit is the first to arrive at the scene of a bus crash. As you approach the scene, you see multiple patients, some of them lying on the ground not moving and others walking around in a dazed state. You should:
remain aware of the potential for hazards
Law enforcement requests your assistance to assess a 33-year-old woman who was sexually assaulted. When you arrive at the scene, you find the patient sitting on the curb outside her apartment complex. She is conscious and crying, but does not have any gross injuries. When you begin to assess her, she tells you that all she wants to do is go home and clean herself up. She further tells you that she does not need your help. You should:
remain empathetic and advise the patient that she needs medical care, and that cleaning herself up may destroy any potential evidence.
Once you have succeeded in establishing verbal contact with a man who is in the process of being rescued, it is MOST important to:
remain in contact with him
Upon arriving at the scene of an incident involving a chlorine gas spill, you should:
remove all patients from the scene
An unresponsive, pulseless, apneic patient presents with ventricular tachycardia on the cardiac monitor. After defibrillating the patient with 360 joules, you should:
resume CPR and reassess the patient after 2 minutes.
A patient with a loss of peripheral vision MOST likely has damage to the:
retina
You arrive at the scene of an injured person. As you and your partner approach the patient, you see that he is bleeding profusely from a large laceration to his neck. As you are about to begin care, a man walks up and states, "I cut him!" You should?
retreat from the scene to a safe area and immediately notify law enforcement
In addition to the supporting muscles and ligaments found in the vertebral column, the thoracic spine is further stabilized by the:
rib attachments
The toxic chemical in castor beans is:
ricin
When assessing lead II via the limb leads, the negative lead should be placed on the:
right arm
The inferior wall of the left ventricle is supplied by the:
right coronary artery.
Q. Hepatomegaly and jugular veinous distention are MOST suggestive of:
right heart failure
The risk of newborn complications is HIGHEST if the amniotic sac:
ruptured more than 24 hours before the time of birth
Which of the following is an example of homeostatic failure?
salt and water retention and a blood pressure of 170/98 mmHg
Gross distortions of reality, withdrawal from social contacts, and bizarre behavior are MOST characteristic of?
schizophrenia
Proper treatment for an open wound to the neck includes:
sealing the wound with an occlusive dressing
A deformed steering wheel in conjunction with a deployed airbag indicates that the:
seatbelt was not used (up-and-over collision, another source of life threatening internal injuries.)
The poisonous part of the apricot plant is the ___, which contains:
seed, cyanide
After concealing yourself and reassessing your position, you should:
seek adequate cover
In conventional reasoning, school-age children:
seek approval from their peers and society
The primary function of the treatment section is to:
separate and treat patients based on their triage category
You respond to a residence for a 76-year-old woman who is ill. When you arrive, you find the patient in a hospital bed in her living room. She is responsive to pain only and has hot, moist skin. The patient has an indwelling urinary catheter in place, and the urine collection bag is empty. The patient's caretaker tells you that the patient has numerous medical problems and hands you an extensive list of medications. The patient's blood pressure is 80/48 mmHg, her pulse rate is 104 beats/min and irregular, and her respirations are 24 breaths/min and shallow. You should be MOST suspicious for:
septic shock
Which of the following physical changes occurs in adults over 25 years of age?
settling of the discs in the spine
Bradyarrhythmias in children MOST often occur secondary to:
severe bradycardia
The MOST common etiology for bradycardia in a neonate is:
severe hypoxia
If a young female with a known history of gonorrhea presents with abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, and bleeding between periods?
she most likely has pelvic inflammatory disease
Bruises to a child's ___ are LEAST suggestive of an intentionally inflicted injury.
shins
Q. A patient with quiet tachypnea is MOST likely experiencing:
shock
Q. Apneustic breathing is characterized by:
short, brisk inhalations with a long pause before exhalation
The patient care report (PCR):
should be a detailed segment indication the elements of the call; a written record of the events that transpire during a call for service. It is a legal record for the call and is part of the patient's medical record and the hospital's ED chart.
A sick or injured patient who is thinking clearly?
should be able to answer simple questions that make sense within 1 second
The motor oil level of the ambulance:
should be checked prior to starting the engine
An accurate and legible patient care report:
should be complete to the point that people reviving them, whether your medical director or the administrative office clerk billing for the service provided, can read them and understand exactly what transpired on the call.
Any motor or sensory deficits noted during the neurologic examination of a patient with a possible spinal cord injury:
should be documented and monitored
An unconscious trauma patient whose head and neck are passively rotated to one side:
should be maintained in this position unless breathing is compromised
Prior to submitting a patient care report to the receiving hospital, it is MOST important for:
should be reviewed, by the paramedic who authors them, for completeness, accuracy, grammar, spelling, and proper use of medical terminology and abbreviations, to help ensure a well-written and well-documented report
To be credible, an injury prevention intervention?
should have quantitatively measured results
Potential contraindications to fibrinolysis include all of the following, EXCEPT:
significant closed head trauma within the past 3 months.
Q. Which of the following devices is NOT used to deliver oxygen via positive pressure?
simple face mask
Which of the following is NOT characteristic of the secondary stage of syphilis?
single or multiple chancres
An attack on an abortion clinic would MOST likely be carried out by a/an:
single-issue group
A regular cardiac rhythm with a rate of 104 beats/min, upright P waves, a P-R interval of 0.14 seconds, and a narrow QRS complexes should be interpreted as:
sinus tachycardia
The speech pattern of a patient with a fluency disorder is generally NOT:
slurred
A patient who ingested a significant amount of ethylene glycol 6 hours ago would MOST likely present with:
slurred speech and ataxia
Which of the following disorders or conditions is related to decreased glycogen stores in the newborn?
small for gestational age
Which of the following would MOST likely make intubation of a patient with Down syndrome difficult?
small oral cavity
Which of the following is NOT an anatomic characteristic of a person with Down syndrome?
small retracted tongue
Pharmacologic management for a black widow-spider bite may include all of the following, EXCEPT:
sodium bicarbonate
Prehospital treatment for a patient who overdosed on aspirin would MOST likely include:
sodium bicarbonate
When assessing a patient with a developmental disability, the MOST effective way of determining the extent to which he or she can interact and understand is to:
speak to the patient
From an injury prevention standpoint, the term "intervention" is defined as?
specific prevention measures or activites designed to increase positive health and safety outcomes
Q. Which of the following is NOT a contraindication for nasotracheal intubation?
spinal injury
If your only protection from gunfire in a residence is behind a frame wall, you should:
stand near the door or window frame, which usually contain more wood than other areas of the wall.
Which of the following is an example of a protocol?
standing orders
You are assisting in the delivery of a baby. After the baby's bead emerges from the vagina, you should quickly assess for the presence of a nuchal cord and then:
suction its mouth and nose
Which of the following interventions is especially important when caring for a patient with a tracheostomy tube?
suctioning
Open soft-tissue facial trauma following a significant mechanism of injury:
suggests that the patient may have a closed head injury or spinal injury
Respiratory distress in a premature infant is MOST often the result of:
surfactant deficiency
If a vision-impaired patient who owns a service dog is hemodynamically unstable, you should:
take the dog and the patient to the hospital
Which of the following actions will provide the BEST personal protection when caring for a patient on uneven terrain?
take the time to make all lifts and moves safe/controlled
When wearing gloves while taking care of a pt, you should?
take them off before you drive the ambulance to the hospital
Q. Unlike bronchodilator therapy, corticosteroid therapy:
takes a few hours to produce bronchial edema
The BEST example the paramedic can set with regard to injury prevention is?
taking care of himself or herself and serving as a role model for others
When approaching an overturned tanker truck that is not displaying a warning placard, it is MOST important for the paramedic to maintain a high index of suspicion because:
tankers carrying small amounts of a hazardous material may not be required by law to display a warning placard
If your department has its own technical rescue team:
technical rescue protocols should be established
While preparing to receive patients at the scene of a hazardous material spill, you see a middle-aged man approaching your ambulance. He is covered with a green liquid, is dyspneic, and states that he "barely got out of there alive!" You should:
tell him to stop immediately and inform the incident commander that the patient has not been decontaminated.
If you must move a vision-impaired patient, it is MOST important to:
tell the patient what is happening
An example of conductive deafness is:
temporary hearing loss caused by a ruptured membrane
Caput succedaneum is MOST accurately defined as:
temporary swelling of the soft tissue of the baby's scalp secondary to pressure from the dilating cervix
In contrast to younger patients, elderly patients:
tend not to complain, even when they have legitimate symptoms
The effort to rehabilitate a person who has survived an injury is called?
tertiary injury prevention
When you introduce yourself to your patient and ask why 9-1-1 was called, the patient looks at you, shakes your hand, and answers your questions appropriately. From these findings, you can gather that the patient:
that the patient has a Glascow Coma Scale score of 15 (spontaneous eye opening, follows commands, appropriate verbal response)
Proprioception is MOST accurately defined as:
the ability to perceive the position and movement of one's body
In most cases of child sexual abuse:
the abuser knows the child and may be living with him or her
The single MOST important process to ensure ongoing rescuer safety at a technical rescue incident is:
the accountability system
In MOST ambulance collisions:
the ambulance was not traveling in the proper lane or the operator was driving with excessive speed
When a patient takes the "up and over" pathway during a head-on collision:
the anterior part of the neck may strike the steering wheel, resulting in a fractured larynx
If the windshield of a wrecked vehicle is cracked or broken:
the front seat occupant has a cervical injury until proven otherwise
Excellence in prehospital care is:
the gradual result of you as a provider constantly striving to improve your practice, which requires that you always have an attitude that is open to learning.
Administering a drug that possesses a positive chronotropic effect will have a direct effect on:
the heart rate
Epinephrine is indicated during newborn resuscitation if:
the heart rate remains below 60 beats/min after 30 seconds of effective ventilation and an additional 30 seconds of chest compressions
Dysarthia is:
the inability to make speech sounds correctly
In which of the following cases would a newborn probably NOT be discharged home with an apnea monitor?
the infant was born at 36 weeks gestation
When a person experiences an injury and seeks redress for that injury?
the judicial process must determine who is responsible
Once you have arrived at the residence of a patient who receives home health care from his or her family:
the law requires you to assume responsibility for care of the patient
As a result of the increase in systolic blood pressure associated with aging:
the left ventricle works harder, becoming thicker, and loses its elasticity
If a sufficient concentration of a hazardous material mixes with the air and reaches its lower explosive limit:
the material can burn in the air or explode
When examining the placenta, you should suspect fetal anemia if?
the maternal side of the placenta is pale
Preparedness in a given area should involve decisions and planning about:
the most likely disasters for the area, among other disasters
When performing a rapid trauma assessment on a critically injured patient, it is MOST important to remember that:
the most visible or painful injury may not be as serious as the most lethal injury (i.e., ruptured spleen), because its the least visible and painful.
During third trimester vaginal bleeding?
the mother may lose as much as 40% of her blood volume before significant signs of hypovolemia occur
Because extrication and rescue are medically complex:
the officers responsible for these functions usually function under the EMS branch of the incident command system
Following exposure to mustard:
the patient experiences a progressive reddening of the affected area, which will gradually develop into large blisters
A motorcycle or football helmet should be removed if:
the patient is breathing shallowly and access to the airway is difficult
During an explosion, secondary blast injuries occur when:
the patient is struck by flying debris, such as shrapnel
In the late stage of syphilis?
the patient is usually asymptomatic, but damage to the brain, heart, blood vessels, and liver is occurring
A patient is generally considered to have orthostatic vital signs (a positive tilt test) when:
the patient's blood pressure shows a decrease in systolic pressure (up to 20mmHg), an increase in diastolic pressure of 10mmHg (a narrowing pulse pressure), and an increase on the heart rate by 20 beats/min.
It is important to remember that if a patient is not personally sensitive to modesty because of an impaired mental state:
the patient's family likely will be
Which of the following items of information is typically NOT obtained by the dispatcher prior to sending rescue units to the scene?
the patient's medical history
The MOST significant factor that determines how well the body compensates for blood loss is:
the period of time over which the blood is lost
Polypharmacy is MOST accurately defined as:
the prescribing of multiple drugs to treat multiple conditions
A classic sign of atrial flutter is:
the presence of sawtooth F waves.
The skin helps regulate body temperature through:
the production of sweat, which is evaporated from the surface of the skin
The care plan that you implement based on your working field diagnosis of a patient is almost always defined by:
the protocols/standing orders of your EMS system
Aging is a linear process, which means that:
the rate at which we lose functions does not increase with age
The outer zone of an entrance or exit wound caused by a contact electrical burn is:
the red zone of coagulation necrosis
If a liquid leaking from a tank has a high boiling point, and the air temperature is low:
the risk of vapor inhalation is relatively low
The MOST difficult part of any rescue is:
the simultaneous coordination of rescue and treatment
Which of the following is a subjective finding?
the symptoms a pt describes (degree of pain)
* What hand gesture is interpreted by many Arabic and some Latin countries as the equivalent of an extended middle finger?
the thumbs-up sign
Which of the following statements regarding the umbilical cord is MOST correct?
the umbilical vein carries oxygenated blood from the placenta to the fetus
Vagal tone remains intact following a spine injury because:
the vagus nerve originates outside the medulla and regulates the heart via the carotid arteries
* When communicating with older patients, it is MOST important to remember that:
their illnesses may be more complex because they have more than one disease process and may be taking several medications concurrently
* Conveying calm, unmistakable, genuine concern for someone you've never met before is the most essential challenge as a/an?
therapeutic communicator
Which of the following is NOT a pre-incident indicator of terrorism?
there is a report of a loud explosion
If the receiving facility does not have adequate resources to take care of your patient, you should next determine whether?
there is an appropriate facility within a reasonable distance
Because of the physical and psychological injuries that abused children experience:
they may become abusive or neglectful caregivers as adults
* When cells are hypoxic for more than a few seconds?
they produce substances that may damage other local or distant body systems
The use of wet dressings in the field is limited because:
they provide a medium for pathogens to grow
Infants are referred to as belly breathers because?
they rely mostly on their diaphragm to breathe
A patient who presents with petechiae is MOST likely:
thrombocytopenic
A positive Babinski reflex is observed when the:
toes move upward in response to stimulation of the sole of the foot
What type of seizure is MOST common in premature infants?
tonic seizure
Which of the following medications would be the LEAST likely to cause hypotension?
toradol
* Dehydration is generally a more serious concern in elderly patients than in younger adults because?
total body water constitutes only 45% of body weight in older people
When touching a patient as a form of reassurance, the paramedic should?
touch the patient on a neutral part of his or her body
At 2 months of age, an infant should be able to?
track objects with his or her eyes
The recommended first-line treatment for third-degree heart block associated with bradycardia is:
transcutaneous pacing.
