EMS Systems
The EMS network begins:
A) by educating dispatchers.
B) with citizen involvement.
C) when an injury has occurred.
D) when paramedics are notified.
B) with citizen involvement.
If health care providers show up to work in shape:
A) they are less likely to get hurt.
B) their patient care will be better.
C) they will be able to tolerate higher call volumes.
D) sleep deprivation will not affect them.
A) they are less likely to get hurt.
The leading cause of death in the United States is:
A) stroke.
B) cancer.
C) heart disease.
D) unintentional injury.
C) heart disease.
Transporting a competent adult patient without his or her consent would MOST likely result in allegations of:
A) assault.
B) battery.
C) false imprisonment.
D) criminal trespassing.
C) false imprisonment.
When providing patient care, it is MOST important that you maintain effective communication with:
A) the dispatcher.
B) bystanders.
C) medical control.
D) your partner.
D) your partner.
Which of the following is a subjective finding?
A) Pale, cool, clammy skin
B) Obvious respiratory distress
C) A complaint of chest pressure
D) Blood pressure of 110/60 mm Hg
C) A complaint of chest pressure
The topographic term used to describe the location of body parts that are closer to the midline is:
A) lateral.
B) medial.
C) midaxillary.
D) midclavicular.
C) midaxillary.
If the receiving facility does not have adequate resources to take care of your patient, you should next determine whether:
A) there is an appropriate facility within a reasonable distance.
B) an emergency physician should be dispatched to the scene.
C) transport of the patient by ambulance is absolutely necessary.
D) a BLS ambulance can transport the patient to a distant hospital.
A) there is an appropriate facility within a reasonable distance.
Negative or injurious stress is also called:
A) distress.
B) eustress.
C) projected stress.
D) redirected stress.
A) distress.
Which of the following statements regarding unintentional injuries and death is correct?
A) Their incidence cannot be reduced.
B) They occur without the intent to cause harm.
C) Few motor vehicle deaths are unintentional.
D) Unintentional falls are the leading cause of death.
B) They occur without the intent to cause harm.
Because a lawsuit may not begin until several years after the paramedic cares for a patient:
A) the paramedic should place an attorney on retainer.
B) all paramedics should carry malpractice insurance.
C) the paramedic should follow up with the patient regularly.
D) it is essential to maintain good documentation on any call.
D) it is essential to maintain good documentation on any call.
The purpose of a closed-ended question is to:
A) elicit a specific response from the patient.
B) enable the paramedic to gauge the patient's mentation.
C) obtain reliable information about a patient's complaint.
D) allow the patient to describe what he or she is feeling.
A) elicit a specific response from the patient.
Which of the following statements is LEAST descriptive when documenting the events of a cardiac arrest call on your patient care report?
A) “Followed ACLS protocols.”
B) “Intubated with a 7.5-mm ET tube.”
C) “Gave 1 mg of epinephrine at 1002.”
D) “Inserted 18-gauge IV in right forearm.”
A) “Followed ACLS protocols.”
An unconscious, adequately breathing patient should be placed in the recovery position, which is:
A) supine.
B) prone.
C) semi-sitting.
D) laterally recumbent
D) laterally recumbent
You are dispatched to a residence at 3:00 AM for a 39-year-old man with signs of a common cold. When caring for this patient, you should:
A) educate the patient and tactfully discuss why a cold is not an emergency.
B) realize that this clearly is not a call to which you should have been dispatched.
C) advise the patient that this is not an emergency and obtain a signed refusal.
D) tell the patient to schedule an appointment with his physician the next day.
A) educate the patient and tactfully discuss why a cold is not an emergency.
Ignoring one's circadian rhythms may result in all of the following, EXCEPT:
A) decreased physical coordination.
B) enhanced social functioning.
C) persistent difficulty with sleep.
D) impairment of higher thought function.
B) enhanced social functioning.
In 2016, the leading cause of death by unintentional injury was:
A) falls.
B) choking.
C) poisoning.
D) drowning.
C) poisoning.
If you must deviate from your protocols because of unusual circumstances, you should FIRST:
A) advise the patient.
B) document the event.
C) notify medical control.
D) apprise the receiving hospital.
C) notify medical control.
The use of ten-codes over the radio:
A) should be carried out whenever possible to ensure effective communication.
B) is not recommended by the National Incident Management System (NIMS).
C) increases the likelihood of miscommunication during the radio transmission.
D) is prohibited by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and should be avoided.
B) is not recommended by the National Incident Management System (NIMS).
When a competent adult patient refuses medical care, it is MOST important for the paramedic to:
A) ensure that the patient is well informed about the situation at hand.
