WEST COAST EMT BLOCK 2 EXAM 2026
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE WITH
PRACTICE QUESTIONS, CORRECT
ANSWERS AND DETAILED RATIONALES
FOR EMT CERTIFICATION PREPARATION
Your patient complains of abdominal pain that occurs mostly at night or
after eating fatty foods. You should suspect ____________.
Select one:
A. cholecystitis
B. a hernia
C. appendicitis
D. kidney stones - CORRECT ANSWER -A. cholecystitis
Your patient complains of chronic "burning" stomach pain that improves
after eating. You should suspect:
Select one:
A. pneumonia.
B. peptic ulcer disease.
C. aortic aneurysm.
D. kidney stones. - CORRECT ANSWER -B. peptic ulcer disease.
A 37-year-old female with a history of diabetes presents with excessive
urination and weakness of 2 days' duration. Her blood glucose level reads
,320 mg/dL. If this patient's condition is not promptly treated, she will
MOST likely develop:
Select one:
A. irreversible renal failure.
B. severe insulin shock.
C. hypoxia and overhydration.
D. acidosis and dehydration. - CORRECT ANSWER -A. irreversible renal
failure.
A 66-year-old woman experienced a sudden onset of difficulty breathing.
She has a history of type 2 diabetes and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). On
the basis of her medical history, which of the following should the EMT
suspect?
Select one:
A. Pulmonary embolism
B. Severe hypoglycemia
C. Diabetic ketoacidosis
D. Congestive heart failure - CORRECT ANSWER -A. Pulmonary embolism
A 75-year-old male with type 1 diabetes presents with chest pain and a
general feeling of weakness. He tells you that he took his insulin today and
ate a regular meal approximately 2 hours ago. You should treat this patient
as though he is experiencing:
Select one:
A. hyperglycemia.
B. hypoglycemia.
C. a heart attack.
,D. an acute stroke. - CORRECT ANSWER -C. a heart attack.
A man finds his 59-year-old wife unconscious on the couch. He states that
she takes medications for type 2 diabetes. He further tells you that his wife
has been ill recently and has not eaten for the past 24 hours. Your
assessment reveals that the patient is unresponsive. You should:
Select one:
A. open and maintain her airway and assess breathing.
B. administer 100% oxygen via a nonrebreathing mask.
C. assess for the presence of a medical identification tag.
D. administer oral glucose between her cheek and gum. - CORRECT
ANSWER -A. open and maintain her airway and assess breathing.
A patient with an altered mental status; high blood glucose levels; and
deep, rapid breathing may have a condition known as __________.
Select one:
A. hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic coma
B. hypoglycemic crisis
C. hyperglycemic crisis
D. diabetic ketoacidosis - CORRECT ANSWER -D. diabetic ketoacidosis
A patient with hypoglycemia will often present with which of the following
signs/symptoms?
Select one:
A. Warm, red, and dry skin
B. Deep, rapid respirations
, C. Pale, cool, and clammy skin
D. Hypertension - CORRECT ANSWER -C. Pale, cool, and clammy skin
Classic signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia include:
Select one:
A. cool, clammy skin; weakness; tachycardia; and rapid respirations.
B. warm, dry skin; hunger; abdominal pain; and deep, slow respirations.
C. warm, dry skin; irritability; bradycardia; and rapid respirations.
D. cold, clammy skin; bradycardia; hunger; and deep, rapid respirations. -
CORRECT ANSWER -A. cool, clammy skin; weakness; tachycardia; and rapid
respirations.
During your assessment of a 19-year-old male, you are told that he is being
treated with factor VIII. This indicates that:
Select one:
A. his blood clots too quickly.
B. he has thrombophilia.
C. he has hemophilia A.
D. he has a thrombosis. - CORRECT ANSWER -C. he has hemophilia A.
Excessive eating caused by cellular "hunger" is called:
Select one:
A. dyspepsia.
B. polyphagia.
C. dysphasia.
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE WITH
PRACTICE QUESTIONS, CORRECT
ANSWERS AND DETAILED RATIONALES
FOR EMT CERTIFICATION PREPARATION
Your patient complains of abdominal pain that occurs mostly at night or
after eating fatty foods. You should suspect ____________.