The husband of a terminally ill woman called 911 because he thinks that his wife is about to die. The pt has a valid living will and an out-of-hospital DNR order. You should?
treat the husband and his wife with respect and provide emotional support
When communicating with a patient whose cultural background differs from the paramedics, it is MOST important for the paramedic to?
treat the patient with utmost respect at all times
The MOST important aspect in the care of a woman with severe vaginal bleeding is?
treating for shock and transporting rapidly
Command functions include all of the following, EXCEPT the:
triage officer
You and your partner are caring for a 5-pould distressed newborn. After providing 30 seconds of effective bag-mask ventilations, the newborn's heart rate remains below 60 beats/min. You should:
try tactile stimulation as you continue bag-mask ventilations
The preferred initial method for disentangling a patient who is trapped between the seat and steering wheel involves:
trying to slide the seat back on its track
Q. If the ET tube is placed in the trachea properly, the colorimetric paper inside the ETCO2 detector should:
turn yellow during inspiration
When a patient is receiving treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), he or she:
typically finds it difficult to exhale completely
In contrast to toxic ingestions in toddlers, toxic ingestions in adolescents:
typically involve multiple agents
Which of the following caregiver characteristics is LEAST suggestive of abusive behavior?
underreaction to child misbehavior
Signs of abuse in a nursing home resident include:
undocumented decubitus ulcers
Mittelschmerz is MOST accurately defined as?
unilateral abdominal pain and cramping that occurs during the ovulatory process
The leading cause of death from injury is?
unintentional MVC's
Q. The MOST significant complication associated with the use of multilumen airways is:
unrecognized displacement of the tube into the esophagus
Which of the following statements regarding endometriosis is MOST correct?
untreated endometriosis may result in septic shock
Older men often experience difficulty urinating because of:
urethral pressure from an enlarged prostate
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) commonly affects all of the following organs, EXCEPT the?
urinary bladder
The MOST likely cause of shock in a patient with an indwelling urinary catheter is:
urosepsis
The most effective way to reinforce your interest in and concern for your patient is to?
use a calm and steady tone of reassurance
When transmitting information via radio, you should:
use a normal conversational tone of voice
You will distance yourself from your patient as a person if you?
use complicated medical terminology
When communicating with an aphasic patient, you should:
use focused questions rather than open-ended questions
While en route to a call for an emotionally distrubed patient, law enforcement notifies you by radio that the pt has become extremely violent. You should?
wait for law enforcement to advise you that they have the pt under control
Early distributive shock in children is characterized by:
warm, flushed skin
Q. What function do the nasal turbinates serve?
warming and humidifying inhaled air
Prior to replacing an ostomy device in a patient, it is MOST important to:
wash your hands and take appropriate BSI precautions
Which of the following would be of LEAST value when trying to determine the type of hazardous material a commercial tanker truck is carrying?
waybill
Barotrauma secondary to bag-mask ventilations in an infant means that your ventilations?
were too forceful
A working diagnosis is MOST accurately defined as:
what you feel is at the root of your patients problem, and what you will focus your patient care efforts on correcting.
A child who is experiencing a moderate asthma attack would MOST likely present with:
wheezing during inspiration and expiration
Q. When nasally intubating a patient, the ET tube is advanced:
when the patient inhales
Any electrical impulse that originates in the ventricles will produce:
wide QRS complexes and a rate between 20 and 40 beats/min.
Q. A size 3 or 4 LMA:
will accommodate the passage of a 6.0mm ET tube
Documenting difficulties such as darkness, limited access, and unruly crowds that you encounter while caring for a patient is MOST important because it:
will help to justify your decisions made for patient care
Which of the following is NOT a typical question to answer when evaluating and interpreting research?
will the research study be published in a notable journal?
A paramedic's actions are considered to be grossly negligent if he or she?
willfully or wantonly deviates from the standard of care
The EMS network begins?
with citizen involvement
Q. A pulse oximetry reading would be LEAST accurate in a patient:
with poor peripheral perfusion
A subdural hematoma is classified as being acute if clinical signs and symptoms develop:
within 24 hours following the injury
Many veteran EMS providers have embraced a leadership role in primary injury prevention after?
witnessing too many episodes of needless suffering
A level 1 material:
would cause irritation on contact but only mild residual injury, even without treatment
Implied consent is based on the premise that a pt?
would consent to care because of the seriousness of his or her injury
A do not resuscitate (DNR) order is MOST accurately defined as a?
written order designed to tell health care providers when resuscitation is or is not appropriate
* By properly introducing yourself to a patient, you are also saying that?
you are in charge of the patient's health care, regardless of the indignities of treatment, and that the patient can communicate with you as an equal
If, when responding to a call for a pt in cardiac arrest, you run every stop sign and drive with unnecessary speed?
you are not a credible advocate for injury prevention
It would be MOST appropriate to ask a patient a closed-ended question when?
you are trying to obtain medical history information
A pt's wife called 911 because the pt was complaining of a severe headache and nausea. The pt is conscious and alert, but obviously upset that his wife called 911 without consulting him first. As you pull out the BP cuff, the pt folds his arms and turns away from you. From this pt's actions, you should conclude that?
you do not have consent to treat him
Q. If you see a soft tissue bulge on either side of the airway when performing nasotracheal intubation:
you have probably inserted the tube into the pyriform fossa
If manual positioning of a patient's head is required to keep his or her airway open, you should:
you must choose an airway adjunct
Upon arriving at the scene of a patient receiving home health care and conducting your scene size-up, it is MOST important to remember that:
you must determine that the environment is safe for the patient
The MOST reliable means of attempting to determine an unresponsive medical patient's problem is:
you must rely on a thorough head-to-toe physical examination plus the normal diagnostic tools
If you are treating a patient with a suspected benzodiazepine overdose, and find that the patient is hypotensive, bradycardic and comatose:
you should consider concomitant overdose with another CNS depressant
When noncolloid solutions are used in the treatment of shock:
you should give two to three times the volume of blood lost
If you are unable to aspirate blood from a central venous catheter:
you should suspect catheter occlusion
If a patient is unable to tell you who he or she is, where he or she is, and what day of the week it is?
you should suspect decreased blood flow to the brain
Which of the following is NOT consistent with the profile of a person who abuses elders?
younger than 50 years of age
When a child who is too young to verbalize is in significant pain:
your ability to assess accurately for physiologic abnormalities is impaired
Proper documentation of an incident in which a patient was injured during a crime should include all of the following, EXCEPT:
your estimate of when the injury occurred
When caring for any pt, it is important to remember that?
your moral standards may conflict with the pts best interests
When providing patient care, it is MOST important that you maintain effective communication with:
your partner
The FIRST aspect to address in any patient with a soft-tissue injury is:
your safety
An inward curve of the lumbar spine just above the buttocks is called:
Lordosis
The attribution of one's own behavior or feelings to others is called?
projection
By definition, infancy begins at?
1 month of age
When assessing a hemodynamically stable child, the toe-to-head approach is generally indicated for children who are:
1 to 3 years of age.
An empathetic attitude:
"Putting yourself in his or her shoes". Empathy can help you set your patient on a path to healing ~ no matter what the diagnosis.
* Which of the following questions would MOST like reveal a hidden medical condition when communicating with a patient who has a severe headache?
"What happened the last time you felt this way?"
Which of the following questions is the MOST important to ask when obtaining a patient's gynecologic history?
"When was your last menstrual period?"
An unresponsive patient who has been breathing slowly and shallowly for an extended period of time would MOST likely have ___skin.
"dusky gray or blue (cyanosis)"
Sonorous respirations are MOST likely caused by:
"position problem"- likely from the tongue partially obstructing the airway
Once you determine that your patient is sick, you must next:
"you must further be able to quantify how sick are they"
All of the following are adventitious breath sounds, EXCEPT:
(ALL CORRECT) Rales, Rhonchi, Wheezes, stridor.
Which of the following statements regarding an intoxicated patient is MOST correct?
(ALL CORRECT) Taking a good medical history becomes very difficult. Intoxication may mask symptoms, such as pain. With intoxication also comes a decrease in patience.
Which of the following statements regarding your general survey of the patient is MOST correct?
(ALL CORRECT). The general survey begins as you approach the scene, simultaneously sizing up the situation and the patients overall presentation. A quick look at the environment and the general appearance of the patient provides a substantial amount of info before you ask the first question. The expression "sick or not sick" sums up the approach.
Which of the following factors would likely NOT skew a pulse oximetry reading?
(ARE LIKELY) hypotensive or cold patient, carbon monoxide poisoning, abnormal hemoglobin (ie, sickle-cell disease), vascular dyes, patient motion, and incorrect placement. (WOULD NOT) hypertension
Asymmetry of the pupils:
(Anisocoria, which can be found in 20 % of the population) may indicate significant ocular or neurologic pathology, but must be correlated with the Pt overall presentation.
Which of the following findings would make you the LEAST suspicious for abuse or domestic violence?
(Suspicious findings WOULD INCLUDE) injuries inconsistent with the information you are given, or multiple injuries in various stages of healing.
Which of the following statements regarding the patient assessment process is correct?
(all correct) Ask questions relevant to the patients chief complaint. Think of the assessment as a "fluid process". As the patient interview unfolds, you need to be able to change the sequence of your questioning as the situation or patients condition dictates.
Serial vital signs:
(second and additional sets) provide comparative data to help you evaluate whether the patient's condition is improving, status quo, or worsening
The hormonal effects associated with the fight-or-flight response can affect your performance as a paramedic by:
(sensory overload) impaired critical thinking skills or diminished concentration and assessment abilities
Appropriate treatment for a conscious child with anaphylaxis includes:
0.01 mg/kg epinephrine 1:1,000 IM
The recommended IV dose and concentration of epinephrine for the newborn is:
0.1 to 0.3 mL/kg; 1:10,000
How much naloxone should you give to a 6.5-pound newborn with a respiratory depression secondary to maternal narcotic administration?
0.3 mg
The appropriate dosing regimen for epinephrine in cardiac arrest is:
1 mg of a 1:10,000 solution every 3 to 5 min
The initial dose of atropine sulfate for a patient in asystole is:
1.0 mg
In general, +3 pitting edema is characterized by indentation of the skin to a depth of:
1/2" - 1"
A male patient with a closed head injury opens his eyes in response to pain, makes incomprehensible sounds, and responds to pain with flexion of his arms. His Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score is ___, and the MOST appropriate treatment for him involves:
7; intubation, ventilations performed at a rate of 10 breaths/min, IV fluids as needed to maintain a systolic BP of at least 90 mmHg, and maintaining his oxygen saturation at greater than 95%
An infant born with a pink body and blue extremities, a pulse rate of 90 beats/min, a strong cry, and active movement, should be assigned an initial Apgar score of?
8
A 4-year-old girl presents with a fever of 103.2F. The child's mother states that the fever came on suddenly and was not preceded by any symptoms. The child is conscious and alert with unlabored tachypnea, tachycardia, and a blood pressure that is consistent with her age. Prehospital treatment for this child includes all of the following, EXCEPT:
81 mg of aspirin
If a woman's prepregnancy resting heart rate is 70 bpm, you would expect her heart rate to range between ___ and ___ at term.
85, 90
Most children begin to experience stranger anxiety at:
9 months of age
The paramedic should always address a patient:
Ask the patient his/her name and how he/she would like to be addressed.
Q. Why are children more prone to croup when they acquire a viral infection than adults infected with the same virus?
A child's airway is narrower than an adult's, and even minor swelling can result in obstruction.
The history of present illness is MOST accurately defined as:
A clear sequence and chronologic account of the patient's sign and symptoms, that is, what happened and when.
What is the R-on-T phenomenon?
A PVC that occurs when the ventricles are not fully repolarized.
Flail Chest
A defect in the chest wall that allows a segment to move freely which causes paradoxical chest wall motion
What is the pathophysiology of cystic fibrosis?
A defective gene that makes it difficult for chloride to move through the cells, which causes unusually high sodium loss and abnormally thick mucus secretions
When determining whether a patient is sick, your MOST effective tool is often:
A quick visual assessment based on the chief complaint, respiration's, pulse, mental status, and skin signs and color.
Situational depression is:
A reaction to a stressful event in a patient's life.
When assessing muscle strength, a score of 5/5 indicates:
A state of normal muscle tone.
To appreciate the S1 sound:
Ask the patient to breathe normally and hold the breath on expiration.
Which of the following statements regarding Alzheimer's disease is NOT correct?
Age alone is thought to be the underlying cause of Alzheimer's disease
It is MOST important to identify the age and sex of your patient because:
Age can change how a patient presents.
At minimum, sending the 12-lead ECG of a patient with chest pain to the emergency department physician via telemetry would:
Allow the receiving hospital to have the appropriate resources (equipment, medications, personnel, etc.) prepared and ready, pending the arrival of the patient. Specifically, the administration of fibrinolytic therapy.
A negative attitude about any patient or patient care situation:
Almost guarantees that the care you provide will be suboptimal
No matter how sure he or she is of the working diagnosis, the thinking paramedic must:
Always keep part of the thought process open to other possibilities.
Which of the following is NOT a part of your overall job as a paramedic?
Always remember that your overall job as a paramedic is to quickly identify your patient's problem(s), set your care priorities, develop a patient care plan, and quickly and efficiently execute the patient care plan.
