Respiratory
A 48-year-old male is found unconscious in the garden by his wife. When you arrive at the scene and assess the man, you find that he is unresponsive, has labored breathing, and has hives over his entire trunk. You should:
A. administer oxygen and position him on his side.
B. ask his wife if he has any known allergies.
C. maintain his airway and assist his ventilations.
D. perform a detailed secondary assessment.
C. maintain his airway and assist his ventilations
An area of swelling or enlargement in a weakened arterial wall is called:
A. atherosclerosis.
B. an aneurysm.
C. a thrombus.
D. an embolism
B. an aneurysm
Abruptio placenta occurs when: Select one:
A. the placenta affixes itself to the outer layer of the uterus.
B. the placenta prematurely separates from the uterine wall.
C. a tear in the placenta causes severe internal hemorrhage.
D. the placenta develops over and covers the cervical opening.
B. the placenta prematurely separates from the uterine wall.
A generalized (tonic-clonic) seizure is characterized by: Select one:
A. a blank stare and brief lapse of consciousness.
B. unconsciousness for greater than 30 minutes.
C. severe twitching of all the body’s muscles.
D. a core body temperature of greater than 103°F (40°C)
C. severe twitching of all the body’s muscles.
You are dispatched to an apartment complex where a 21-year-old female has apparently overdosed on several narcotic medications. She is semiconscious and has slow, shallow respirations. You should: Select one:
A. insert a nasopharyngeal airway and begin assisted ventilation.
B. place her in the recovery position and monitor for vomiting.
C. insert an oropharyngeal airway and perform oral suctioning.
D. apply oxygen via a nonrebreathing mask and transport at once.
A. insert a nasopharyngeal airway and begin assisted ventilation.
A 67-year-old female presents with difficulty breathing and chest discomfort that awakened her from her sleep. She states that she has congestive heart failure, has had two previous heart attacks, and has been prescribed nitroglycerin. She is conscious and alert with adequate breathing. Her blood pressure is 94/64 mm Hg and her heart rate is 120 beats/min. Treatment for this patient includes: Select one:
A. ventilations with a BVM.
B. placing her in an upright position.
C. oxygen at 2 L/min via nasal cannula.
D. nitroglycerin for her chest pain.
B. placing her in an upright position
You are assessing a 49-year-old man who, according to his wife, experienced a sudden, severe headache and then passed out. He is unresponsive and has slow, irregular breathing. His blood pressure is 190/94 mm Hg, and his pulse rate is 50 beats/min. His wife tells you that he has hypertension and diabetes. He has MOST likely experienced: Select one:
A. an occluded cerebral artery.
B. acute hypoglycemia.
C. a ruptured cerebral artery.
D. a complex partial seizure.
C. a ruptured cerebral artery.
Braxton-Hicks contractions are characterized by: Select one:
A. a rupture of the amniotic sac just before the contractions begin.
B. alleviation of pain with movement or changing positions.
C. pink or red bloody show in conjunction with the contractions.
D. regular contractions of progressively increasing intensity
B. alleviation of pain with movement or changing positions.
Which part of the central nervous system is responsible for coordinating bodily movements such as writing or sewing? Select one:
A. Cerebrum
B. Cerebellum
C. Brain stem
D. Hypothalamus
B. Cerebellum
Insulin functions in the body by: Select one:
A. producing new glucose as needed.
B. enabling glucose to enter the cells.
C. increasing circulating blood glucose.
D. metabolizing glucose to make energy.
B. enabling glucose to enter the cells.
A 30-year-old woman with a history of alcoholism presents with severe upper abdominal pain and is vomiting large amounts of bright red blood. Her skin is cool, pale, and clammy; her heart rate is 120 beats/min and weak; and her blood pressure is 70/50 mm Hg. Your MOST immediate action should be to: Select one:
A. protect her airway from aspiration.
B. rapidly transport her to the hospital.
C. give her high-flow supplemental oxygen.
D. keep her supine and keep her warm.
A. protect her airway from aspiration.
Which of the following would cause an increase in the amount of exhaled carbon dioxide? Select one:
A. Increased cardiac output
B. Cardiopulmonary arrest
C. Anaerobic metabolism
D. Excessive ventilation
A. Increased cardiac output
After delivery of a pulseless and apneic infant who has a foul odor, skin sloughing, and diffuse blistering, you should: Select one:
A. report the case to the medical examiner.
B. provide emotional support to the mother.
C. begin full resuscitation and transport.
D. dry the infant off to stimulate breathing.
B. provide emotional support to the mother.
Which of the following conditions is NOT a common cause of seizures? Select one:
A. Acute alcohol withdrawal
B. Hypotension
C. Poisoning or overdose
D. Acute hypoglycemia
B. Hypotension
The MOST significant complication associated with oropharyngeal suctioning is: Select one:
A. oral abrasions from vigorous suctioning.
B. hypoxia due to prolonged suction attempts.
C. clogging of the catheter with thick secretions.
D. vomiting from stimulating the anterior airway.
B. hypoxia due to prolonged suction attempts.
While auscultating an elderly woman’s breath sounds, you hear low-pitched “rattling” sounds at the bases of both of her lungs. This finding is MOST consistent with which of the following conditions? Select one:
A. Aspiration pneumonia
B. Widespread atelectasis
C. Acute asthma attack
D. Early pulmonary edema
A. Aspiration pneumonia
A 66-year-old woman presents with a stabbing pain in the middle of her chest that radiates to her back. She tells you that the pain suddenly began about 30 minutes ago and has been severe since the onset. She has a history of hypertension, but admits to being noncompliant with her antihypertensive medications. When you assess her, you find that her blood pressure is significantly higher in her left arm than it is in her right arm. What do these signs and symptoms MOST likely indicate? Select one:
A. Unstable angina
B. Hypertensive emergency
C. Acute myocardial infarction
D. Dissecting aortic aneurysm
D. dissecting aortic aneurysm
CPR is in progress on a pulseless and apneic 29-year-old woman who is 37 weeks pregnant. When treating this patient, the EMT should: Select one:
A. deliver a compression rate of 120 to 140 per minute.
B. avoid defibrillation because it might harm the fetus.
C. perform compressions slightly lower on the sternum.
D. manually displace the patient’s uterus to the left.
D. manually displace the patient’s uterus to the left.
You are assessing a conscious 55-year-old male with a sudden change in behavior. Which of the following clinical findings would be MOST suggestive of dysfunction of this patient’s central nervous system? Select one:
A. Rapid eye movement
B. An irregular pulse
C. Consistent eye contact
D. Excessive tearing or crying
A. Rapid eye movement
After administering 0.3 mg of epinephrine via auto-injector to a 22-year-old female with an allergic reaction, you note improvement in her breathing and resolution of her hives. However, she is still anxious and tachycardic. You should: Select one:
A. contact medical control and obtain authorization to administer another 0.3 mg of epinephrine.
B. transport her rapidly, because it is obvious that she is having a severe reaction to the epinephrine.
C. monitor her closely but recall that anxiety and tachycardia are side effects of epinephrine.
D. consider administering 0.15 mg of epinephrine to completely resolve her allergic reaction.
C. monitor her closely but recall that anxiety and tachycardia are side effects of epinephrine.
A 42-year-old male is found unresponsive on his couch by a neighbor. During your assessment, you find no signs of trauma, and the patient’s blood glucose level is 75 mg/dL. His blood pressure is 168/98 mm Hg, his heart rate is 45 beats/min and bounding, and his respirations are 8 breaths/min and irregular. The patient is wearing a medical alert bracelet that states he has hemophilia. You should: Select one:
A. administer oxygen via a nonrebreathing mask, apply oral glucose in between his cheek and gum, and transport.
B. administer high-flow oxygen, perform a detailed secondary assessment at the scene, and transport promptly.
C. suspect that he has internal bleeding and is in shock, administer high-flow oxygen, and transport at once.
D. suspect that he has intracranial bleeding, assist his ventilations, and transport rapidly to an appropriate hospital.
D. suspect that he has intracranial bleeding, assist his ventilations, and transport rapidly to an appropriate hospital.
A 66-year-old female with a history of hypertension and diabetes presents with substernal chest pressure of 2 hours’ duration. Her blood pressure is 140/90 mm Hg, her pulse is 100 beats/min and irregular, her respirations are 22 breaths/min, and her oxygen saturation is 92%. The patient does not have prescribed nitroglycerin, but her husband does. You should: Select one:
A. obtain a SAMPLE history and contact medical control for advice.
B. give her one nitroglycerin and reassess her systolic blood pressure.
C. give her high-flow oxygen, attach the AED, and transport at once.
D. administer oxygen, give her 324 mg of aspirin, and assess her further.
D. administer oxygen, give her 324 mg of aspirin, and assess her further.
Three days after delivering her baby, a 30-year-old woman complains of a sudden onset of difficulty breathing. Her level of consciousness is decreased, and she is tachycardic. The EMT should suspect: Select one:
A. acute pulmonary edema.
B. intrauterine bleeding.
C. pulmonary embolism.
D. spontaneous pneumothorax.
C. pulmonary embolism.
A 78-year-old female presents with an acute change in her behavior. The patient’s son tells you that his mother has type 2 diabetes and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease 6 months ago. The patient’s speech is slurred, and she is not alert to her surroundings. You should: Select one:
A. transport the patient to a psychiatric facility.
B. inquire about the possibility of head trauma.
C. conclude that the patient’s blood sugar is high.
D. allow the patient to refuse transport if she wishes.
B. inquire about the possibility of head trauma.
You have just delivered a baby boy. His body is pink, but his hands and feet are blue. His heart rate is approximately 110 beats/min, and his respirations are rapid and irregular. He has a weak cry when stimulated and resists attempts to straighten his legs. His Apgar score is: Select one:
A. 8
B. 6
C. 7
D. 9
A. 8