NREMT Practice Test Bank - Multiple Choice
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1. Hypoglycemia and acute is- • A:both oxygen and glucose are needed for brain func-
chemic stroke can present simi- tion.
larly because:
Reason: Although stroke and hypoglycemia are two dis-
• A:both oxygen and glucose are tinctly different conditions, their signs and symptoms are
needed for brain function. often similar. This is because the brain requires both oxy-
• B:the majority of stroke patients gen and glucose to function normally. An acute ischemic
have a history of diabetes. stroke is caused by a lack of oxygen to a part of the brain
• C:the most common cause of a due to a blocked cerebral artery, whereas hypoglycemia
stroke is hypoglycemia. (low blood glucose level) deprives the entire brain of
• D:they are both caused by low glucose. In either case, the patient presents with signs
levels of glucose in the blood. of impaired brain function (ie, slurred speech, weakness,
altered mental status). Both conditions may lead to per-
manent brain damage or death if not treated promptly.
2. When dealing with an emotional- You selected C; This is correct!
ly disturbed patient, you should
be MOST concerned with: Reason: When managing any patient with an emotional
• A:gathering all of the patient's or psychiatric crisis, your primary concern is your own
medications. safety. Safely transporting the patient to the hospital is
• B:safely transporting to the hos- your ultimate goal. If possible, you should attempt to
pital. obtain a medical history and should take any of the pa-
• C:whether the patient could tient's prescribed medications to the hospital. However,
harm you. this should not supercede your own safety or interfere
• D:obtaining a complete medical with safely transporting the patient.
history.
3. You are at the scene where a You selected B; This is correct!
man panicked while swimming in
a small lake. Your initial attempt Reason: General rules to follow when attempting to res-
to rescue him should include: cue a patient from the water include "reach, throw, row,
• A:rowing a small raft to the vic- and then go." In this case, you should attempt to reach
, NREMT Practice Test Bank - Multiple Choice
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_2ey0j6
tim. the victim by having him grab hold of a large stick or
• B:reaching for the victim with a similar object. If this is unsuccessful, throw the victim a
long stick. rope or flotation device (if available). If these are not
• C:throwing a rope to the victim. available, row to the patient in a small raft (if available).
• D:swimming to the victim to res- Going into the water to retrieve the victim is a last resort.
cue him. The rescuer must be a strong swimmer because patients
who are in danger of drowning are in a state of blind
panic and will make every attempt to keep themselves
afloat, even if it means forcing the rescuer underwater.
4. How should you classify a pa- The correct answer is B;
tient's nature of illness if he or
she has a low blood glucose lev- Reason: The nature of illness (NOI) is the medical equiv-
el, bizarre behavior, and shallow alent to mechanism of injury (MOI). Altered mental status
breathing? should be the suspected NOI in any patient with any fluc-
• A:Behavioral emergency tuation in level of consciousness, which can range from
• B:Altered mental status bizarre behavior to complete unresponsiveness. Caus-
• C:Respiratory emergency es of an altered mental status include hypo- or hyper-
• D:Cardiac compromise glycemia, head trauma, stroke, behavioral crises, drug
overdose, and shock, among others.
5. A young female is unresponsive The correct answer is C;
after overdosing on an unknown
type of drug. Her respirations are Reason: Of the drugs listed, cocaine would be the least
slow and shallow and her pulse likely cause of the patient's condition. Cocaine is a central
is slow and weak. Which of the nervous system (CNS) stimulant; you would expect her
following drugs is the LEAST likely to be hypertensive, tachycardic, tachypneic, and perhaps
cause of her condition? even violent. Heroin, Valium, and Seconal are all CNS
• A:Seconal depressants and could explain her condition. Heroin is
• B:Heroin an illegal narcotic (opiate), Valium is a benzodiazepine
• C:Cocaine sedative-hypnotic drug, and Seconal is a barbiturate.
• D:Valium Narcotics, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates are all CNS
, NREMT Practice Test Bank - Multiple Choice
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_2ey0j6
depressants. When taken in excess, they cause a de-
creased level of consciousness, respiratory depression,
bradycardia, and hypotension.
6. Activated charcoal is contraindi- You selected D; This is correct!
cated for a patient who is:
• A:conscious and alert and has Reason:Activated charcoal adsorbs (sticks to) many in-
ingested a large amount of gested substances, preventing them from being ab-
Motrin. sorbed into the body by the stomach or intestines. In
• B:emotionally upset and has in- some cases, you may give activated charcoal to patients
gested two bottles of aspirin. who have ingested certain substances, if approved by
• C:agitated and claims to have medical control or local protocol. Activated charcoal is
ingested a bottle of Tylenol. contraindicated for patients who have ingested an acid
• D:awake and alert and has swal- or alkali (ie, drain cleaner) or a petroleum product (ie,
lowed a commercial drain clean- gasoline), who have a decreased level of consciousness
er. and cannot protect their own airway, or who are unable
to swallow.