Select one:
A. cholecystitis
B. a hernia
C. appendicitis
D. kidney stones - CORRECT ANSWER -A. cholecystitis
Your patient complains of chronic "burning" stomach pain that improves
after eating. You should suspect:
Select one:
A. pneumonia.
B. peptic ulcer disease.
C. aortic aneurysm.
D. kidney stones. - CORRECT ANSWER -B. peptic ulcer disease.
A 37-year-old female with a history of diabetes presents with excessive
urination and weakness of 2 days' duration. Her blood glucose level reads
,320 mg/dL. If this patient's condition is not promptly treated, she will
MOST likely develop:
Select one:
A. irreversible renal failure.
B. severe insulin shock.
C. hypoxia and overhydration.
D. acidosis and dehydration. - CORRECT ANSWER -A. irreversible renal
failure.
A 66-year-old woman experienced a sudden onset of difficulty breathing.
She has a history of type 2 diabetes and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). On
the basis of her medical history, which of the following should the EMT
suspect?
Select one:
A. Pulmonary embolism
B. Severe hypoglycemia
C. Diabetic ketoacidosis
D. Congestive heart failure - CORRECT ANSWER -A. Pulmonary embolism
A 75-year-old male with type 1 diabetes presents with chest pain and a
general feeling of weakness. He tells you that he took his insulin today and
ate a regular meal approximately 2 hours ago. You should treat this patient
as though he is experiencing:
Select one:
A. hyperglycemia.
B. hypoglycemia.
C. a heart attack.
,D. an acute stroke. - CORRECT ANSWER -C. a heart attack.
A man finds his 59-year-old wife unconscious on the couch. He states that
she takes medications for type 2 diabetes. He further tells you that his wife
has been ill recently and has not eaten for the past 24 hours. Your
assessment reveals that the patient is unresponsive. You should:
Select one:
A. open and maintain her airway and assess breathing.
B. administer 100% oxygen via a nonrebreathing mask.
C. assess for the presence of a medical identification tag.
D. administer oral glucose between her cheek and gum. - CORRECT
ANSWER -A. open and maintain her airway and assess breathing.
A patient with an altered mental status; high blood glucose levels; and
deep, rapid breathing may have a condition known as __________.
Select one:
A. hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic coma
B. hypoglycemic crisis
C. hyperglycemic crisis
D. diabetic ketoacidosis - CORRECT ANSWER -D. diabetic ketoacidosis
A patient with hypoglycemia will often present with which of the following
signs/symptoms?
Select one:
A. Warm, red, and dry skin
B. Deep, rapid respirations
, C. Pale, cool, and clammy skin
D. Hypertension - CORRECT ANSWER -C. Pale, cool, and clammy skin
Classic signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia include:
Select one:
A. cool, clammy skin; weakness; tachycardia; and rapid respirations.
B. warm, dry skin; hunger; abdominal pain; and deep, slow respirations.
C. warm, dry skin; irritability; bradycardia; and rapid respirations.
D. cold, clammy skin; bradycardia; hunger; and deep, rapid respirations. -
CORRECT ANSWER -A. cool, clammy skin; weakness; tachycardia; and rapid
respirations.
During your assessment of a 19-year-old male, you are told that he is being
treated with factor VIII. This indicates that:
Select one:
A. his blood clots too quickly.
B. he has thrombophilia.
C. he has hemophilia A.
D. he has a thrombosis. - CORRECT ANSWER -C. he has hemophilia A.
Excessive eating caused by cellular "hunger" is called:
Select one:
A. dyspepsia.
B. polyphagia.
C. dysphasia.
