UCLA PARAMEDIC ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY
EXAM FINAL SCRIPT 2026 COMPLETE
SOLUTION SET
◉ what are the indications for digital intubation? Answer: ET
intubation failed but ventilations with a BVM, laryngoscope
unavailable or fails, lots of blood/vomit blocking the airway,
entrapment with inability to do face to face intubation
◉ what are the contraindications for digital intubation? Answer: any
patient who isn't comatose and may bite.
◉ what is percutaneous transtracheal ventilation (PTV)? Answer:
use of a needle tracheostomy using a catheter
◉ what is ventilation? Answer: movement of air to and from alveoli,
made of inhalation and exhalation
◉ what is respiration? Answer: exchange of gases between living
organisms and the environment
◉ what is oxygenation? Answer: providing supplemental o2 for
indicated patients
,◉ what is tidal volume (TV)? Answer: average amount of gas inhaled
or exhaled in one breath, (500mls, 5-7cc per kg)
◉ define dead space volume? Answer: amount of gases that remain
in the airway (150mls approx.)
◉ define minute volume (MV)? Answer: amount of gas moved in and
out of the lungs in one minute.
◉ define alveolar volume? Answer: amount of gas that reaches
alveoli for exchange (350cc)
◉ define alveolar minute volume? Answer: amount of gas that
reaches alveoli for exchange in one minute
◉ define residual volume? Answer: amount of air in lungs at the end
of maximal expiration approx. 1200 mls
◉ what is a benefit of residual volume? Answer: prevents alveoli
from totally collapsing making it easier to re-inflate and provides
continuous gas exchange.
,◉ define expiratory reserve volume? Answer: amount of air that can
be exhaled after normal expiration approx. 1200mls
◉ define inspiratory reserve volume? Answer: amount of air that
can be inhaled after normal inhalation approx. 3000ML
◉ what is FiO2? Answer: fractional concentration of o2 in inspired
air, i.e. non rebreather mask (NRB) provides 90% o2
◉ hard/rigid suctioning only in what airway? Answer:
oropharyngeal airway
◉ what part of the airway can you use soft suctioning? Answer:
oropharynx, nasopharynx, and ET tube
◉ steps of RSI? Answer: oxygenate,
premediate (atropine or lidocaine HCI),
sedate (versed, valium, amidate),
will they aspirate?,
incapacitate (succinylcholine)
intubate,
substantiate (check if its in),
remedicate (analgesia, sedative, long term paralytic (LTP))
, ◉ how does the CNS control breathing? Answer: impulses from
hypothalamus, inspiration center sends impulse causing inhalation,
the diaphragm relaxes causing exhalation, the exhalation center
allows for more forceful exhalation.
◉ why does the trachea stay open? Answer: 16-20 C shaped pieces
of cartilage
◉ what is the hering breuer inflation reflex? Answer: prevents over
inflation of lungs through baroreceptors detecting stretching in lung
tissue and send impulses to medulla depressing the inspiration
center.
◉ what generates the impulse to respiratory muscles? Answer: the
medulla
◉ how is most of the co2 in our body transported chemically?
Answer: bicarbonate ions (HCO3)
◉ 20% of co2 is transported by what in our blood? Answer:
hemoglobin
◉ what does the thoracic cage do upon inhalation and exhalation?
Answer: expands up and out, then relaxes down and in.
EXAM FINAL SCRIPT 2026 COMPLETE
SOLUTION SET
◉ what are the indications for digital intubation? Answer: ET
intubation failed but ventilations with a BVM, laryngoscope
unavailable or fails, lots of blood/vomit blocking the airway,
entrapment with inability to do face to face intubation
◉ what are the contraindications for digital intubation? Answer: any
patient who isn't comatose and may bite.
◉ what is percutaneous transtracheal ventilation (PTV)? Answer:
use of a needle tracheostomy using a catheter
◉ what is ventilation? Answer: movement of air to and from alveoli,
made of inhalation and exhalation
◉ what is respiration? Answer: exchange of gases between living
organisms and the environment
◉ what is oxygenation? Answer: providing supplemental o2 for
indicated patients
,◉ what is tidal volume (TV)? Answer: average amount of gas inhaled
or exhaled in one breath, (500mls, 5-7cc per kg)
◉ define dead space volume? Answer: amount of gases that remain
in the airway (150mls approx.)
◉ define minute volume (MV)? Answer: amount of gas moved in and
out of the lungs in one minute.
◉ define alveolar volume? Answer: amount of gas that reaches
alveoli for exchange (350cc)
◉ define alveolar minute volume? Answer: amount of gas that
reaches alveoli for exchange in one minute
◉ define residual volume? Answer: amount of air in lungs at the end
of maximal expiration approx. 1200 mls
◉ what is a benefit of residual volume? Answer: prevents alveoli
from totally collapsing making it easier to re-inflate and provides
continuous gas exchange.
,◉ define expiratory reserve volume? Answer: amount of air that can
be exhaled after normal expiration approx. 1200mls
◉ define inspiratory reserve volume? Answer: amount of air that
can be inhaled after normal inhalation approx. 3000ML
◉ what is FiO2? Answer: fractional concentration of o2 in inspired
air, i.e. non rebreather mask (NRB) provides 90% o2
◉ hard/rigid suctioning only in what airway? Answer:
oropharyngeal airway
◉ what part of the airway can you use soft suctioning? Answer:
oropharynx, nasopharynx, and ET tube
◉ steps of RSI? Answer: oxygenate,
premediate (atropine or lidocaine HCI),
sedate (versed, valium, amidate),
will they aspirate?,
incapacitate (succinylcholine)
intubate,
substantiate (check if its in),
remedicate (analgesia, sedative, long term paralytic (LTP))
, ◉ how does the CNS control breathing? Answer: impulses from
hypothalamus, inspiration center sends impulse causing inhalation,
the diaphragm relaxes causing exhalation, the exhalation center
allows for more forceful exhalation.
◉ why does the trachea stay open? Answer: 16-20 C shaped pieces
of cartilage
◉ what is the hering breuer inflation reflex? Answer: prevents over
inflation of lungs through baroreceptors detecting stretching in lung
tissue and send impulses to medulla depressing the inspiration
center.
◉ what generates the impulse to respiratory muscles? Answer: the
medulla
◉ how is most of the co2 in our body transported chemically?
Answer: bicarbonate ions (HCO3)
◉ 20% of co2 is transported by what in our blood? Answer:
hemoglobin
◉ what does the thoracic cage do upon inhalation and exhalation?
Answer: expands up and out, then relaxes down and in.
