My Achey Breaky Heart
Which of the following is the result of a portion of the heart muscle dying due to a lack of oxygen?
D) Myocardial infarction
Which of the following is an example of a medication's trade name?
C) Nitrostat
________ are signs or symptoms that suggest the possibility of a particular problem that is very serious
B) Red flags
Which of the following respiratory rates is considered an abnormal respiratory rate for an adult?
A) 8 breaths/min
Your patient is a 16-year-old female who is reporting abdominal pain and nausea. She says it came on when she woke up this morning. Her mother says that her daughter has been tired and cranky lately and has not been eating well for a couple of weeks. In fact, every time you ask a question, the patient's mother answers. What should you do next?
A) Have your partner interview the mother in the next room
Which of the following is the beneficial action of a beta blocker medication?
D) Slows the heart rate
Which of the following is a desired action of epinephrine delivered by auto-injector?
D) Constriction of blood vessels
A description of a patient's condition that assists a clinician in further evaluation and treatment is known as which of the following?
C) Diagnosis
Which of the following may be seen just prior to respiratory arrest?
D) Agonal respirations
You and another EMT are discussing a call he previously ran. The EMT said the patient had classic chest pain symptoms and he treated it as a possible heart attack, but he later found out the patient just had indigestion and was discharged 2 hours later. The EMT was concerned that his patient assessment skills were not as good as they should be, and that the ED physician will no longer trust his judgment. How should you respond to his concerns?
D) Tell him that his misdiagnosis is a result of limited information
Which of the following may be a sign or symptom of a problem with the heart?
A) Chest discomfort B) Nausea, with or without vomiting C) Fainting or near fainting D) All of the above
D) All of the above
Which of the following is often prescribed for a patient with a heart condition?
A) Nitroglycerin
Expert clinicians may use different approaches of thinking through problems, but which of the following will they have in common?
A) Strong foundation of knowledge
Which of the following sounds is high pitched and almost musical, and may be heard in lower respiratory obstruction?
B) Wheezing
Mr. Hughes is a 49-year-old man complaining of chest pain. To find out about the quality of his chest pain, which of the following questions is most appropriate?
A) Can you describe how the pain in your chest feels
What stimulates a mechanical contraction of the cells of the heart, creating a mechanical squeeze used to push blood?
C) Electrical energy
Which of the following instructions should you give to a patient whom you are about to assist with administering epinephrine?
C) I am going to inject medication into your thigh
While assessing the past medical history of a 68-year-old male patient involved in a fall from a 4-foot stepladder, you use the acronym SAMPLE. What does the A refer to?
B) Allergies
Which of the following is the primary cause of COPD?
C) Cigarette smoking
You are on the scene of a 44-year-old female patient who has attempted suicide by taking all 30 pills of her antidepressant medication at once. You are ordered by medical control to administer activated charcoal. How will activated charcoal reduce the effects of the medication?
C) Activated charcoal will bind to the medication, reducing absorption
Which of the following is the name given to the condition in which fluid accumulates in the lungs?
C) Pulmonary edema
Choose the correct completion to this statement regarding intravenous (IV) administration: This route is used to administer medication into the body directly or through the bloodstream and is:
B) beyond the scope of the EMT level.
Which of the following methods should be used to have a patient rate the amount of pain he is having?
C) Have the patient rate the pain on a scale of 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain)
A(n) ________ device works by blowing oxygen or air continuously at a noninvasive pressure to prevent a patient's alveoli from collapsing
B) CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure)
Your patient is a 30-year-old female who may have overdosed on antidepressant medications. On your arrival, she is lying supine on her bed with her head on a pillow. She is unresponsive to painful stimuli and is snoring. She appears to be pale and her skin is cool and clammy. What should you do first?
B) Remove the patient's pillow
Which of the following statements regarding angina pectoris is true?
B) It can be brought on by exertion or stress
Which of the following best describes the five rights?
B) Right patient, right medication, right time, right dose, right route
While an EMT forms a field diagnosis on the scene of an emergency, how do the steps differ from the traditional approach to diagnosis?
C) The EMT must rule in or out the most serious conditions associated with the patient's presentation.
A patient who has shallow, slow, irregular, gasping breaths is said to have ________ respirations
A) agonal
You are on the scene of a 3-year-old patient who is in respiratory distress. The mother states that the patient has been making a harsh, high-pitched, barking cough for the past 24 hours. The child is very scared and upset. He is crying inconsolably. The patient has tachypnea, but his vital signs are normal otherwise. He is leaning forward in the tripod position and is drooling profusely. What condition do you suspect?
B) Epiglottitis
Which of the following terms refers to swelling of the lower extremities seen in many cardiac patients?
A) Pedal edema
Which of the following best describes a contraindication to a medication?
A) A reason why you should not give a medication to a patient
Once you have reached a possible diagnosis for a patient, you should
D) continue to look for data that will help rule in or rule out other conditions.
Which of the following is a sign of adequate artificial ventilations in a pediatric patient?
D) Pulse rate increases
You are transporting a 50-year-old male patient whom you successfully defibrillated at the scene. You are 5 minutes away from the hospital when the patient goes back into cardiac arrest. Which of the following is the BEST course of action?
C) Tell the driver to stop, analyze the cardiac rhythm, and deliver a shock as necessary.
Which of the following is a general term used to refer to a problem with the heart?
A) Cardiac compromise
Why should EMTs study pharmacology?
C) As an EMT, you will be trusted to administer medications in emergency situations; many of these may be lifesaving, but there is potential to do harm
All of the following are elements of adult high-performance CPR, EXCEPT:
C) compressing the patient's chest to no more than 1 inch in depth before allowing full relaxation
Which of the following does not occur during inspiration?
A) Diaphragm relaxes
Your patient is a 66-year-old female who has regained a pulse after a shock with an AED; however, she remains unresponsive and is not breathing adequately. Which of the following should be done next?
D) Ventilate the patient with high-concentration oxygen and transport immediately.
A weakened area of an artery that balloons out and may rupture, causing catastrophic bleeding, is called:
B) an aneurysm
If an EMT is enlisted to help set up the IV administration set, the first step is to:
B) take out and inspect the fluid bag
If an EMT is tasked with managing the family of a patient who is deceased after termination of resuscitation, what is an effective care strategy?
C) Be straightforward and use direct language
Mechanical CPR devices are used by EMS agencies in order to provide:
A) high-quality compressions.
You are the first on the scene of a 72-year-old patient in cardiac arrest. You have your medical supply kit, oxygen, and an AED. At least 4 to 5 minutes of high-quality CPR has been provided by the police officer who arrived before you. You have confirmed an open airway, apnea, and pulselessness. Which of the following should you do next?
B) Apply the defibrillator pads and shock as indicated.
What does ventricular fibrillation do?
B) Prevents the heart muscle from contracting normally
Which of the following statements regarding the administration of nitroglycerin tablets is true?
D) The patient may complain of a headache following administration.
You are preparing a patient in cardiac arrest for an AED when you palpate a small lump below the patient's right clavicle. How should this modify your placement of the AED?
C) While placing the pads in the general area you need them, keep them several inches away from the lump.
In which of the following ways does cardiac arrest in children differ from cardiac arrest in adults?
A) Cardiac arrest in children is more likely to be due to respiratory failure.
You are on the scene of a 65-year-old female patient in cardiac arrest. CPR is in progress and the AED has been applied. The AED does not advise shock. What is your next intervention?
C) Continue CPR