Which of the following conditions would MOST likely result in dementia?
Alzheimer's disease
The first EMT textbook, Emergency Care and Transportation of the Sick and Injured, was published in 1971 by the?
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)
Which of the following chemicals corrode the skin and cause massive protein denaturing?
Ammonium
Which of the following clinical findings is LEAST suggestive of a peripheral vascular disorder?
An S3 sound during auscultation of the heart.
A hypertensive emergency is MOST accurately defined as:
An acute elevation in blood pressure with signs of end-organ damage
Lower extremity shortening and/or internal or external rotation are findings often associated with:
An injury to the proximal aspects of the lower extremity
Changes in hair growth or loss of hair are LEAST suggestive of:
An underlying endocrine disorder, such as diabetes, or may result from treatment modalities for disease processes (eg, chemotherapy or radiation treatment of cancer). (least suggestive of) an infection
Which of the following is an extrinsic cause of falls in the elderly?
An uneven sidewalk
Which of the following statements regarding anisocoria is MOST correct?
Anisocoria is a condition in which the pupils are unequal
Leads V1 to V3 allow you to view ___ wall of the left ventricle.
Anteroseptal
Which of the following factors would have the MOST negative effect on the body's process of hemostasis?
Anticoagulant use
•
Anything the physician needs to know about the patients other medical history relative to the current situation
Your entire assessment of a patient should:
Appear to be a seamless process
Structural integrity of the pelvis is assessed by:
Applying pressure to the iliac crests and pushing in and then down
Many ___ believe that touching the head may put their soul in jeopardy.
Asians
Before asking a patient how he or she is feeling, you must FIRST:
Ask for facts first, then follow up. Establish a rapport before asking how they are feeling.
Paradoxical Breathing
Asymmetrical chest wall movement that lessens respiratory efficiency
How should you position your ambulance upon arriving at the scene of a victim who was found slumped over the steering wheel of his car?
At least 15 feet behind the parked vehicle, at a 10 degree angle to the drivers side, facing the shoulder
Which of the following statements regarding pre-hospital vascular access and fluid therapy in the severely burned patient is MOST correct?
At least one large-bore IV should be started while en route to the hospital
When auscultating heart sounds, you should place your stethoscope at the:
At the fifth intercostal space over the apex of the heart.
Normally, the S-T segment should be?
At the level of the isoelectric line.
An electrical impulse is slightly delayed at the AV node so that the?
Atria can empty into the ventricles.
Which of the following cardiac dysrhythmias is associated with the HIGHEST risk of stroke?
Atrial fibrillation
What part of the abdominal exam is of LEAST value in the prehospital setting?
Auscultation of the abdomen.
S1, the first heart sound, represents:
Closure of the mitral and tricuspid valves "lub".
The S1 heart sounds represent:
Closure of the mitral and tricuspid valves.
Given the number of possible diagnoses in any situation and the limited physical and technical resources of the field. you will MOST likely:
Be treating Pt's that may not be able to be diagnosed until they reach the hospital
If your response to a call for a traumatic injury is canceled, you should document:
Be sure to document who you were cancelled by, such as law enforcement, on the PCR.
Q. Which of the following statements regarding pediatric endotracheal intubation in the prehospital setting is MOST correct?
Bag-mask ventilation can be as effective as intubation for EMS systems that have short transport times
Frank blood or clear, watery fluid draining from the ear canal following head trauma is MOST suggestive of a/an:
Basilar skull fracture.
When dispatched to a residence for an injury involving a pregnant woman, you should?
Be alert for evidence of abuse
When using a tympanic device to obtain a patient's body temperature, you should:
Be aware of extrinsic factors that may increase or decrease the temperature reading.
When relaying medical information to a physician in person, you should:
Be mindful of the of the information you are supplying
Which of the following assessment findings is MOST significant in a patient with penetrating chest trauma?
Beck's triad.
Common causes of bradycardia include?
Beta blocker use
•
Brief pertinent history of illness or injury
Epinephrine is used to treat patients in anaphylactic shock because of its effects of?
Bronchodilation and vasoconstriction.
What spinal cord injury is characterized by motor loss on the same side as the injury, but below the lesion:
Brown-Sequard syndrome
Which of the following burn injuries would MOST likely require transport to a burn specialty center?
Burns that involve the hands, feet, or major joints
A conscious patient's respiratory rate should be measured:
By inspection of the patient's chest, but respiratory movements can also be assessed by visualizing portions of the abdominal wall, neck, face, and overall accessory muscle use.
Level ___ personal protective equipment would MOST likely be worn during the transport of patients with the potential of secondary contamination.
C
Women who have had a cesarean section?
Can have a normal vaginal delivery
The MOST appropriate initial question to ask a patient who complains of chest pain is:
Can you describe the pain?
Which of the following statements regarding cancer is MOST correct?
Cancer is defined as the uncontrolled growth of normal tissue cells
You would NOT expect to encounter decreased breath sounds in a patient with:
Cardiac Tamponade.
Blood pressure is the product of:
Cardiac output & peripheral vascular resistance, so it includes two components: systolic and diastolic pressure
Which of the following actions should NOT occur while CPR is in progress?
Cardiac rhythm assessment
Which of the following medications is a calcium channel blocker?
Cardizem
•
Chief complaint
When your patient is a non-English-speaking person, his or her child is often able to function as an interpreter because:
Children absorb a new language quickly in their school.
When a patient tells you that he or she takes a "water pill," it is MOST important for you to:
Clarify what they mean.
The FIRST principle of communicating by radio is:
Clarity!
A patient who does not respond to verbal or tactile stimuli is:
Classified as U or Unresponsive
Patients with evidence of trauma above the ___ should be considered at risk for an associated spine injury.
Clavicles
Under the instructions of a good emergency medical dispatcher (EMD), a layperson should be able to:
Clear an obstructed airway, perform chest compressions or reassuring the patient can be carried out.
In which of the following situations would it be MOST appropriate to apply a vest-type extrication device to a patient who is seated in his or her crashed motor vehicle?
Conscious with neck pain and stable vital signs
The fourth heart sound (S4):
Considered a "gallop" rhythm, is a moderately pitched sound that occurs immediately before the normal S1 sound; it's always abnormal. The S4 sound represents either decreased stretching (compliance) of the left ventricle or increased pressure in the atria. "bla" sound.
When treating a patient with an ocular injury, what should you do to avoid an increase in intraocular pressure (IOP)?
Discourage the patient from coughing
After performing your initial assessment of a patient, your next action should be to:
Do a focused history and physical exam.
When assessing a patient who is under the influence of alcohol, it is MOST important to remember that:
Do not assume that all that you are told is completely accurate and keep your best professional attitude as you work with patients you suspect of using drugs or alcohol. Alcohol may mask any number of signs and symptoms.
Which of the following questions would be MOST appropriate to ask when attempting to determine the quality of a patient's pain?
Does the pain come and go, or is it constant?
Fluid-refractory hypotension following a barbiturate overdose is treated MOST effectively with?
Dopamine
Which of the following statements regarding Rh disease during pregnancy is MOST correct?
During subsequent pregnancies, the Rh antibody will cross the placental barrier and attack the fetal red blood cells
•
ECG findings
Which of the following general statements regarding injuries and injury prevention is MOST correct?
EMS has the greatest impact in preventing unintentional injuries
Which of the following statements regarding an EMS provider's role during a trench rescue is MOST correct?
EMS providers should attempt to make contact with the patient, but should not enter the trench and attempt rescue
Which of the following is a potential complication of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)?
Ectopic pregnancy
Which of the following bandages is associated with the HIGHEST risk of blood flow compromise?
Elastic bandages
Which of the following interventions encourages drainage from the site of a closed wound and reduces swelling?
Elevation
Within a few days after having a therapeutic abortion, a 33-year-old woman presents with malaise, fever, constipation, and pelvic pain. Her blood pressure is124/84 mmHg, pulse rate is 104 beats/min and strong, and respirations are 22 breaths/min and regular. You should be MOST suspicious for?
Endometritis
Proper documentation of your physical examination of a patient is MOST important because it:
Ensures that an accurate historical accounting of the patients problems prior to entering the hospital will legally exist in the formal medical records.
Which of the following bones is part of the cranial vault AND the face?
Ethmoid
Q. Which of the following medications is safest to use in patients with borderline hypotension or hypovolemia?
Etomidate
All of the following factors may cause distortion of an ECG signal, EXCEPT:
FACTORS INCLUDE: muscle tremor, loose ECG electrodes, sources of 60-cycle alternating current (AC), attenuation (reduction) of transmitter power, caused by weak batteries or transmission beyond the range of the transmitter
If a hostile family member suddenly leaves the room, especially in the middle of a conversation with him or her, you should:
Follow the person, while working to calm him or her and defuse the situation. What you are also doing is making certain the person doesn't get a gun and shoot you,your partner or their spouse.
What two major nerves provide sensory and motor control to the face?
Facial and trigeminal
Fertilization of an egg usually occurs in the?
Fallopian tube
All of the following processes take place in the uterus, EXCEPT?
Fertilization
If a patient's clinical presentation is not addressed in a specific algorithm, the paramedic must:
Figure out what you should do in your patients best interest.
If a woman is gravid 3 and para 2?
She has delivered two babies
Which of the following statements regarding aging is MOST correct?
Health care providers may attribute genuine disease symptoms to age, resulting in inadequate care
The vestibulocochlear nerve is responsible for the functions of:
Hearing, balance perception.
A cardiac patient with respiratory distress should be assumed to be experiencing?
Heart failure with pulmonary edema.
The MOST significant risk associated with the use of fibrinolytic therapy is?
Hemorrhage
Which of the following statements regarding the amniotic sac and fluid is MOST correct?
In the latter stages of pregnancy, the fetus swallows amniotic fluid and passes wastes out into the fluid
It is MOST important for the paramedic to exercise extreme care when using medical abbreviations because:
Incorrect or inappropriate medical abbreviations can cause confusion and, in the worst cases, could lead to medication and treatment errors.
Orthopnea
Increased difficulty breathing while lying down
Q. Which of the following medications is a parasympathetic bronchodilator?
Ipratropium
Swollen lymph nodes in the anterior neck usually indicate:
Infection
If a patient refuses to give you information, you should:
Infer what could be causing the distress and then ask the patient if you are right (i.e, "So, if I understand you correctly...")
The precordial leads do NOT view the ___ wall of the heart.
Inferior
The lesions associated with genital herpes?
Initially appear as small red bumps
When assessing a patient's conjunctivae, you note they are injected. This means that the conjunctivae are:
Injected means RED. The conjunctivae ought to be pink-not cyanotic, pale, or overly reddened.
Changes in cardiac contractility may be induced by medications that have a positive or negative ___ effect.
Inotropic
When assessing the head and face during the detailed physical exam, you should:
Inspect and feel the entire cranium for signs of deformity or Asymmetry. (note any warm, wet areas, usually represent blood/CSF or combination)
After determining that the scene is safe, the FIRST step in approaching a patient is to:
Introduce yourself and to explain that you are a paramedic
The 6-second method for calculating the rate of a cardiac rhythm?
Involves counting the number of QRS complexes in a 6-second-strip and multiplying that number by 10.
Visceral abdominal pain is:
Less discrete guarded tenderness to palpation. Can be associated with various degrees of bowel obstruction.
Which of the following statements regarding leukemia is MOST correct?
Leukemia is the result of abnormal white blood cell development
The primary component of the immune system is the?
Leukocyte
What level of personal protective equipment is typically worn by the hazardous materials decontamination team in the warm zone?
Level B
Which of the following types of skull fracture would be the LEAST likely to present with gross physical signs?
Linear fracture
Throughout the patient assessment process:
Look for nonverbal communication, such as changes in facial expression, heavy sighs, or aggressive gestures (finger pointing)
Which of the following conditions or situations is the BEST example of a critical life threat that needs immediate care?
Major multisystems trauma, devastating single-systems trauma, end-stage disease presentations, acute presentation of chronic conditions
Which of the following statements regarding the use of emergency escorts is MOST correct?
Many drivers will only see the first emergency vehicle and assume that it is clear once that vehicle has passed
A patient who is overly talkative during your assessment:
May just be that way, also multiple clinical causes for over talkativeness (eg. fight/flight recovery). May have abused methamphetamines.
If a patient does not respond to a question within a couple of seconds, he or she:
May simply be searching for the answer. Trying to decide if he can trust you.
Which of the following will be of MOST benefit in helping the paramedic predict the type of injuries that a patient experienced?
Mechanism of injury
The onset of menses is called ___, and typically occurs between the ages of?
Menarche, 11 and 14 years
When documenting the severity of a patient's pain, it is also important to:
Note how distressed the patient appears: mild, moderate, or severe.
Objective patient information is:
Objective (based on fact or observable) information is obtained from a pt about his or her overall state of health
•
Observe telephone courtesy
In contrast to analogue telecommunications equipment, digital telecommunications equipment:
Offer many advantages in terms of speed, privacy, programability and GPS.
The mnemonic "OPQRST" is a tool that:
Offers an easy-to-remember approach to analyzing a patient's chief complaint that is simple and effective.
If a patient is able to sense smell, his or her ___ nerve is intact.
Olfactory
Gathering a patient's medical history and performing an in-depth physical examination should occur:
Once the initial assessment and correction of life threats is completed
Assessment of the female genitalia:
Performed in a limited and discreet fashion. Reasons to examine include concern over life-threatening hemorrhage or imminent delivery in chidbirth. Limit exam to inspection only.
Abdominal guarding is MOST commonly encountered in patients with:
Peritoneal irritation (i.e, organ becomes inflammed or hollow organ ruptures and empties contents into paritoneal cavity)
A patient who is absolutely still and resists any movement should be suspected of having:
Peritonitis
•
Pertinent physical findings in head to toe order
An oropharyngeal airway would MOST likely be indicated for a newborn with:
Pierre Robin sequence
A patient with a medical condition that requires antiplatelet therapy would MOST likely be taking:
Plavix
Which of the following medications would MOST likely interfere with homeostasis?
