NREMT FINAL EXAM: AIRWAY, RESPIRATION,
AND VENTILATION EXAM QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS
A 65-year-old male who has a history of congestive heart failure is slumped
in a chair not responding to you. His wife tells you
that his difficulty breathing started an hour ago and has been getting worse.
He is tachypneic, and you auscultate rales in all fields. You should first:
A. assist his ventilation.
B. administer oxygen by non-rebreather mask.
C. apply CPAP.
D. assess his vital signs. - correct answer- A. assist his
ventilation.
Patients who have chronic bronchitis may have which of the following?
A. Persistent productive cough, thickening of walls of
bronchioles, excessive mucus production
B. Increased sensitivity of lower airways to irritants,
bronchospasm, edema
C. Destruction of alveolar walls, distention of alveolar sacs, reduced
area for gas exchange
D. Acute infectious disease, lung inflammation, pus-filled alveoli
- correct answer- A. Persistent productive cough, thickening of walls of
bronchioles, excessive mucus production
A 70-year-old male has difficulty breathing. When assessing him, which
of the following should influence your decision to assist his ventilation
with a BVM?
,A. A decrease in his mental status
B. An SpO2 below 90% on room air
C. An increase in his respiratory rate
D. A history of COPD - correct answer- A. A decrease in his mental
status
You are assisting the ventilation of a 57-year-old female who is in
respiratory failure. Her initial vital signs were P 102, R 32, BP 142/84, and
SpO2 was 88% on room air. After five minutes of assisted ventilation, her
vital signs are P 96, R 18 assisted with slight chest rise, BP 108/80, and
SpO2 is 95% on oxygen 15 L/minute by BVM. You should:
A. decrease the tidal volume of your ventilation.
B. increase the tidal volume of your ventilation.
C. increase the oxygen flow rate.
D. decrease your ventilation rate. - correct answer- D. decrease your
ventilation rate.
An 86-year-old female who has a history of emphysema complains of chest
pain. Her initial SpO2 was 92% on home oxygen by nasal cannula, 3
L/minute. You administered oxygen by non-rebreather, 12 L/minute. Her
SpO2 is now 100%, and her chest pain is resolved after aspirin and
nitroglycerin administration. You should next:
A. discontinue oxygen administration.
B. switch to a simple face mask.
C. decrease the flow rate to 6 L/minute.
D. transport her. - correct answer- B. switch to a simple face mask.
,Which of the following prevents the over-inflation of the lungs during
normal respiration?
A. Cushing reflex
B. Baroreceptor reflex
C. Chemoreceptors
D. Stretch receptors - correct answer- D. Stretch receptors
Which of the following sounds indicates an upper airway obstruction in a
child who is in respiratory distress?
A. Rales
B. Wheezes
C. Stridor
D. Rhonchi - correct answer- C. Stridor
A 16-year-old female complains of a runny nose and a low- grade fever. She
has a burst of rapid coughing with an inspiratory whooping sound. While
she is coughing her skin becomes cyanotic. After she stops coughing her
skin color returns to normal. You should suspect:
A. pneumonia.
B. pertussis.
C. rubella.
D. tuberculosis. - correct answer- B. pertussis.
What causes the prolonged expiratory phase of the respiratory cycle in a
patient who is having an asthma attack?
A. Bronchiole constriction
, B. Pulmonary venous hypertension
C. Thick, sticky mucus production
D. Ruptured blebs - correct answer- A. Bronchiole constriction
A 64-year-old male is having an asthma attack. Which class of medication
can help improve his alveolar ventilation?
A. Beta2 agonist
B. Beta1 antagonist
C. Beta1 agonist
D. Beta2 antagonist - correct answer- A. Beta2 agonist
A 47-year-old male complains of difficulty breathing, and he
cannot stop coughing. His conjunctivae are pale and moist. He has a 40
pack-year smoking history. You should first:
A. administer oxygen.
B. assess his vital signs.
C. collect a sample of his phlegm.
D. determine his past medical history. - correct answer- A.
administer oxygen.
Which of the following respiratory conditions in children over 2 years old
has similar lung sounds to an infant who has bronchiolitis?