7. The MOST obvious way to reduce you selected D; This is correct!
heat loss from radiation and con-
vection is to: Reason:In a cold environment, the body has two ways
• A:move away from a cold ob- of staying warm: generating heat (thermogenesis) and
ject. reducing heat loss. Radiation is the transfer of heat by
• B:increase metabolism by shiv- radiant energy. The body can lose heat by radiation, such
ering. as when a person stands in a cold room. Convection
• C:wear a thick wind-proof jack- occurs when heat is transferred to circulating air, as when
et. cool air moves across the body's surface. A person stand-
• D:move to a warmer environ- ing in windy cold weather, wearing lightweight clothing,
ment. is losing heat to the environment mostly by convection.
The quickest and most obvious way to decrease heat
loss from radiation and convection is to move out of the
cold environment and seek shelter from wind. Shivering
, NREMT Practice Test Bank - Multiple Choice
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_2ey0j6
increases the body's metabolism and is a mechanism
for generating heat, not reducing heat loss. Layers of
clothing trap air and provide excellent insulation; thus,
layered clothing decreases heat loss better than a single,
thick jacket. Conduction is the direct transfer of heat from
a part of the body to a colder object by direct contact, as
when a warm hand touches cold metal or ice. The most
obvious way to decrease heat loss by conduction is to
remove your hand from the cold object.
8. A near-drowning is MOST accu- You selected C; This is correct!
rately defined as:
• A:complications within 24 hours Reason:Collectively, drowning and near-drowning are re-
following submersion in water. ferred to as submersion injuries. Drowning is defined
• B:immediate death due to pro- as death after submersion in a liquid medium, usually
longed submersion in water. water. In a drowning, death is either immediate or occurs
• C:survival for at least 24 hours within 24 hours following submersion. Near-drowning is
following submersion in water. defined as survival, at least temporarily (24 hours), after
• D:death greater than 24 hours submersion. It should be noted, however, that compli-
following submersion in water. cations such as pneumonia and pulmonary edema can
cause death greater than 24 hours following submersion.
For this reason, all patients with a submersion injury
should be transported to the hospital, even if they appear
fine at the scene.
9. A young woman reports sig- You selected B; This is correct!
nificant weight loss over the
last month, persistent fever, and Reason:Weight loss, fever, and night sweats could indi-
night sweats. When you assess cate tuberculosis or HIV/AIDS; however, the dark purple
her, you note the presence of lesions on the skin, which are called Kaposi's sarcoma, are
dark purple lesions covering her malignant skin tumors and are a classic finding in patients
trunk and upper extremities. You in the later stages of AIDS.
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1. Hypoglycemia and acute is- • A:both oxygen and glucose are needed for brain func-
chemic stroke can present simi- tion.
larly because:
Reason: Although stroke and hypoglycemia are two dis-
• A:both oxygen and glucose are tinctly different conditions, their signs and symptoms are
needed for brain function. often similar. This is because the brain requires both oxy-
• B:the majority of stroke patients gen and glucose to function normally. An acute ischemic
have a history of diabetes. stroke is caused by a lack of oxygen to a part of the brain
• C:the most common cause of a due to a blocked cerebral artery, whereas hypoglycemia
stroke is hypoglycemia. (low blood glucose level) deprives the entire brain of
• D:they are both caused by low glucose. In either case, the patient presents with signs
levels of glucose in the blood. of impaired brain function (ie, slurred speech, weakness,
altered mental status). Both conditions may lead to per-
manent brain damage or death if not treated promptly.
2. When dealing with an emotional- You selected C; This is correct!
ly disturbed patient, you should
be MOST concerned with: Reason: When managing any patient with an emotional
• A:gathering all of the patient's or psychiatric crisis, your primary concern is your own
medications. safety. Safely transporting the patient to the hospital is
• B:safely transporting to the hos- your ultimate goal. If possible, you should attempt to
pital. obtain a medical history and should take any of the pa-
• C:whether the patient could tient's prescribed medications to the hospital. However,
harm you. this should not supercede your own safety or interfere
• D:obtaining a complete medical with safely transporting the patient.
history.
3. You are at the scene where a You selected B; This is correct!
man panicked while swimming in
a small lake. Your initial attempt Reason: General rules to follow when attempting to res-
to rescue him should include: cue a patient from the water include "reach, throw, row,
• A:rowing a small raft to the vic- and then go." In this case, you should attempt to reach
, NREMT Practice Test Bank - Multiple Choice
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_2ey0j6
tim. the victim by having him grab hold of a large stick or
• B:reaching for the victim with a similar object. If this is unsuccessful, throw the victim a
long stick. rope or flotation device (if available). If these are not
• C:throwing a rope to the victim. available, row to the patient in a small raft (if available).
• D:swimming to the victim to res- Going into the water to retrieve the victim is a last resort.
cue him. The rescuer must be a strong swimmer because patients
who are in danger of drowning are in a state of blind
panic and will make every attempt to keep themselves
afloat, even if it means forcing the rescuer underwater.