Plavix
Which of the following is the MOST common respiratory infection that causes death in the elderly population?
Pneumococcus bacteria
A 30-year-old woman complains of an "achy" pain to both lower abdominal quadrants, which she states is made worse by walking. She further tells you that she recently finished her menstrual period. She has a fever of 101.9F. Her blood pressure is 122/62 mmHg, pulse rate is 84 beats/min and strong, and respirations are 14 breaths/min and unlabored. After gathering the rest of her medical history, you should?
Provide emotional support, make her as comfortable as possible, and safely transport her to an appropriate hospital.
The brachioradialis tendon is located:
Proximal to the wrist.
Aphonia
Pt cannot speak
Devices that allow your voice to be transmitted when a button is pushed and allow the listener to hear you when the button is released are called:
Push-to-talk
Normal sinus rhythm (NSR) is characterized by all of the following, EXCEPT:
QRS complexes that are less than 0.14 seconds.
You are transporting a young female who intentionally ingested a large quantity of her prescribed Pamelor. She is conscious, but drowsy, and complains of a dry mouth and blurred vision. The cardiac monitor reveals sinus tachycardia at 120 beats/min. You are administering high-flow oxygen and have established a patent IV line. With regard to her ECG rhythm, you should be especially alert for:
QRS widening
What type of pain has its origin in a particular location, but is described by the patient as pain in a different location?
Referred pain
The diameter and reactivity of a patient's pupils to light:
Reflect the status of the brain's perfusion, oxygenation, and condition.
Which of the following scenarios MOST accurately depicts reflection in action?
Reflection gives you the chance to continuously improve thinking and decision making, and, in turn, your patient care as you modify your experience base.
When asking a patient if he or she uses illegal drugs, you will MOST likely get accurate information if you:
Remain professional and nonjudgmental.
What do tabun, sarin, soman, and V agent all have in common?
The onset of symptoms following exposure is immediate
Which of the following statements regarding second-degree heart block is MOST correct?
Second-degree heart block occurs when an impulse reaching the AV node is occasionally prevented from proceeding to the ventricles and causing a QRS complex.
The optic nerve is a ___ nerve, and controls:
Sensory, Light perception and vision.
It is appropriate to ask, "Would you say the pain is similar to or worse than with previous episodes?" when determining the ¬¬¬___ of a patient's pain.
Severity
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) MOST commonly affects?
Sexually active women
Agonal Respirations
Shallow, slow, or infrequent breathing, indication brain anoxia
When assessing visual acuity in the prehospital setting, you should:
Simple test such as light/dark discrimination and finger counting. Test each eye in isolation.
When communicating medical information via radio, you should be:
Simple, brief, direct
The diagnosis of a problem involving the shoulder can often be made by simply:
Simply by noting the patient's posture at the time of first contact
Cyanosis
The bluish appearance of the skin
Tidal volume is MOST effectively assessed by:
The book refers back to chapter 11 for an explanation of tidal volume, but the only info that is given, is the average tidal volume for an adult (approx. 500 mL).
Which of the following statements regarding the brain stem is MOST correct?
The brain stem connects the spinal cord to the brain
•
The callers perception of the nature of his or her or the patients problem
A 4-year-old boy pulled a pot of boiling water off the stove and experienced partial-thickness splash burns to his neck, anterior trunk, and both anterior arms. During your assessment, you note that the child is conscious, but is not crying. He is tachypneic and tachycardic and his skin is cool and moist. Other than the burns, there are no other gross injuries. Which of the following statements regarding this scenario is MOST correct?
The child may be hypoglycemic and requires assessment of his blood glucose level
An appropriate sized blood cuff should:
The cuff should be one half to two thirds the size of the upper arm.
Respiratory Rate (RR)
The number of respiratory cycles per minute Adult- 12 to 20 Children- 18 to 24 Infant- 40 to 60 Factors that affect RR Increase: Fever, Emotions, Pain, Hypoxia, Acidosis, Stimulant drugs Decrease: Depressant drugs, Sleep
In prehospital care, the priorities of evaluation and treatment are based on:
The degree of threat to the patient's life
Which of the following is NOT an effective way of obtaining a medical history from a patient who is totally deaf?
The following are effective ways: When addressing a patient who is totally deaf but can read lips, address them face-to-face, slowing your speech slightly so that you are speaking clearly. Use an interpreter who knows ASL. Write out the communication.
Which of the following statements regarding the hypothalamus is MOST correct?
The hypothalamus is the most inferior portion of the diencephalon and controls functions such as hunger, sleep, and vomiting.
Asphyxia
The inability to move air into and out of the respiratory system
___ occurs after a call is over and commonly is associated with the run review or critique.
The last stage in the critical thinking process
Cervical effacement occurs when?
The less muscular lower part of the uterus is pulled upward over the presenting part of the baby
The MOST clinically significant indicator of ischemia in a limb is:
The loss of a palpable pulse
Total Lung Capacity )TLC)
The maximum lung capacity; The total amount of air contained in the lung at the end of maximal inspiration. Avg Adult(M)- 6 liters
Which of the following statements regarding central cord syndrome is MOST correct?
The patient typically presents with greater loss of function in the upper extremities than in the lower extremities
Which of the following statements regarding hostage situations is MOST correct?
The physiological effects of being held hostage are often of greater concern than physical problems
Uterine inversion occurs when?
The placenta fails to detach properly and adheres to the uterine wall when it is expelled
Anatomically contiguous leads view:
The same general area of the heart.
•
The telephone number of the caller
When assessing an injured patient's mental status, the patient knows his name but is unable to recall the events that preceded the injury. From this, you can conclude that:
This patient is A&O X1 to person and has his long-term memory but his short-term memory has been effected.
You are dispatched to an assisted living center for an 80-year-old woman who is vomiting bright red blood. Upon your arrival, you find the patient sitting in a chair. She is conscious and alert, but is markedly pale and diaphoretic. Her medical history is significant for hypertension, congestive heart failure, type 2 diabetes, hypothyroidism, and osteoarthritis. Her medications include Toprol, lisinopril, Glucophage, Synthroid, and ibuprofen. Her blood pressure is 76/56 mmHg, pulse is 76 beats/min and weak, and respirations are 24 breaths/min and shallow. Which of the following statements regarding this scenario is MOST correct?
This patient, who is in shock, probably has a bleeding peptic ulcer secondary to ibuprofen use, and the lack of compensatory tachycardia is likely the result of the beta blocker she is taking.
Q. Which of the following patients has the lowest minute volume?
Tidal volume of 350 mL; respiratory rate of 12 breaths/min
Spray paints and lacquer thinner contain ___, and typically cause ___ when they are inhaled recreationally.
Toluene, hallucinations and mania
Working to ensure a patient's privacy, confidentiality, and comfort level will:
Will go a long way toward establishing positive patient rapport and encourage more honest, open communication.
Which of the following injuries would MOST likely require transport to a level 1 trauma center?
Two or more proximal long bone fractures
Reflection is a powerful tool for getting a good patient history because:
Two reasons: 1) Reflection usually does not break the flow of your patient's thoughts. It helps you both stay focused. 2 )The information you will obtain is not biased by "leading the patient".
Which of the following statements regarding ascites is MOST correct?
Typically seen in patients who suffer from liver disease. Ascites is the collection of fluid within the peritoneal cavity
Which of the following statements regarding abdominal trauma during pregnancy is MOSt correct?
Use of a lap belt increases the risk of uterine injury
When transmitting your radio report to the hospital, you should:
Use standard formats agreed on by your EMS service for transmission of information
You are in the process of assisting a woman in labor. She is 38 weeks pregnant with her second child and her contractions are 3 minutes apart and are strong and regular. Her first baby was delivered by cesarean section. As you prepare for imminent delivery, the woman tells you that her contractions have decreased significantly, and that she is very dizzy. Assessment of her vaginal area reveals moderate vaginal bleeding. You quickly assess her and note that she is diaphoretic, tachycardic, and hypotensive. You should be MOST suspicious for?
Uterine rupture
Which of the following statements regarding vehicle stabilization is MOST correct?
Vehicles that are positioned upright on all four wheels should be stabilized
Which of the following incident times is NOT commonly documented on the patient care report?
Vital incident times include (time of call, dispatch, arrival at the scene, with patient, med administration, departure from scene, arrival at med facility, back in service)
Other than overall patient appearance, the patient's ___ is/are the MOST objective data for determining his or her status.
Vital signs
•
Vital signs
Which of the following questions often yields the LEAST reliable answer when questioning a patient who intentionally exposed himself or herself to a toxic substance?
Why did you take the substance?
Your patient will MOST likely develop a good first impression of you if you:
Your appearance should be professional and your demeanor positive and friendly.
The MOST negative immediate consequence of providing inappropriate reassurance to your patient in the prehospital setting is:
Your patient could choose not to share quite as much information as he or she might have under other circumstances, leaving you with less information rather than more.
Common signs and symptoms of gardnerella vaginitis include?
a "fishy" vaginal odor, itching, irritation, and vaginal discharge
The firing of an artificial ventricular pacemaker causes:
a vertical spike followed by a wide QRS complex.
If the ECG leads are applied correctly, the PQRST configuration should be inverted in lead:
aVR
Q. You are attempting to intubate a 5-year-old girl when you note that her heart rate has fallen from 120 beats/min to 80 beats/min. A patent IV line has been established. The MOST appropriate action is to:
abort the attempt and ventilate with a bag-mask device and 100% oxygen
You are transporting anewborn who requires ongoing ventilatory support and chest compressions for severe bradycardia. Your estimated time of arrival at the hospital is 45 minutes. Air medical transport was unavailable due to severe weather in the vicinity. A peripheral IV line has been established in the antecubital vein and you are in the process of attempting intubation. Approximately 10 seconds into your intubation attempt, the newborn's heart rate suddenly drops more. You should?
abort the intubation attempt and continue ventilations
You are assessing a 36-year-old woman who is in the 33rd week of her pregnancy. The patient complains of bright red vaginal bleeding, but denies abdominal pain or cramping. She tells you that she felt her baby move about 5 or 10 minutes ago. Fetal heart tones are audible at a rate of 130 beats/min. Gentle palpation of her abdomen reveals that it is soft and nontender. Which of your assessment findings is MOST suggestive of placenta previa?
absence of abdominal pain
A regular rhythm with inverted P waves before each QRS complex, a ventricular rate of 70 beats/min, narrow QRS complexes, and a P-R interval of 0.16 seconds should be interpreted as a/an:
accelerated junctional rhythm.
Being empathetic towards a pt means that you?
acknowledge the pt's feelings
When summoning an air transport service to transport a critically injured patient, it is MOST important to:
activate the service as soon as possible
Patients between 41 and 60 years of age are LEAST susceptible to?
active immunosuppression
The deliberate withholding of medicine, food, or assistance with mobility is called?
active neglect
When caring for a patient with multiple pathophysiologies, it is MOST important for the paramedic to:
add them up as you develop your care plan to make sure nothing is overlooked that can be addressed in the field setting.
You are assessing a 70-year-old man with terminal cancer who is on home oxygen therapy. The patient is conscious and complains of severe generalized pain. His blood pressure is 108/68 mmHg, his pulse rate is 100 beats/min, and his respirations are 22 breaths/min. The patient's caregiver, a registered nurse, presents you with a valid out-of-hospital no not resuscitate order. On the basis of this document, you should:
administer analgesia for pain relief and determine if the patient wishes to be transported to the hospital
You are dispatched to a residence for an elderly woman with a decreased level of consciousness. When you arrive, the patient's caregiver tells you that the patient has Alzheimer's disease and was lucid 30 minutes earleir. Now, the patient responds only to painful stimuli. You should:
administer high-flow oxygen as your partner assess the patient's blood glucose level
While you are drawing blood for lab analysis from an implanted venous access device, your 77-year-old male patient becomes acutely dyspneic and complains of chest pain. You should:
administer high-flow oxygen, place the patient on his left side, and transport immediately
A 56-year-old man presents with an acute onset of chest pressure and diaphoresis. He has a history of hypertension and insulin-dependent diabetes. His airway is patent and his breathing is adequate. You should:
administer high-flow oxygen.
You are transporting a 55-year-old woman to the hospital. The patient has lymphoma and complains of generalized, severe pain. She is receiving supplemental oxygen and has an IV line of normal saline established. Her blood pressure is 110/64 mmHg, pulse rate is 104 beats/min and regular, and respirations are 22 breaths/min and adequate. You should:
administer narcotic analgesia as needed while closely monitoring her blood pressure
You are called to a local gym for the patient with nausea. Your patient, a 29-year-old man, tells you that he thinks he has a "stomach bug." He is conscious and alert, denies CP or SOB, and tells you that he has been nauseated for the last 4 hours, but has not vomited. His blood pressure is 124/66 mmHg, pulse is 46 beats/min and strong, respirations are 20 breaths/min and regular, and room air oxygen saturation is 99%. The cardiac monitor reveals a sinus bradycardia. You should:
administer oxygen via nasal cannula, start an IV of normal saline, consider administering an antiemetic, and transport.
You receive a call to a residence for a patient who is "sick." Upon arriving at the scene, you find the patient, a 39-year-old woman, lying on the couch with a wet washcloth on her forehead. She is conscious and alert, and tells you that she has had several episodes of diarrhea and noticed bright red blood in her stool. Her pulse rate is rapid and weak, her skin is cool and clammy, and her blood pressure is 98/58 mmHg. Her medical history is significant for hemophilia, for which she is receiving factor VIII therapy. As you pull out a nonrebreathing mask, she tells you that her husband will be home in a few hours, and that he will take her to the hospital. You should:
advise her that her condition dictates immediate transport to the hospital and that delaying transport could result in deathTre
If a patient refuses to talk, and he or she is not exhibiting signs of decreased mental status, it is MOST appropriate for the paramedic to?
advise the patient that his or her silence will only hamper your ability to determine what is wrong
Which of the following is the BEST example of a teachable moment?
advising the unrestrained passenger with minor injuries following a MVC that she easily could have been killed
When performing the standing takedown technique to immobilize a patient's spine, the patient is secured to the long backboard with straps:
after he or she is lowered to the ground
The rapid trauma assessment is usually performed:
after the initial assessment and all life threats to airway, breathing, and circulation have been identified and addressed.