A. Asthma
B. Pulmonary edema
C. Pertussis
AND VENTILATION EXAM QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS
A 65-year-old male who has a history of congestive heart failure is slumped
in a chair not responding to you. His wife tells you
that his difficulty breathing started an hour ago and has been getting worse.
He is tachypneic, and you auscultate rales in all fields. You should first:
A. assist his ventilation.
B. administer oxygen by non-rebreather mask.
C. apply CPAP.
D. assess his vital signs. - correct answer- A. assist his
ventilation.
Patients who have chronic bronchitis may have which of the following?
A. Persistent productive cough, thickening of walls of
bronchioles, excessive mucus production
B. Increased sensitivity of lower airways to irritants,
bronchospasm, edema
C. Destruction of alveolar walls, distention of alveolar sacs, reduced
area for gas exchange
D. Acute infectious disease, lung inflammation, pus-filled alveoli
- correct answer- A. Persistent productive cough, thickening of walls of
bronchioles, excessive mucus production
A 70-year-old male has difficulty breathing. When assessing him, which
of the following should influence your decision to assist his ventilation
with a BVM?
,A. A decrease in his mental status
B. An SpO2 below 90% on room air
C. An increase in his respiratory rate
D. A history of COPD - correct answer- A. A decrease in his mental
status
You are assisting the ventilation of a 57-year-old female who is in
respiratory failure. Her initial vital signs were P 102, R 32, BP 142/84, and
SpO2 was 88% on room air. After five minutes of assisted ventilation, her
vital signs are P 96, R 18 assisted with slight chest rise, BP 108/80, and
SpO2 is 95% on oxygen 15 L/minute by BVM. You should:
A. decrease the tidal volume of your ventilation.
B. increase the tidal volume of your ventilation.
C. increase the oxygen flow rate.
D. decrease your ventilation rate. - correct answer- D. decrease your
ventilation rate.
An 86-year-old female who has a history of emphysema complains of chest
pain. Her initial SpO2 was 92% on home oxygen by nasal cannula, 3
L/minute. You administered oxygen by non-rebreather, 12 L/minute. Her
SpO2 is now 100%, and her chest pain is resolved after aspirin and
nitroglycerin administration. You should next:
A. discontinue oxygen administration.
B. switch to a simple face mask.
C. decrease the flow rate to 6 L/minute.
D. transport her. - correct answer- B. switch to a simple face mask.
,Which of the following prevents the over-inflation of the lungs during
normal respiration?
A. Cushing reflex
B. Baroreceptor reflex
C. Chemoreceptors
D. Stretch receptors - correct answer- D. Stretch receptors
Which of the following sounds indicates an upper airway obstruction in a
child who is in respiratory distress?
A. Rales
B. Wheezes
C. Stridor
D. Rhonchi - correct answer- C. Stridor
A 16-year-old female complains of a runny nose and a low- grade fever. She
has a burst of rapid coughing with an inspiratory whooping sound. While
she is coughing her skin becomes cyanotic. After she stops coughing her
skin color returns to normal. You should suspect:
A. pneumonia.
B. pertussis.
C. rubella.
D. tuberculosis. - correct answer- B. pertussis.
What causes the prolonged expiratory phase of the respiratory cycle in a
patient who is having an asthma attack?
A. Bronchiole constriction
, B. Pulmonary venous hypertension
C. Thick, sticky mucus production
D. Ruptured blebs - correct answer- A. Bronchiole constriction
A 64-year-old male is having an asthma attack. Which class of medication
can help improve his alveolar ventilation?
A. Beta2 agonist
B. Beta1 antagonist
C. Beta1 agonist
D. Beta2 antagonist - correct answer- A. Beta2 agonist
A 47-year-old male complains of difficulty breathing, and he
cannot stop coughing. His conjunctivae are pale and moist. He has a 40
pack-year smoking history. You should first:
A. administer oxygen.
B. assess his vital signs.
C. collect a sample of his phlegm.
D. determine his past medical history. - correct answer- A.
administer oxygen.
Which of the following respiratory conditions in children over 2 years old
has similar lung sounds to an infant who has bronchiolitis?
A. Asthma
B. Pulmonary edema
C. Pertussis