B) contact medical control and request permission to obtain the refusal.
C) perform a detailed physical exam before allowing the patient to refuse.
D) obtain a signed refusal from the patient as well as a witness signature.
A) ensure that the patient is well informed about the situation at hand.
Compared to the frontal region of the skull, the occiput is:
A) anterior.
B) exterior.
C) inferior.
D) posterior.
D) posterior.
You arrive at a convenience store to find a middle-aged male in cardiac arrest. Your protocols provide for standing orders in this type of scenario. This means that you should:
A) contact medical control before providing advanced-level care.
B) perform certain interventions prior to contacting medical control.
C) begin CPR and then contact medical control for further direction.
D) pronounce the patient dead if there is no response after 10 minutes.
B) perform certain interventions prior to contacting medical control.
When caring for a confused elderly patient, it is MOST important for the paramedic to:
A) request the presence of a family member.
B) explain what he or she is doing at all times.
C) recognize that this is normal in elderly people.
D) avoid talking to the patient to minimize anxiety.
B) explain what he or she is doing at all times.
The leading cause of kidney failure in Americans 20 years of age and older is:
A) diabetes.
B) hypertension.
C) heart disease.
D) drug abuse.
A) diabetes.
The Good Samaritan law was originally passed in order to:
A) encourage paramedics to respond while on duty.
B) discourage EMS systems from billing the patient.
C) encourage the public to help at emergency scenes.
D) provide immunity from liability to the paramedic.
C) encourage the public to help at emergency scenes.
If the paramedic is unable to defuse a hostile patient's anger, the paramedic should:
A) restrain the patient and transport at once.
B) administer Valium or Haldol for sedation.
C) obtain a signed refusal and depart the scene.
D) request law enforcement personnel at the scene.
D) request law enforcement personnel at the scene.
Which of the following statements contains objective and subjective information?
A) “The patient's behavior was consistent with alcohol intoxication.”
B) “The patient's pulse was rapid and weak and he was diaphoretic.”
C) “The patient's wife stated that he began feeling ill a few hours ago.”
D) “The patient appeared confused and stated that he had a headache.”
D) “The patient appeared confused and stated that he had a headache.”
When asking a patient to supinate his or her hand, you would expect him or her to:
A) turn the hand on its side.
B) bend the hand at the wrist.
C) place the hand palm down.
D) place the hand palm up.
D) place the hand palm up.
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”?
A) Ensuring that paramedics responded to every call
B) Participating in community-based prevention efforts
C) Allocating adequate resources for medical direction
D) Developing and pursuing a national EMS research agenda
A) Ensuring that paramedics responded to every call
In which order do MOST people progress through the stages of grieving?
A) Denial, bargaining, anger, acceptance, depression
B) Anger, denial, depression, bargaining, acceptance
C) Depression, denial, anger, bargaining, acceptance
D) Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance
D) Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance
Which of the following would be the MOST effective intervention in preventing serious head and chest injuries in a motor vehicle crash?
A) Educating mass numbers of people on the importance of wearing seatbelts
B) Offering a free safety helmet when a consumer purchases a new bicycle
C) Showing high school children graphic video footage of fatal vehicle crashes
D) Mandating that all new vehicles be manufactured with automatic seat belts
D) Mandating that all new vehicles be manufactured with automatic seat belts
Which of the following is NOT a required element needed to prove negligence?
A) The paramedic committed a breach of duty.
B) The patient's condition was life threatening.
C) The paramedic or EMS system had a duty to act.
D) An act of omission was the cause of the patient's injury.
B) The patient's condition was life threatening.
When communicating with older patients, it is MOST important to remember that:
A) many older patients lose the ability to understand simple terminology, thus requiring the paramedic to gear his or her questions accordingly.
B) their illnesses may be more complex because they may have more than one disease process and may be taking several medications concurrently.
C) the ability to hear and see is naturally impaired due to the process of aging, and the paramedic must accommodate these disabilities appropriately.
D) older patients are generally poor historians regarding their medical history, and the paramedic should interview a family member or friend instead.
B) their illnesses may be more complex because they may have more than one disease process and may be taking several medications concurrently.
A poorly written patient care report:
A) often indicates that the paramedic was too busy providing patient care.
B) generally results in a lawsuit, even if the patient outcome was favorable.
C) may raise questions by others as to the paramedic's quality of patient care.
D) is unavoidable during a mass-casualty incident and is generally acceptable.
C) may raise questions by others as to the paramedic's quality of patient care.
What is the medical term for a woman who has been pregnant eight times?
A) Quintipara
B) Primigravida
C) Octigravida
D) Nullipara
C) Octigravida