When a patient's leg is entrapped under a crushing object for a prolonged period of time, toxic metabolic waste products are released into the systemic circulation:
after the patient's leg is freed from entrapment
All of the following are subjective findings:
again, anything you can't observe directly or measure
Older adults are prone to subdural hematomas because?
age-related shrinkage of the brain stretches the bridging veins that return blood from the brain to the dura mater
Which of the following statements regarding renal function in older adults is most correct?
aging kidneys respond less efficiently to hemodynamic stress
Q. The barrel-chest appearance classically seen in emphysemic patients is secondary to:
air trapping in the lungs.
Significant blunt injuries to the larynx or trachea pose an IMMEDIATE risk of:
airway compromise
The primary risk associated with oral and dental injuries is:
airway compromise
You receive a call at 11:50 pm for a 3-year-old boy with respiratory distress. As soon as you enter the child's residence, you can hear a lound, barking cough. You find the child sitting on his mother's lap. He is conscious and appears alert to his surroundings. According to the child's moither, he has been sick for the past few days with a low-grade fever, but then began experiencing a high-pitched cough. His skin is warm and dry, his heart rate is 120 beats/min, and his oxygen saturation is 99% on room air. There are no signs of increased work of breathing. You should:
allow the child to assume a position of comfort, avoid agitating him, and transport him to the hospital
Q. Compared with an onen cricothyrotomy, needle cricothyrotomy:
allows for subsequent attempts to intubate the patient
In contrast to an ureterostomy, a suprapubic catheter:
allows the ureters to remain intact and continue to drain into the bladder
Vasoconstriction occurs following stimulation of:
alpha receptors.
In contrast to negative-pressure ventilation, positive-pressure ventilation:
alters the body's hemodynamics by reducing the venous return to the heart
Q. If the amount of pulmonary surfactant is decreased:
alveolar surface tension increases
The MOST effective way for the paramedic to avoid tunnel vision is to:
always keep your mind open to all the possible causes of your patient's current condition.
The preferred antiarrhythmic medication and initial dose for a patient with refractory ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia is:
amiodarone, 300 mg.
The primary determinants of the extent of trauma a patient sustains are the:
amount of energy in the object and the mechanism by which the object is delivered to the body
The bioavailability and excretion rate of a toxin are influenced MOST by the:
amount of the toxin and the relative speed at which it is metabolized
Delirium is MOST accurately defined as:
an acute alteration in mentation that indicates an underlying condition
A typical finding for a foreign body aspiration is:
an afebrile child with a sudden onset of coughing or gagging while playing
Q. A patient who is coughing up thick pulmonary secretions should NOT take:
an antitussive
Rheumatoid arthritis is MOST accurately defined as:
an autoimmune disorder that causes progressive joint destruction
You are dispatched to a residence for a 50-year-old woman with respiratory distress. While you are assessing the patient, she tells you that she began experiencing flu-like symptoms 4 days ago, shortly after delivering mail on the rural mail route for which she is responsible. Due to her illness, she has been unable to return to work. Her blood pressure is 90/50 mmHg, pulse rate is 120 beats/min, and respirations are 26 breaths/min and labored. Auscultation of her breath sounds reveals the presence of coarse crackles. This patient has MOST likely been exposed to:
anthrax
Q. What type of medication dries secretions in the airway and prevents the cilia from removing them effectively?
antihistamine
In general, normal psychosocial factors that affect the life of the 35-year-old person include all of the following, EXCEPT:
anxiety
Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a term used to describe:
any group of clinical symptoms consistent with acute myocardial ischemia
Q. Open cricothyrotomy is generally contraindicated in all of the following situations, EXCEPT:
any patient who is younger than 16 years of age
Which of the following statements regarding poliomyelitis (polio) is NOT correct?
any warm-blooded animal can be a host for the poliomyelitis virus
The MOST common site of deceleration injury in the chest is the:
aorta
Patients with a total laryngectomy would MOST likely present with:
aphonia
You are transporting a 49-year-old man to the hospital for evaluation of a new onset of fever. The patient has renal carcinoma, is being treated with chemotherapy, and has a central venous access device in place. The patient is conscious, but complains of fatigue, slight nausea, and a decreased appetite. During transport, it is MOST important for you to:
apply a mask on the patient to minimize his risk for infection
Pupils that are slow (sluggish) to react to light:
are a sign of cerebral hypoxia
Open fractures of the cranial vault:
are associated with a high risk of bacterial meningitis
Although the technicalities of EMS DNR orders vary from state to state, the all?
are designed to tell EMS providers when resuscitation is or is not appropriate
Patterns of living that you develop in your youth?
are hard to modify in later life
In contrast to the lesions associated with other skin disorders, the lesions associated with smallpox:
are identical in size and shape
Postmenopausal women?
are more susceptible to atherosclerosis and osteoporosis
In contrast to viruses and bacteria, neurotoxins:
are not contagious, but do have a faster onset of symptoms
Men who have been abused by their female spouses:
are often too humiliated to report the incident as it happened
Approximately one third of the body's platelets:
are stored in the spleen.
Q. The ___ are pyramid-like structures that form the posterior attachment of the vocal cords.
arytenoid cartilages
You are caring for a 44-year-old woman who was sexually assaulted by several men. She is conscious but very quiet. Your partner, a female paramedic, quickly examines her and finds no immediate life threatening injuries. The patient tells you that all she wants to do is go home and take a shower. After multiple attempts to convince the patient to consent to transport, you are unsuccessful. Your MOST appropriate action should be to?
ask the patient if there is a friend you can call with whom she can stay.
When assessing a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score to a patient who has limb paralysis due to a spinal cord injury, you should:
ask the patient to blink or move a facial muscle
If a 17-year-old woman with a gynecologic problem answers your question, "Is there any possibility that you are pregnant" with a firm "No way!," you should?
ask the patient why she is sure she is not pregnant
When assessing a patient who is disabled from a previous injury, you should:
ask the patient's family what is normal for him or her
If a physician insists that you perform an intervention that you are not properly trained to perform, it would be MOST appropriate to?
ask the physician if he or she can suggest another alternative
Before drawing blood from a central venous catheter, you should:
aspirate 5 mL of blood and discard it safely
You are called to a residence for a 74-year-old woman who fainted. During your assessment, the patient's son tells you that he was standing next to his mother when she fainted and that he caught her before she fell to the floor. He further tells you that his mother has angina pectoris and kidney disease. The patient is now conscious but confused. Her blood pressure is 80/50 mmHg, pulse is 110 beats/min and weak, and her respirations are 22 breaths/min and regular. As your partner administers supplemental oxygen to the patient, you should:
assess for the presence of a nitroglycerin patch on the patient and remove it if she is wearing one.
A 19-year-old man with Down syndrome presents with a decreased mental status. According to the patient's mother, this is not normal for him. She further tells you that he had not been feeling well lately and has not had an appetite. As your partner provides appropriate airway management, you should:
assess his blood glucose level
You are assessing a 79-year-old man who presents with an altered mental status. The patient's 50-year-old son, who lives with the patient, tells you that his father's present condition is "normal for him." Your assessment of the patient reveals a large hematoma to the back of his head and numerous skin tears to his arms. You should:
assess the patient and correct any immediately life-threatening conditions
Your unit is the first to arrive at the scene of a traffic accident. Numerous bystanders are surrounding the wrecked vehicle. The driver appears to be unconscious. You should?
assess the scene carefully and notify other responding units of any hazards that may be present
When caring for a critically ill patient, three or more sets of vital signs will allow you to:
assess trends and to reassess whether the patient's condition is stabilizing, getting better, or getting worse
Synthesizing information about a patient with multiple medical conditions involves:
assessing each condition for it's potential to have life threatening impact
When managing the airway of an unresponsive patient with serious anterior neck trauma and inadequate breathing, you should:
assist ventilations with a bag-mask device and prepare to intubate
A woman finds her 50-year-old husband unresponsive on the couch. When you arrive and begin your assessment, the wife tells you that her husband experienced an episode of chest discomfort 2 days prior, but refused to seek medical attention. The patient is unconscious and unresponsive; is breathing with a marked reduction in tidal volume; and has rapid, thready radial pulses. Your partner reports that the patient's systolic BP is 70 mmHg. The MOST appropriate treatment for this patient involves:
assisting his ventilations, applying a cardiac monitor, intubating if necessary, auscultating his lungs, transporting at once, establishing vascular access en route, administering a 200-mL crystalloid bolus if his lungs are clear, and considering a dopamine infusion.
Unlike a cerebral concussion, a cerebral contusion is:
associated with physical brain damage and more pronounced neurologic deficits
If the mechanism of injury indicates that your patient may have sustained a spinal cord injury:
assume that a spine injury exists, regardless of neurologic findings
Unlike decoration injuries, crush and compression injuries occur:
at the time of impact
If a woman who is 35 weeks pregnant is placed in supine position?
atrial preload may be reduced markedly
If your partner is injured while approaching a parked vehicle, you should:
back the ambulance away from the danger zone and request law enforcement
Q. Abnormal breath sounds associated with pneumonia and congestive heart failure are MOST often heard in the:
bases of the lungs
At a minimum, a level 2 trauma center should:
be able to initiate definitive care for all injured patients
In order to be a competent and effective paramedic, it is MOST important for you to:
be able to work under extreme pressure and be able to perform both quickly and effectively
You are dispatched to a daycare center for a 5-year-old girl with trouble breathing. Upon arriving at the scene, you assess the child and note that she is responsive to pain only, has weak intercostal retractions, and is breathing at a slow rate with shallow depth. You should:
begin assisting her ventilations with a bag-mask device and assess her pulse rate
You arrive at the scene of a major motor vehicle crash. The pt, a 29 yo man, is in cardiac arrest from a severe head injury and has been receiving bystander CPR for approximately 10 min. A law enforcement official advises you that the pt's driver's license identifies him as an organ donor. You should?
begin full resuscitative efforts and transport the patient to a trauma center because certain tissues may be viable for harvesting
A 22-year-old man experienced an acid chemical burn to his left forearm. He complains of intense pain and tingling in his fingers. He is conscious and alert, and denies any other symptoms. You should:
begin immediate irrigation with water
Appropriate prehospital treatment for a patient who has overdosed on a stimulant and is excessively tachycardic and violent includes all of the following, EXCEPT:
beta-adrenergic antagonists
* As the smooth muscles of the lower airway weaken with age:
beta-agonistic bronchodilators become an ineffective treatment for acute bronchospasm
Signs of a diaphragmatic hernia include all of the following, EXCEPT:
bilaterally absent breath sounds
Hemoglobin functions by:
binding to oxygen that is absorbed in the lungs and transporting it to the tissues
A discipline within ethics that discusses and debates the health care of human beings is called?
bioethics
Lithium is MOST commonly used to treat patients with:
bipolar disorder
Causes of delayed fetal transition include all of the following, EXCEPT:
birth at 41 weeks
Q. The MOST common complication associated with nasotracheal intubation is:
bleeding
Specific treatment for a hydrofluoric acid burn is:
calcium chloride
Treatment for cyanide poisoning includes all of the following, EXCEPT:
calcium gluconate
An acetone breath odor is common following exposure to all of the following toxins, EXCEPT:
camphor
Unlike a CPAP unit, a mechanical home ventilator:
can be set to deliver a specified tidal volume
The MOST significant problem associated with making up your own medical abbreviations and documenting them on the patient care report is:
can cause confusion and, in the worst cases, could lead to medication and treatment errors
Implantation of a fertilized egg within a fallopian tube?
can cause severe intra-abdominal hemorrhage
With regard to stroke volume, the healthy heart:
can easily increase stroke volume by 50%.
A crushing or tearing amputation:
can result in excessive blood loss due to hemorrhage if the paramedic does not intervene rapidly
If a newborn requires epinephrine and peripheral venous access is unsuccessful, you should:
cannulate the umbilical vein
Progressive deterioration of the myocardium that results in a decreased ejection fraction is called:
cardiomyopathy
Common complications associated with cerebral palsy include all of the following, EXCEPT:
cardiovascular disease
You are dispatched to a residence for a man who cut his hand with a chainsaw. Upon arriving at the scene, your first action should be to:
carefully assess the scene for safety hazards
Q. A 40-year-old man fell 20 feet from a tree while trimming branches. Your assessment reveals that he is unconscious. You cannot open his airway effectively with the jaw-thrust maneuver. You shoud:
carefully open his airway with the head tilt-chin lift maneuver.
Appropriate care for postpartum bleeding in the prehospital setting includes all of the following, EXCEPT?
carefully placing sanitary pads in the vagina
You are caring for a man with a chemical burn to both eyes. The patient, who has contact lenses in place, is in severe pain and tells you that he can't see. Proper care for this patient includes:
carefully removing his contact lenses, flushing both eyes for at least 20 minutes, and transporting with continuous eye irrigation
MOST age-related visual disturbances are the result of:
cataracts or glaucoma
Upon arriving at the scene of a multiple vehicle crash, you call for additional resources and begin triaging patients using the START triage system. The first patient you assess is a young male who is unconscious and apneic. After manually opening his airway, you note that he starts breathing shallowly. You should:
categorize him as an immediate patient
Swelling of the arm, neck, or shoulder in a patient with a central venous catheter is MOST suggestive of:
catheter thrombosis
When using limb leads, any impulse moving toward a positive electrode will:
cause a positive deflection on the ECG.
A spinal cord contusion is:
caused by a short-duration shock or pressure wave within the cord
Depolarization, the process by which muscle fibers are stimulated to contract, occurs when:
cell wall permeability changes and sodium rushes into the cell.
