Neuro & Stroke
A 68-year-old suddenly has confusion, unilateral weakness, and facial droop that fully resolve during transport. This brief episode is MOST consistent with this diagnosis.
Answer: What is a transient ischemic attack (TIA)?
A premature newborn is being ventilated for 30 seconds, and the heart rate is 50 beats/min. According to NRP-style neonatal resuscitation, your next step is to start this.
Answer: What are chest compressions?
A 40-year-old has circumferential chest burns. The MOST serious complication is not fluid loss but this problem with breathing.
Answer: What is ventilatory insufficiency due to constricting eschar?
Which lung sound most strongly suggests bronchospasm, such as in asthma?
Answer: What is expiratory wheezing?
In START triage, if a patient’s respiratory rate is 24 breaths/min, you do not immediately tag them red. Instead, you do this next.
Answer: What is assess perfusion/mental status (e.g., check radial pulse or follow commands)?
A patient has acute aphasia and right-sided facial droop. The most likely location of the problem is an arterial blockage in this cerebral hemisphere.
Answer: What is the left cerebral hemisphere?
Newborn bradycardia is defined as HR < ______ beats/min and is almost always secondary to this problem.
Answer: What is 100 beats/min and systemic hypoxia?
A conscious burn patient from a car fire has partial-thickness burns to the face and neck and an open femur fracture with severe bleeding. After PPE, the first critical intervention is to control this life threat.
Answer: What is control the femur bleeding (direct pressure/packing/tourniquet as appropriate)?
A child with diffuse expiratory wheezing and tachycardia is in respiratory distress. Appropriate treatment includes high-flow oxygen and this class of medication via nebulizer.
Answer: What is a beta-2 agonist (e.g., albuterol)?
The official MCI triage system approved in New Mexico is this version of START.
Answer: What is START – Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment?
This type of intracranial bleed typically comes from arterial injury, has a possible “lucid interval,” and then rapid deterioration.
Answer: What is an epidural hematoma?
A 29-year-old pregnant female in her second trimester is semiconscious, with a BGL of 40 mg/dL. Oxygen is applied. The MOST appropriate next intervention is to establish an IV and give this medication.
Answer: What is dextrose (e.g., 25 g D10/D50 slowly)?
A large electric shock victim is unresponsive, apneic, and pulseless. After scene safety and CPR, your next intervention is to apply this device as soon as possible.
Answer: What is the AED?
Which of the following is generally NOT indicated for treating a tension pneumothorax: ventilatory support, IV access, paramedic support, or routine medication therapy?
Answer: What is medication therapy?
According to NM EMS operations, the Incident Commander should first do this upon arriving at an MCI.
Answer: What is give an initial size-up report and establish incident command?
You respond to a suspected stroke 75 minutes from the stroke center. Air medical can land safely in 15 minutes at a nearby church lot 2 miles away. The BEST transport plan is to load the patient and do this.
Answer: What is drive to the church LZ and rendezvous with the helicopter?
A 34-week premature baby is cyanotic, hypotonic, has a HR of ~90, and irregular respirations at 12 breaths/min. The Apgar score will most likely be closest to this value (assuming low tone and poor color).
Answer: What is an Apgar of 4–5?
(You can accept “around 4 or 5” depending on how you want to score.)
A high-altitude patient develops ataxia and altered mental status, consistent with high altitude cerebral edema (HACE). The most important intervention is to give oxygen and do this regarding altitude.
Answer: What is descend to a lower altitude?
Patients with COPD are more susceptible to pneumonia primarily because they cannot effectively do this with their secretions.
Answer: What is expel (clear) infected pulmonary secretions?
In the START system, a respiratory rate greater than 30 breaths/min automatically makes the patient this tag color.
In the START system, a respiratory rate greater than 30 breaths/min automatically makes the patient this tag color.
The combination of increasing blood pressure, bradycardia, and irregular respirations suggests this critical brain condition.
Answer: What is increased intracranial pressure / Cushing’s response?
Meconium-stained amniotic fluid becomes especially concerning when the newborn has poor tone or poor respirations, because of the risk for this complication.
Answer: What is meconium aspiration / aspiration pneumonia?
When treating lightning-strike patients at an MCI, prioritization follows this somewhat counterintuitive rule.
Answer: What is “treat the seemingly dead first” (reverse triage)?
A solution that makes water move into a cell and causes it to burst is called this type of solution.
Answer: What is a hypotonic solution?
A patient has salivation, lacrimation, urination, defecation, GI upset, and emesis after pesticide exposure. The MOST appropriate medication kit after decon is this.
Answer: What is a nerve agent antidote kit / Mark-1 / DuoDote (atropine + pralidoxime)?