4. How should you classify a pa- The correct answer is B;
tient's nature of illness if he or
she has a low blood glucose lev- Reason: The nature of illness (NOI) is the medical equiv-
el, bizarre behavior, and shallow alent to mechanism of injury (MOI). Altered mental status
breathing? should be the suspected NOI in any patient with any fluc-
• A:Behavioral emergency tuation in level of consciousness, which can range from
• B:Altered mental status bizarre behavior to complete unresponsiveness. Caus-
• C:Respiratory emergency es of an altered mental status include hypo- or hyper-
• D:Cardiac compromise glycemia, head trauma, stroke, behavioral crises, drug
overdose, and shock, among others.
5. A young female is unresponsive The correct answer is C;
after overdosing on an unknown
type of drug. Her respirations are Reason: Of the drugs listed, cocaine would be the least
slow and shallow and her pulse likely cause of the patient's condition. Cocaine is a central
is slow and weak. Which of the nervous system (CNS) stimulant; you would expect her
following drugs is the LEAST likely to be hypertensive, tachycardic, tachypneic, and perhaps
cause of her condition? even violent. Heroin, Valium, and Seconal are all CNS
• A:Seconal depressants and could explain her condition. Heroin is
• B:Heroin an illegal narcotic (opiate), Valium is a benzodiazepine
• C:Cocaine sedative-hypnotic drug, and Seconal is a barbiturate.
• D:Valium Narcotics, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates are all CNS
, NREMT Practice Test Bank - Multiple Choice
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_2ey0j6
depressants. When taken in excess, they cause a de-
creased level of consciousness, respiratory depression,
bradycardia, and hypotension.
6. Activated charcoal is contraindi- You selected D; This is correct!
cated for a patient who is:
• A:conscious and alert and has Reason:Activated charcoal adsorbs (sticks to) many in-
ingested a large amount of gested substances, preventing them from being ab-
Motrin. sorbed into the body by the stomach or intestines. In
• B:emotionally upset and has in- some cases, you may give activated charcoal to patients
gested two bottles of aspirin. who have ingested certain substances, if approved by
• C:agitated and claims to have medical control or local protocol. Activated charcoal is
ingested a bottle of Tylenol. contraindicated for patients who have ingested an acid
• D:awake and alert and has swal- or alkali (ie, drain cleaner) or a petroleum product (ie,
lowed a commercial drain clean- gasoline), who have a decreased level of consciousness
er. and cannot protect their own airway, or who are unable
to swallow.
7. The MOST obvious way to reduce you selected D; This is correct!
heat loss from radiation and con-
vection is to: Reason:In a cold environment, the body has two ways
• A:move away from a cold ob- of staying warm: generating heat (thermogenesis) and
ject. reducing heat loss. Radiation is the transfer of heat by
• B:increase metabolism by shiv- radiant energy. The body can lose heat by radiation, such
ering. as when a person stands in a cold room. Convection
• C:wear a thick wind-proof jack- occurs when heat is transferred to circulating air, as when
et. cool air moves across the body's surface. A person stand-
• D:move to a warmer environ- ing in windy cold weather, wearing lightweight clothing,
ment. is losing heat to the environment mostly by convection.
The quickest and most obvious way to decrease heat
loss from radiation and convection is to move out of the
cold environment and seek shelter from wind. Shivering
, NREMT Practice Test Bank - Multiple Choice
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_2ey0j6
increases the body's metabolism and is a mechanism
for generating heat, not reducing heat loss. Layers of
clothing trap air and provide excellent insulation; thus,
layered clothing decreases heat loss better than a single,
thick jacket. Conduction is the direct transfer of heat from
a part of the body to a colder object by direct contact, as
when a warm hand touches cold metal or ice. The most
obvious way to decrease heat loss by conduction is to
remove your hand from the cold object.
8. A near-drowning is MOST accu- You selected C; This is correct!
rately defined as:
• A:complications within 24 hours Reason:Collectively, drowning and near-drowning are re-
following submersion in water. ferred to as submersion injuries. Drowning is defined
• B:immediate death due to pro- as death after submersion in a liquid medium, usually
longed submersion in water. water. In a drowning, death is either immediate or occurs
• C:survival for at least 24 hours within 24 hours following submersion. Near-drowning is
following submersion in water. defined as survival, at least temporarily (24 hours), after
• D:death greater than 24 hours submersion. It should be noted, however, that compli-
following submersion in water. cations such as pneumonia and pulmonary edema can
cause death greater than 24 hours following submersion.
For this reason, all patients with a submersion injury
should be transported to the hospital, even if they appear
fine at the scene.
9. A young woman reports sig- You selected B; This is correct!
nificant weight loss over the
last month, persistent fever, and Reason:Weight loss, fever, and night sweats could indi-
night sweats. When you assess cate tuberculosis or HIV/AIDS; however, the dark purple
her, you note the presence of lesions on the skin, which are called Kaposi's sarcoma, are
dark purple lesions covering her malignant skin tumors and are a classic finding in patients
trunk and upper extremities. You in the later stages of AIDS.