In addition to massive bleeding, injury to a carotid or vertebral artery would MOST likely cause:
cerebral hypoxia
* Which of the following statements regarding nervous system function in the older adult is MOST correct?
cerebral metabolism and oxygen consumption remain constant throughout life
Following a traumatic brain injury, initial swelling of the brain occurs due to:
cerebral vasodilation
Adverse drug reactions in elderly people are the result of:
changes in drug metabolism due to diminished hepatic function
Q. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by:
changes in pulmonary structure and function that are progressive and irreversible
Poisoning with ___ is MOST often the result of improper food storage or canning:
clostridium botulinum
A major complication associated with atrial fibrillation is:
clot formation in the fibrillating atria.
What should you do prior to inserting an indwelling urinary catheter if a home health patient has sensation in the penile area?
coat the end of the catheter with an anesthetic gel
Crack is a combination of:
cocaine, baking soda, and water
Although extremely painful, injuries to the ___ spine are typically the LEAST significant:
coccygeal
In contrast to stress incontinence, urge incontinence is triggered by:
cold fluids
Q. Use of a spacer device in conjunction with a metered-dose inhaler:
collects medication as it is released from the canister, allowing more to be delivered to the lungs and less to be lost to the environment.
Cyanide blocks the utilization of oxygen at the cellular level by:
combining with cytochrome oxidase
Reputation provides status for individual gang members and is gained by:
committing crimes
* If a parent insists on monitoring your conversation with his or her adolescent son or daughter, you should?
communicate the situation to the emergency department physician and document it accurately
In order to ensure that all recorded times associated with an incident are accurate, the paramedic should:
compare your times with those of the dispatcher to ensure accuracy an proper timekeeping. Several times are absolutely vital to be kept and documented for the accurate report writing.
During a lengthy confined-space rescue in which the patient has experienced a crush injury, the paramedic should be especially concerned about the potential for:
compartment syndrome
For the EMS provider, the process of collecting and analyzing data regarding injury prevention begins with?
completing a legible PCR
When a person falls from a significant height and lands on his or her feet, axial loading results in:
compression or burst fractures to the lumbar spine
The MOST significant complication associated with dysphagia is:
compromise of the airway
The purpose of an oxygen concentrator is to:
concentrate the oxygen in ambient air and eliminate other gases
Q. If a patient's initial presentation makes you suspicious about a particular respiratory condition, you must:
confirm your suspicions with a thorough assessment
Failure of a child's SaO2 to increase despite high-flow oxygen is MOST indicative of?
congenital heart disease
Q. Frothy sputum that has a pink tinge to it is MOST suggestive of:
congestive heart failure
If a mortally injured patient's wishes regarding organ donation are not know?
consent must be obtained from a family member
There is evidence that a 21-year-old woman was given Rohypnol before being raped. She presents with alcohol on her breath, drowsiness, and memory loss. Her blood pressure is 98/68 mmHg, pulse is 58 beats/min and weak, and her respirations are decreased and shallow. You attempt to administer high-flow oxygen, but she resists. What should you do now?
consider administering naloxone in case she was also given a narcotic drug.
You have been attempting resuscitation of a middle-aged woman for approximately 15 minutes; however, she has not responded to any of your treatment. There is no evidence of hypothermia or drug ingestion, and the cardiac monitor shows asystole. You should?
consider terminating your resuscitative efforts
If a chronically ill patient who is connected to a variety of medical devices experiences an acute exacerbation of his or her condition, you should:
consider that the problem may be the result of medical equipment failure
After addressing any life threats in the order in which you find them, you should next:
consider the worst case scenario that could be causing Pt's symptoms and rule it in or out
An unresponsive trauma patient:
considered a high-risk, priority patient and requires immediate xport to a trauma center. (may have traumatic brain injury, stroke, hypoglycemia, or alcohol or drug intoxication)
If a person survives the initial trauma from a shotgun wound at a close range:
contaminants that were driven into the wound can cause a severe infection
During the attempted resuscitation of a 79 yo man in cardiac arrest, a young man arrives at the scene and asks you to cease resuscitative efforts. He further tells you that the pt has entrusted him to make all of his medical decisions. You should?
continue full resuscitative efforts and ask the man if the pt has a living will and if he has documentation naming him as the person authorized to make decisions
When urine becomes evident in the tubing during insertion of an indwelling urinary catheter in a male, you should:
continue inserting the catheter until the Y between the drainage port and the balloon port is at the tip of the penis
If you were unsure whether a conscious cardiac patient requires immediate transport versus continued assessment at the scene, you should:
continue with the focused assessment to obtain more information.
During your assessment of a 7-year-old boy with a fractured arm, you note that the child has a flat affect and will not tell you how the injury occurred. The child's father, who is in the same room, is clearly apprehensive and rudely interrupts you when you question the child by stating, "I'll answer for my own kid; he can't tell you what happened!" You should:
continue your assessment as your partner discreetly returns to the ambulance to notify law enforcement
You receive a call to a residence for an "unknown injury." Upon arrival at the scene, you are greeted at the door by a well-dressed man, who tells you that his 39-year-old wife fell down a small flight of stairs and is in the living room. As you are assessing the patient, you note multiple bruises to the left side of her face and an area of redness to her anterior neck. When her husband leaves the room for a brief period, she states, "Mike's really a good man, but he does have somewhat of a temper." You should:
continue your assessment as your partner notifies law enforcement
The ability of the heart to vary the degree of its contraction without stretching is called:
contractility.
All of the following events occur during the prodromal stage of labor, EXCEPT:
contractions at 5- to 15- minute intervals
You are assessing the circulation status of an injured patient using the START triage system. The patient, a 33-year-old man, has strong radial pulses bilaterally. You should:
control any bleeding and assess his mental status
According to the START triage system, if a patient has a strong radial pulse, you should:
control bleeding and assess mental status
What instructions or guidance would an emergency medical dispatcher (EMD) MOST likely provide to a caller?
controlling bleeding and performing CPR
After moving a bedridden 80-year-old man from his bed to your stretcher, you note an open wound to his lower back. Assessment of the wound reveals that it is red, inflamed, and is draining purulent exudate. The patient has a fever and chills, and complains of moderate pain to the wound. You should:
cover the wound with a sterile dressing, make the patient comfortable, and transport him while providing reassurance en route
Q. When auscultating the lungs of a patient with pulmonary edema, you will MOST likely hear:
crackles in the bases of the lungs at the end of inspiration
All of the following have been identified as potential complications of child maltreatment, EXCEPT:
criminal behavior beginning in late adulthood
Research that is based on a group of individuals over an outlined time frame is called ___ research.
cross-sectional
In most infants, the primary method of communicating distress is?
crying
An effective injury prevention program should focus on all of the following data, EXCEPT?
current EMS call volumes
Q. One of the hallmarks of a pulmonary embolism is:
cyanosis that does not resolve with oxygen therapy
A 16-year-old man presents with shortness of breath and a productive cough. During your exam, you note that the tips of his fingers are cyanotic and clubbed. His breath sounds reveal coarse crackles bilaterally and his oxygen saturation is 85% on room air. This patient MOST likely has:
cystic fibrosis
The MOST common underlying cause of a tubo-ovarian abscess is?
gonorrhea
A patient's vital signs, ECG findings, and blood glucose reading should be?
disclosed to the patient if he or she inquires about them
Abused elders generally do not seek help for all of the following reasons, EXCEPT:
disorders such as Parkinson's disease
Sudden deceleration of a motor vehicle that is traveling at 60 mph:
dissipates tremendous forces and causes major injuries
Widespread dilation of the resistance vessels, capacitance vessels, or both, leads to:
distributive shock
Hypotension and orthostatic vital sign changes would MOST likely occur in elderly people who take:
diuretics
The first rule of medical practice is to?
do no harm
Unlike bacteria, viruses?
do not produce exotoxins or endotoxins
After you have safely approached a parked vehicle and are ready to alert the apparently ill driver of your presence, you should:
do so without moving past the B column into the driver's door area
Broadly speaking, the finance section chief is responsible for:
documenting all expenditures at an incident and seeking reimbursement
Unlike the insertion of an indwelling urinary catheter, insertion of an intermittent (straight) urinary catheter:
does not involve inflation of a balloon to hold the catheter in place
Unlike an idioventricular rhythm, an agonal rhythm:
does not produce a palpable pulse.
When a competent adult patient refuses medical care, it is MOST important for the paramedic to:
ensure that your Pt is well informed of the situation at hand. explain in detail and make sure the Pt fully understands the potential consequences of refusing, including death and have a witness.
Q. A critical step when using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) unit to treat a patient with severe respiratory distress is:
ensuring an adequate mask seal with minimal leakage
Which of the following is NOT a critical point addressed by the "White Paper" written in 1966, that was entitled "Accidental Death and Disability: The Neglected Disease of Modern Society"?
ensuring that paramedics responded to every call
A terminally ill patient with a valid do not resuscitate order would most likely NOT receive:
epinephrine
Treatment for pediatric asystole includes:
epinephrine
Signs and symptoms of compartment syndrome include all of the following, EXCEPT:
erythema
Most of the blood's formed elements are:
erythrocytes
You are caring for chronically-ill 63-year-old woman who has a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line in her left forearm. The patient, who has a history of cancer and severe osteoporosis, is showing signs of severe dehydration. Her blood pressure is 76/56 mmHg, pulse rate is 120 beats/min and weak, and respirations are 24 breaths/min and regular. To improve this patient's hemodynamic status, you should:
establish peripheral vascular access in another location and administer crystalloid fluid boluses
Mild effects of cyanide exposure:
generally resolve by simply removing the victim from the environment and administering oxygen
After stabilizing the scene, you must next:
get access to the patient and determine his or her degree of entrapment
You are assessing a patient who sustained blunt trauma to the center of his back. He is conscious, but is unable to feel or move his lower extremities. His blood pressure is 80/50 mmHg, pulse is 40 beats/min and weak, and respirations are 24 breaths/min and shallow. If IV fluids do not adequately improve perfusion, you should:
give 0.5 mg of atropine and consider a dopamine infusion
A 13-year-old, 40-pound girl is experiencing an acute asthma attack that has been unresponsive to 3 puffs of her albuterol inhaler. She is conscious and alert, but is notably dyspneic and has diffuse wheezing. In addition to administering supplemental oxygen, you should:
give her 0.5 mg of nebulized ipratropium
During your assessment of a 30-year-old woman in active labor, she admits to being a chronic heroin abuser and states that she last "shot up" about 6 hours ago. After the baby delivers, you will MOST likely need to:
give positive-pressure ventilations
Which of the following medications would MOST likely be used in the prehospital setting to treat some women with severe premenstrual syndrome?
glucose and fentanyl
Patients with decision-making capacity?
have the right to refuse all or part of the emergency medical care offered to them
A person wishes to be an organ donor. He or she must?
have witnessed informed consent, usually in writing
When making initial contact with a mentally impaired patient, you should:
have your team members remain at a distance until you can establish a rapport with the patient
If a paramedic is on duty receives a 911 call in his or her jurisdiction?
he or she is not covered by the Good Samaritan law
For the first year of life, an infant has naturally acquired passive immunities because?
he or she maintains some of the mother's immunities
If a patient's aortic aneurysm is not compressing on any adjacent structures:
he or she will likely be asymptomatic.
In contrast to a 30-year-old man, if a 70-year-old were to consume an excessive amount of alcohol:
he will experience a higher blood alcohol concentration due to decreases in body mass and total body water
Early signs and symptoms of increased intracranial pressure include:
headache and vomiting
The leading cause of death in the US is?
heart disease
Which of the following vital signs is NOT consistent with that of a child between 1 and 3 years of age?
heart rate of 80 beats/min
A Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations (CAMEO) device is used by hazardous materials teams to:
help predict downwind concentrations of hazardous materials based on the input of environmental factors into a computer model.
You receive a call to a residence for a 44-year-old man who is "ill." The patient, who receives dialysis treatments three times a week, tells you that he has missed his last two treatments because he was not feeling well. As your partner takes the patient's vital signs, you apply the ECG, which reveals a sinus rhythm with tall T waves. The 12-lead ECG reveals a sinus rhythm with inverted complexes in lead aVR. On the basis of your clinical findings, you should be MOST suspicious that the patient is:
hyperkalemic
Enlargement of the heart due to chronically elevated blood pressure is called?
hypertrophy
An increase in maternal cardiac output can cause a benign systolic flow murmur, which results from?
hypertrophy of the heart and dilation across the tricuspid valve
Muscle cramps and paresthesias in a malnourished patient with alcoholism are most likely the result of?
hypocalcemia
Percussion of the chest produces ___ if the pleural space is full of BLOOD.
hyporesonance or dullness
Common health risks associated with obesity include all of the following, EXCEPT:
hypotension
Common signs of left-sided heart failure include all of the following, EXCEPT:
hypotension.
Which of the following disease processes would MOST likely present with signs and symptoms that mimic those seen with normal aging?
hypothyroidism
The MOST significant long-term problem encountered in patients with a degernative neuromuscular disease is:
hypovolemia
The single MOST common cause of seizures in both term and preterm infants is:
hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy
Common causes of a large bowel obstruction include all of the following, EXCEPT:
improperly dissolved medications
The MOST effective way to deal with stress is to?
identify the stress triggers and take action to minimize their effects
Law enforcement request that you respond to a local apartment complex for a young woman who was sexually assaulted. When you arrive at the scene, you find the patient sitting on her couch, clearly upset. You see a small amount of blood on her shorts, near the groin area. What is your initial priority in the care of this patient?
identifying and treating immediate life threats
Regardless of what a patient asks, the paramedic should?
immediately acknowledge what the patient asked
According to the JumpSTART triage system, if an infant or child is not breathing, you should:
immediately assess for a pulse
You have applied the defibrillator pads to a pulseless and apneic 60-year-old woman and observe a slow, wide QRS complex rhythm. Your next action should be to:
immediately begin CPR.
If you discover that a seemingly ordinary EMS call is actually a hazardous materials incident, you should:
immediately notify the dispatcher and request the appropriate resources
You are the first unit to arrive at the scene of a small building collapse. As you exit the ambulance, you can see a man pinned under a large metal beam. You should:
immediately request a special rescue team
You receive a call to a residence in a rural area of your jurisdiction for a patient with an acute COPD exacerbation. Upon arriving at the scene, you knock on the door and identify yourself. The patient, an elderly-sounding man, tells you that you took too long to get to him, and that he has a shotgun. You should:
immediately retreat to the ambulance and notify law enforcement
A skier wiped out while skiing down a large hill. He is conscious and alert and complains of being very cold; he also complains of neck stiffness and numbness and tingling in all of his extremities. A quick assessment reveals that his airway is patent and his breathing is adequate. You should:
immobilize his spine and quickly move him to a warmer environment
While caring for a woman with acute SOB, your partner, a dedicated paramedic for many years, tells the pt that she should have driven herself to the hospital instead of calling EMS. Your partner's behavior is MOST consistent with?
impending burnout
Which of the following conditions, if it remains undetected until puberty, can result in acute pain, severe constipation, and low back pain at the onset of menses?
imperforate hymen
An 82-year-old man presents with confusion that has worsened progressively over the past 2 weeks. Because of his confusion and the fact that he is hearing impaired, you obtain the majority of your medical history information from his daughter. She tells you that her father has high blood pressure but refuses to take medication for it. She also tells you that she thinks he fell about 3 weeks ago, although he denies falling. The patient's blood pressure is 168/98 mmHg, his pulse rate is 60 beats/min and occasionally irregular, and his respirations are 22 breaths/min and regular. This patient MOST likely:
is experiencing a subdural hematoma
A ruptured tympanic membrane:
is extremely painful but typically heals spontaneously
You would expect a person's hematocrit to be low if he or she:
is hemorrhaging
The surrogate decision maker?
is legally obligated to make decisions as the patient would want
Anaerobic metabolism:
is less efficient than aerobic metabolism and leads to systemic acidosis
Compared to the bleeding from an open wound, bleeding from a closed wound:
is limited because the skin is unbroken
The mitral valve:
is located on the higher-pressure side of the heart.
Cardiopulmonary arrest in the pediatric patient?
is most often a secondary event
* Touching a conscious elderly patient in a nursing home without his or her permission?
is nonverbally communicating, "You are not important enough or mentally competent enough to be asked for permission."
A closed, or contained, mass casualty incident is a situation that:
is not expected to produce more patients than initially present
Q. Intubation of a patient with severe asthma:
is often a last resort because asthmatics are difficult to ventilate and are prone to pneumothoraces
Epiglottitis in children:
is rare now that children are vaccinated against Haemophilus influenza type B
Q. The cricothyroid membrane:
is relatively avascular and is covered by skin and minimal subcutaneous tissue
The crista galli:
is the anatomic point of attachment of the meninges
Biotelemetry is MOST accurately defined as:
is the capability of measuring vital life signs and transmitting them to a distant terminal
With regard to a thermal burn injury, the zone of coagulation:
is the central part of the burn and suffers the most damage
A conscious child who is in the sniffing position:
is trying to align the axes of the airway to improve ventilation
Q. Digital intubation is absolutely contraindicated if the patient:
is unconscious but breathing
The egg is referred to as a blastocyst when?
it has been fertilized and enters the uterus and begins absorbing uterine fluid through the cell membrane
A wound is at HIGHEST risk for infection if:
it is caused by a human or animal bite
Which of the following statements regarding radiation is MOST correct?
it is impossible to recognize the type of radiation emitted from a given source
When heroin passes through the liver:
it is metabolized into acetyl-morphine, which continues to exert narcotic effects that may outlast the effects of naloxone
When assessing an older adult's pupils and ocular movements, you should recall that?
it is not uncommon for lens deterioration to cause the pupils to be sluggish to react
Because significant force is required to fracture the mandible:
it is often fractured in more than one place and is unstable to palpation
When a dying person enters the acceptance stage?
it is often the family that is in need of the most help
Which of the following statements regarding belt noise is MOST correct?
it is the squealing sound related to a load on one of the belt-operated appliances.
When evaluating a child's oxygen saturation level with a pulse oximeter:
it should be evaluated in the context of the pediatric assessment triangle and remainder of the inital assessment
Requesting a hazardous materials (Haz-Mat) team as early as possible to a scene involving a weapon of mass destruction is MOST important because:
it takes time for the Haz-Mat team to assemble their personnel and equipment
If you know common hand signs or slang used by gangs:
it would be dangerous for you to use them around gang members because you are not a member of the group
The female urinary meatus is located:
just above the vaginal opening
While en route to a motor vehicle accident, the dispatcher advises you that law enforcement is at the scene and reporting that numerous bystanders are suddenly becoming ill. After receiving this information, you should:
keep a safe distance from the scene and view it with binoculars
If you suspect internal bleeding during the initial assessment, you should:
keep the patient warm and administer oxygen
You are en route to the hospital with a conscious middle-aged man who experienced trauma to the anterior neck during an assault. He is on supplemental oxygen, has spinal precautions in place, and has a large-bore IV line of normal saline in place. When you obtain a repeat set of vital signs, you note that his blood pressure is 90/64 mmHg, his pulse rate is 120 beats/min, and his respirations are 22 breaths/min with adequate depth. You should:
keep the patient warm and infuse enough isotonic crystalloid solution to maintain adequate perfusion
When suctioning and cleaning the tracheostomy of a ventilator-dependent patient, it is MOST important to:
keep the patient well-oxygenated
Mass casualty equipment and supplies needed for airway control include all of the following, EXCEPT:
large-bore IV catheters for thoracic decompression
Q. Which of the following is NOT performed before, during, or after insertion of a nasogastric (NG) tube in a conscious patient?
keeping the patients head in a flexed position during insertion of the tube
Red blood cell production is stimulated by a protein secreted by the:
kidneys
* Renin is a protein that is released into the bloodstream by the ___ in response to changes in the ___.
kidneys, blood pressure
You would MOST likely have to place several blankets or pillows under a patient's upper back prior to immobilization if he or she has:
kyphosis
Q. When present at low levels, oxygen binds easily to hemoglobin molecules, resulting in:
large changes in oxygen saturation when small changes in PaCO2 occur.
Regardless of a paramedic's circadian rhythms, he or she should?
not overlook the need for rest
A properly worn motorcycle helmet will:
not protect the cervical spine
During your initial assessment of a patient with a hematologic disorder, your priority should be to:
note any signs and symptoms that may be immediately life threatening.
If your unit is the first to arrive at an incident, you should keep yourself safe, size up the scene, and then:
notify dispatch, identify your unit, apprise dispatch of the situation, and assume command.
Upon arriving at the scene of a patient who is reportedly unconscious in his or her parked vehicle, you should:
notify the dispatcher of your location and the number and state of the vehicle's license plate
EMS providers can be MOST effective in helping reduce the incidence of suicide, domestic violence, and child abuse by?
noting risk factors at the scene and reporting data
You are dispatched to a senor citizen's center where an elderly woman apparently fainted. When you arrive, you find the patient sitting in a chair. An employee of the center tells you that he caught the patient before she fell to the ground. Your initial assessment reveals that the patient is conscious and alert and is breathing adequately. You should:
obtain vital signs and assess her blood glucose level
A spontaneous abortion?
occurs naturally and may or may not have an identifiable cause
Damage to the kidneys following an electrical injury:
occurs when damaged muscle produces myoglobin
Upper respiratory tract infections are more common in toddlers than in infants because?
of a loss of passive immunity
If you are at the scene of an incident that potentially involves a weapon of mass destruction and other emergency resources are en route, it is MOST important for you to give the dispatcher information regarding the:
optimal route of approach
All of the following are examples of real or physical evidence, EXCEPT:
oral documentation by a witness
Which of the following disease processes is more common in women?
osteoporosis
Typical signs and symptoms of Meniere disease include all of the following, EXCEPT:
otorrhea
The hematocrit is the:
overall percentage of red blood cells in the blood
You respond to a residence for an unknown emergency involving an 83-year-old man. When you arrive, you find the patient, who is conscious and alert, sitting on his couch with his head held over a bowl. He tells you that his nose starting bleeding about 20 minutes ago and he cannot get it to stop. As your partner assists the patient in controlling the bleeding, you inquire about his medical history. He tells you that he has chronic atrial fibrillation, high blood pressure, and is occasionally depressed. When you ask him about compliance with his medications, he tells you, "I take my medicine every day, but the writing on the bottles is so small." The patient's blood pressure is 112/58 mmHg, pulse rate is 88 beats/min and irregular, and respirations are 18 and unlabored. This patient has MOST likely inadvertently:
overdosed on his warfarin
Q. The MOST obvious risk associated with extubation is:
overestimating the patient's ability to protect his or her own airway
Which of the following is NOT a main component of the hematologic system:
pancreas
You would expect a person to be hypertensive and tachycardic following exposure to all of the following, EXCEPT:
parathion
At 10:20 PM, you are dispatched for a woman reportedly slumped over the steering wheel of her car alongside the highway. Upon arriving at the scene, you should:
park your ambulance at least 15 feet behind the patient's vehicle
You and your partner are caring for a child with stable supraventricular tachycardia that was refractory to initial treatment. As your partner is preparing to establish vascular access, the child's level of consciousness decreases markedly. You reassess the child and note that his femoral pulse is rapid and weak. You should:
perform immediate synchronized cardioversion and reassess
Which of the following statements includes a pertinent negative?
pertinent negative is described as: a record of negative findings that warrant no care or intervention but thorough and complete examination and history were performed
The innermost meningeal layer that rests directly on the spinal cord is the:
pia mater
Q. On either side of the glottis, tissue forms a pocket called the:
piriform fossa
Following removal of an ostomy device and cleansing the stoma, you should:
place a clean gauze pad over the stoma
Q. A 76-year-old woman with empyhsema presents with respiratory distress that has worsened progressively over the past two days. She is breathing through pursed lips and has a prolonged expiratory phase and an oxygen saturation on 76%. She is on home oxygen at 2L/min. Your initial action should be to:
place her in a position that facilitates breathing
A morbidly obese 40-year-old man, whom you find lying supine in his bed, presents with respiratory distress. He is conscious, but can only speak in two-word sentences. His face is flushed and his ankles are notably edamatous. Your MOST immediate action should be to:
place him in a semi-Fowler's position
What event occurs during the third stage of labor?
placental delivery
Atherosclerosis is a process in which:
plaque infiltrates the arterial wall, decreasing its elasticity and narrowing its lumen.
What aggregates in a clump and forms much of the foundation of a blood clot during the process of coagulation:
platelets
Q. You are dispatched to a residence for a 59-year-old man with difficulty breathing. The patient, who has a history of COPD, is conscious and alert. During your assessment, he tells you that he developed chills, fever, and a productive cough 2 days ago. Auscultation of his lungs reveals rhonchi to the left lower lobe. This patient is MOST likely experiencing:
pneumonia
Q. Patients with pneumonia often experience a coughing fit when they roll from one side to the other because:
pnuemonia often occurs in the lung bases, typically on only one side
The occipital condyles are the:
points of articulation between the skull and vertebral column
A difference in pulse quality from one lower extremity to the other:
points to a potentially serious vascular disruption
Which of the following conditions is characterized by a lack of progesterone and increased androgen levels, and can lead to hypertension and cardiac problems?
polycystic ovaries
A delay in clamping the umbilical and keeping the baby below the level of the placenta can result in fetal:
polycythemia
Common side effects of chemotherapy include all of the following EXCEPT:
polycythemia
Common signs of gestational diabetes include?
polydipsia
The respiratory centers of the brain stem lie within the:
pons and medulla
Cardiac dysrhythmias in older people are LESS commonly the result of:
poorly controlled anxiety
To minimize the risk of regurgitation and aspiration in a patient with a gastric tube in place, you should:
position the patient upright, at least to 30 degrees
When you ask a patient an uncomplicated question in plain English, and he or she responds with an unnecessarily complicated or inappropriate response, you should consider that the patient is?
possibly lying due to the stress of the situation
The MOST common cause of amenorrhea is?
pregnancy
An early complex that breaks the regularity of the underlying rhythm, and is characterized by a narrow QRS complex and an upright P wave that differs in shape and size from the P waves of the other complexes, MOST accurately describes a/an:
premature atrial complex
Packaging a patient is MOST accurately defined as:
preparing the patient for movement as a unit
Abnormal neurologic signs that accompany hypertensive encephalopathy occur when:
pressure causes a breach in the blood brain barrier and fluid leaks out, causing an increase in intracranial pressure.
The MOST significant complication associated with prolonged immobilization of a patient on a long backboard is:
pressure lesion development
Which of the following is NOT a typical element to evaluate when reading the scene of a motor vehicle crash?
primary elements (evaluate the overall safety of the situation, the environmental conditions, the immediate surroundings, access and exit issues, and evaluating the MOI)
Q. The MOST clinically significant finding when questioning a patient with a chronic respiratory disease is:
prior intubation for the same problem
A moderate diffuse axonal injury:
produces an immediate loss of consciousness and residual neuorologic deficits when the patient wakes up
Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) hormone sends signals to the corpus luteum, which in turn?
produces hormones designed to support the pregnancy until the placenta has developed
Which of the following would MOST likely encourage manufacturers to remove dangerous products from the market or make them safer?
product liability litigation
Signs of hypovolemia in the newborn include all of the following, EXCEPT:
profound acrocyanosis
A man stormed into a daycare center and opened fire with a semiautomatic rifle. The scene has been secured by law enforcement, and you are in the process of triaging the injured children. The first child you assess, a 4-year-old boy, is unresponsive and apneic but has a pulse. After manually opening his airway, he remains apneic. You should:
provide five rescue breaths and reassess his respiratory status
If the emergency medical dispatcher (EMD) suspects that your patient has a life-threatening emergency, the EMD should make you aware of the situation and then:
provide instructions to the caller in very simple terms about emergency care techniques (such as airway maintenance, Heimlick maneuver, CPR, hemorrhage control)
You are at the scene of a drive-by shooting in which a 15-year-old man was shot in the chest. Law enforcement personnel are at the scene. The patient is conscious, has an actively bleeding entry wound to his left anterolateral chest, and is breathing with difficulty. You should:
provide only the amount of care needed to prevent his condition from deteriorating and quickly move him to the ambulance.
The purpose of hospice care is to:
provide quality end-of-life care through pain and symptom management
If the parent or caregiver of a sick or injured child is emotionally distraught:
provide support, but remember that your first priority is the child
The MAIN benefit to online medical control is that it?
provides an immediate and specific patient care resource
All of the following are functions of the skin, EXCEPT:
providing the immune system response for the body
The emotional state of craving a drug to maintain a feeling of well-being is defined as:
psychological dependence
During a mass-casualty incident (MCI), data collection is of importance for:
pt care totals, severity of injuries, mass care procedures
The MOST effective method of decreasing morbidity and mortality associated with spinal cord injury (SCI) is:
public education and prevention strategies
The external female genitalia are collectively reffered to as the?
pudendum
From an anatomic and physiologic perspective, inhaled toxins:
quickly reach the alveoli and rapidly gain access to the circulatory system.
The MOST common and reliable sign of pit viper envenomation is:
rapidly developing edema around the bite area
Upon arriving at the scene of a motor vehicle crash, you find the driver of the car still seated in her two-door vehicle. The passenger side of the vehicle has sustained severe damage and is inaccessible. The driver is conscious and alert and complains only of lower back pain. The backseat passenger, a young child who was unrestrained, is bleeding from the head and appears to be unconscious. You should:
rapidly extricate the driver so you can gain quick access to the child in the backseat
Q. A 66-year-old man with chronic bronchitis presents with severe respiratory distress. The patient's wife tells you that he takes medications for high blood pressure and bronchitis, is on home oxygen threapy, and has recently been taking an over-the-counter antitussive. She further tells you that he has not been compliant with his oxygen therapy. Auscultation of his lungs reveals diffuse rhonchi. What is the MOST likely cause of this patient's respiratory distress?
recent antitussive use
If you are trained in hazardous materials at the awareness level, you should be able to:
recognize potential hazards and the need for additional resources
When caring for a child with a CSF shunt or gastrostomy tube, it is MOST important to:
recognize that the caregiver is a key resource and that his or her expertise should be utilized to assist in the care of the child
Anemia resulting from an autoimmune disorder occurs when:
red blood cells are destroyed by the body's own antibodies.
If a patient avoids answering a specific question, you should?
redirect him or her to the question to elicit a response
Vascular compromise for changes in blood pressure decreases with age due to?
reduced elasticity of the peripheral vessels secondary to decreases in elastin and collagen
Complications in a pregnant woman with cystic fibrosis are usually the result of?
reduced pulmonary function
According to the Haddon matrix, which of the following is an example of a pre-event strategy used to prevent injury in a child who is riding in a motor vehicle?
reducing driving during high-risk times
Immediate treatment for a patient with acute myocardial infarction involves:
reducing myocardial oxygen demand.
Which of the following is NOT a component of the Apgar score?
reflexes
If you have a bad cold, it is MOST appropriate to?
refrain from pt care
* Endothelial cells that line the inside of blood vessels?
regulate blood flow and coagulation
Q. Wheezing is resolved with medications that:
relax the smooth muscle of the bronchiole
You are transporting a conscious but confused 29-year-old man after he was electrocuted. The patient is on high-flow oxygen, has an IV line of normal saline in place, is on a cardiac monitor, and has his spine fully immobilized. During transport, it is especially important for you to:
remain alert for lethal cardiac dysrhythmias and to be prepared to defibrillate
Q. You are transporting a middle-aged man on a CPAP unit for severe pulmonary edema. An IV line of normal saline is in place. Prior to applying the CPAP device, the patient was tachypneic and had an oxygen saturation of 90%. When you reassess him, you note that his respirations have increased and his oxygen saturation has dropped to 84%. You should:
remove the CPAP unit, assist his ventilations with a bag-mask device, and prepare to intubate him.
Several attempts to clear a plugged tracheostomy tube with suction have failed. The patient, who is on a mechanical ventilator, has a pulse rate of 150 beats/min and is making exaggerated attempts to breathe. You should:
remove the tracheostomy tube, place a mask over the stoma, and ventilate with a bag-mask device
A/an ___ receives a weak signal and retransmits it at a higher power on another frequency.
repeater
After delivering a shock to a patient in pulseless ventricular tachycardia, you should:
resume CPR
Upon arriving at the scene of a woman with shortness of breath, you find the patient, a 450-pound woman, lying in her bed. She is conscious and alert, but is experiencing obvious respiratory distress. As you begin your initial assessment, you should ask your partner to:
request lifting assistance
Hypertensive emergencies in the geriatric population:
require a controlled decline in blood pressure that often cannot be achieved in the prehospital setting.
If a paramedic is self-motivated, he or she should NOT?
require maximum supervision at work
Unlike dermal exposure to a strong acid, dermal exposure to a strong alkali:
requires longer irrigation with water because alkalis are less water soluble
A patient with nerve compromise following an open injury to the hand:
requires prompt transport to the hospital
When educating citizens who live in an area where EMS response times will be lengthy, the MOST important skill to teach them is?
rescue breathing and chest compressions
EMS protocol development, training methodologies, and equipment use decisions are based mainly on?
research
You would MOST likely see an increased end-tidal CO2 reading in an otherwise healthy older adult because?
residual volume increases with age, resulting in stagnant air remaining in the alveoli and hampering gas exchange
You are caring for a 66 yo man with terminal CA. He is conscious and alert without evidence of mental incapacitation. You offer him O2, but he refuses to accept it, stating "Just let me die with dignity!" You should?
respect the pt's wishes and ask him if he wants to be transported to the hospital
If a pt makes a decision regarding his or her own health care and the paramedic does not agree with that decision, the paramedic should?
respect the pt's wishes, assuming he or she has decision-making capacity
Cardiac arrest following a narcotic overdose is usually the result of:
respiratory arrest
If a newborn does not respond to the initial steps of resuscitation, the need for further intervention is based upon:
respiratory effort, pulse rate, and color
When assessing an older person, you should remember that it is common for him or her to:
respond slowly to questions
While caring for an 80 yo man with a possible fractured arm, you discover other injury patterns that are suggestive of abuse. The patient is conscious and alert. You should?
splint the pt's arm, transport him to the hospital, and report your suspicions to the emergency dept physician
The highest form of mental function in a human being is the?
spontaneous expression of appropriate humor
As multiple myeloma progresses, the patient would MOST likely experience:
spontaneous fractures
A known alcoholic man is found unresponsive by a law enforcement officer. An empty container of antifreeze was found near him. Your assessment reveals that his respirations are deep and rapid, his pulse rate is rapid and weak, and his pupils are dilated and sluggishly reactive. As your partner administers high-flow oxygen to the patient, you should:
start an IV line and begin administering a saline fluid bolus
You are assessing a 10-year-old child with apparent ventricular tachycardia, but cannot decide whether electrical or pharmacological therapy is the most appropriate inital treatment approach. Which of the following interventions would pose the GREATEST potential for harm?
starting an IV line and administering amiodarone followed by procainamide
You arrive at the scene of a motor vehicle crash in which a small passenger car struck a power pole at a high rate of speed. As you size-up the scene, you can see that the driver is severely entrapped in his car and is screaming in pain. The fire department is en route to the scene with extrication equipment. You should:
stay away from the car until the absence of any utility hazards is confirmed
Which of the following injury patterns is MOST suggestive of child abuse?
stocking-glove
General principles for backing up an ambulance include:
stopping the vehicle if you lose sight of your spotter
The National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS):
store the EMS data for each the states.
Herniation of an intervertebral disc occurs when:
stress on the vertebral column forces a disc into the spinal canal
Which of the following statements regarding stuttering is MOST correct?
stuttering often worsens when the person is under stress
Q. An elderly woman with COPD presents with peripheral edema. The patient is conscious but agitated. She is breathing with slight difficulty but has adequate tidal volume. During your assessment, you note that her jugular veins engorge when you apply pressure to her right upper abdominal quadrant. She tells you that she takes a "water pill" and Vasotec for high blood pressure. You should:
suspect acute right heart failure and administer oxygen
The interaction of two hazardous materials that produces a much greater impact than either chemical alone is called:
synergism
Any sympathomimetic drug will cause:
tachycardia
Early hypoxia in a child would MOST likely present with:
tachycardia
Signs and symptoms of nerve agent exposure include all of the following, EXCEPT:
tachycardia
Q. When placing a dislodged tracheostomy tube, it is MOST important that you:
take appropriate BSI precautions
Q. You are transporting an intubated patient and note that the digital capnometry reading has quicky fallen below 30 mmHg. You should:
take immediate measures to confirm proper placement of the ET tube
During the irreversible (terminal) phase of shock:
the body attempts to shunt blood from the liver, kidneys, and lungs to keep the heart and brain perfused
During shock, norepinephrine release causes:
the body to shunt blood from areas of lesser need to areas of greater need
An organ or tissue that is considerably colder than 98.6°F is better able to resist damage from hypoperfusion because:
the body's metabolic rate is slower
Indwelling urinary catheters predispose the patient to urinary tract infections because:
the catheter keeps the bladder sphincter open and provides a continuous route of entry for bacteria
When a certain level of tissue hypoperfusion is reached:
the cells convert to anaerobic metabolism, the byproduct of which is lactic acid
The general area of a child's body that sustains inital trauma after being struck by an automobile depends MAINLY on:
the child's height and the height of the bumper upon impact
While attempting to resuscitate a middle-aged woman in cardiac arrest, you perform effective CPR, but do not evaluate the pt's cardiac rhythm until 10 min into the resuscitation attempt. When the cardiac monitor is finally applied, the pt is in asystole. The pt is transported, but is pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. Which of the following statements regarding this scenario is MOST correct?
the delay in evaluating the pt's cardiac rhythm constitutes a breach of duty and could be proven to be the proximate cause of her death
Pulse oximetry will not provide a true assessment of arterial oxygenation in patients with carbon monoxide (CO) toxicity because:
the device cannot determine whether CO or oxygen is bound to the hemoglobin.
When an ambulance collides with a citizen's vehicle at an intersection?
the driver of the ambulance may be charged criminally
Q. Paradoxical respiratory movement is characterized by:
the epigastrium and thorax moving in opposite directions
The skin sheds excess heat from the body through:
the evaporation of sweat
Q. With regards to pulse oximetry, the more hypoxic a patient becomes:
the faster he or she will desaturate
Spina bifida occurs when:
the fetus's spinal column does not close properly or completely and vertebrae do not develop, leaving a portion of the spinal cord exposed
During the acute inflammatory response:
transient arteriolar constriction is followed by anteriolar dilation, which allows an influx of blood under increased pressure
A base station decoder within the emergency department:
translates a telemetry signal into an oscilloscope tracing
The goal in treating a child with epiglottitis is to:
transport him or her to the hospital with a maintainable airway
Regulatory functions of blood include:
transporting hormones to their target organs
Death following a head injury is almost always the result of:
trauma to the brain
You are caring for an alcoholic patient who has been abstinent for about two days. The patient is confused, restless, and tells you that he sees snakes crawling on the walls. His blood pressure is 76/52 mmHg, pulse rate is 140 bpm and weak, and respirations are 24 breaths/min with adequate depth. In addition to administering oxygen, you should:
treat his hypotension with crystalloid fluid boluses.
To evaluate function of an infant's or child's cerebral cortex, you should:
use the AVPU scale
When moving an injured patient from the ground onto a long backboard, it is generally preferred that you:
use the four-person log roll technique
Communicating with a hearing-impaired patient would MOST likely be enhanced by:
using one person to ask interview questions
Controlling a patient's fear involves?
using your own sense of competence and professional calm
In addition to meeting the metabolic needs of the developing fetus, the mother's blood supply increases significantly in order to perfuse her own organs, especially the?
uterus and kidneys
A weak radial pulse in a patient with shock indicates:
vascular dilation and decreased blood flow
Q. Which of the following statements regarding translaryngeal catheter ventilation is MOST correct?
ventilation is achieved by the use of a high-pressure jet ventilator
Q. Patients with obvious respiratory failure require immediate:
ventilation support
Patients with congenital prolongation of the Q-T interval are at GREATEST risk for?
ventricular arrhythmias
Death in the pre-hospital setting following an acute myocardial infarction is MOST often the result of:
ventricular fibrillation
Data collected from the state EMS office for the purpose of research would likely NOT include:
verify call volumes and skills used and include (# of calls an agency responds to, the types of calls, care provided, and patient outcomes.
The anterior weight bearing structure of the vertrebra is the:
vertebral body
Q. The external jugular veins run ___ and are located ___ to the cricothyroid membrane.
vertically; lateral
Q. ___ breath sounds are the MOST commonly heard breath sounds, and have a much more obvious inspiratory component.
vesicular
If a level 1 trauma center is 30 miles away, and a level 2 trauma center is 10 miles away, it would be MOST appropriate to transport the patient with a severe traumatic brain injury:
via air transport to the level 1 trauma center
Diffuse pain caused by hollow organ obstruction and stretching of the smooth muscle wall is called ___ pain.
visceral
Upon arriving at the scene of a 4-year-old boy with respiratory distress, you enter the residence and see the child, who is conscious, sitting on his father's lap. The father is aware of your presence, but the child is not. Your inital action should be to?
visually assess the child from across the room for any signs of increased work of breathing
Which of the following tasks should you assign to another provider as you perform a rapid trauma assessment while your partner maintains c-spine control and manages the patient's airway?
vital signs
Q. The upper airway of an adult consists of all the structures above the:
vocal cords
A flattened appearance to the face and loss of sensation over the chest following blunt facial trauma is MOST indicative of a/an:
zygomatic fracture
When a panicked person calls 9-1-1 for help: The EMD must:
• Answer the telephone promptly
Which of the following information is of LEAST importance for the emergency medical dispatcher (EMD) to obtain from the caller?(ALL IMPORTANT)
• The exact location of the patient
