West Coast EMT Block 4 Exam Questions
and Verified Answers
Question 1
A 33-year-old male sustained an abdominal evisceration to the left lower quadrant of
his abdomen after he was cut with a large knife. After appropriately managing his
ABCs and assessing him for other life-threatening injuries, how you should care for his
wound?
Select one:
A. Irrigate it with sterile water and cover it with a dry dressing.
B. Carefully replace the exposed bowel into the abdomen and transport.
C. Cover the exposed bowel and keep his legs in a straight position.
D. Cover it with moist, sterile gauze and secure with an occlusive dressing.
Correct Answer
D. Cover it with moist, sterile gauze and secure with an occlusive dressing.
Question 2
Hyperextension injuries of the spine are MOST commonly the result of:
Select one:
A. diving.
B. hangings.
C. falls.
D. compression.
Correct Answer
B. hangings.
Page 1 of 56
,Question 3
The five sections of the spinal column, in descending order, are the:
Select one:
A. thoracic, cervical, lumbar, coccygeal, and sacral.
B. cervical, coccygeal, thoracic, sacral, and lumbar.
C. coccygeal, sacral, lumbar, thoracic, and cervical.
D. cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal.
Correct Answer
D. cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal.
Question 4
Which of the following statements regarding abdominal eviscerations is correct?
Select one:
A. Most eviscerations occur to the left upper quadrant.
B. The protruding organs should be kept warm and moist.
C. The organs should be replaced carefully to avoid heat loss.
D. Adherent material is preferred when covering an evisceration.
Correct Answer
B. The protruding organs should be kept warm and moist.
Question 5
What mechanism(s) does the body use to control bleeding?
Select one:
A. Clotting
B. Coagulation
C. Vasoconstriction
D. All of these answers are correct.
Correct Answer
D. All of these answers are correct.
Page 2 of 56
,Question 6
You arrive at the scene of a major motor vehicle crash. The patient, a 50-year-old
female, was removed from her vehicle prior to your arrival. Bystanders who removed
her state that she was not wearing a seatbelt. The patient is unresponsive, tachycardic,
and diaphoretic. Your assessment reveals bilaterally clear and equal breath sounds, a
midline trachea, and collapsed jugular veins. You should be MOST suspicious that this
patient has experienced a:
Select one:
A. pericardial tamponade.
B. laceration of the aorta.
C. massive hemothorax.
D. tension pneumothorax.
Correct Answer
B. laceration of the aorta.
Question 7
According to the Association of Air Medical Services, you should consider air medical
transport of a trauma patient if:
Select one:
A. the patient requires advanced life support care and stabilization, and the nearest
ALS-ground ambulance is more than 5 to 10 minutes away.
B. traffic conditions hamper the ability to get the patient to a trauma center by
ground within the ideal time frame for the best clinical outcome.
C. ground transport will take your ambulance out of service for an extended period of
time, regardless of the severity of the patient's injuries.
D. he or she was involved in a motor vehicle crash in which another occupant in the
same vehicle was killed, even if your patient's injuries are minor.
Correct Answer
B. traffic conditions hamper the ability to get the patient to a trauma center by
ground within the ideal time frame for the best clinical outcome.
Page 3 of 56
, Question 8
A simple pneumothorax:
Select one:
A. heals on its own without any treatment.
B. often has a nontraumatic cause.
C. is commonly caused by blunt chest trauma.
D. is caused by penetrating chest trauma.
Correct Answer
C. is commonly caused by blunt chest trauma.
Question 9
The thoracic cavity is separated from the abdominal cavity by the:
Select one:
A. intercostal margin.
B. costovertebral angle.
C. diaphragm.
D. anterior rib cage.
Correct Answer
C. diaphragm.
Question 10
With regard to musculoskeletal injuries, the zone of injury is defined as the:
Select one:
A. part of the body that sustained secondary injury.
B. area of obvious deformity over the site of impact.
C. area of soft-tissue damage surrounding the injury.
D. exact part of the bone or joint that was disrupted.
Correct Answer
C. area of soft-tissue damage surrounding the injury.
Page 4 of 56
and Verified Answers
Question 1
A 33-year-old male sustained an abdominal evisceration to the left lower quadrant of
his abdomen after he was cut with a large knife. After appropriately managing his
ABCs and assessing him for other life-threatening injuries, how you should care for his
wound?
Select one:
A. Irrigate it with sterile water and cover it with a dry dressing.
B. Carefully replace the exposed bowel into the abdomen and transport.
C. Cover the exposed bowel and keep his legs in a straight position.
D. Cover it with moist, sterile gauze and secure with an occlusive dressing.
Correct Answer
D. Cover it with moist, sterile gauze and secure with an occlusive dressing.
Question 2
Hyperextension injuries of the spine are MOST commonly the result of:
Select one:
A. diving.
B. hangings.
C. falls.
D. compression.
Correct Answer
B. hangings.
Page 1 of 56
,Question 3
The five sections of the spinal column, in descending order, are the:
Select one:
A. thoracic, cervical, lumbar, coccygeal, and sacral.
B. cervical, coccygeal, thoracic, sacral, and lumbar.
C. coccygeal, sacral, lumbar, thoracic, and cervical.
D. cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal.
Correct Answer
D. cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal.
Question 4
Which of the following statements regarding abdominal eviscerations is correct?
Select one:
A. Most eviscerations occur to the left upper quadrant.
B. The protruding organs should be kept warm and moist.
C. The organs should be replaced carefully to avoid heat loss.
D. Adherent material is preferred when covering an evisceration.
Correct Answer
B. The protruding organs should be kept warm and moist.
Question 5
What mechanism(s) does the body use to control bleeding?
Select one:
A. Clotting
B. Coagulation
C. Vasoconstriction
D. All of these answers are correct.
Correct Answer
D. All of these answers are correct.
Page 2 of 56
,Question 6
You arrive at the scene of a major motor vehicle crash. The patient, a 50-year-old
female, was removed from her vehicle prior to your arrival. Bystanders who removed
her state that she was not wearing a seatbelt. The patient is unresponsive, tachycardic,
and diaphoretic. Your assessment reveals bilaterally clear and equal breath sounds, a
midline trachea, and collapsed jugular veins. You should be MOST suspicious that this
patient has experienced a:
Select one:
A. pericardial tamponade.
B. laceration of the aorta.
C. massive hemothorax.
D. tension pneumothorax.
Correct Answer
B. laceration of the aorta.
Question 7
According to the Association of Air Medical Services, you should consider air medical
transport of a trauma patient if:
Select one:
A. the patient requires advanced life support care and stabilization, and the nearest
ALS-ground ambulance is more than 5 to 10 minutes away.
B. traffic conditions hamper the ability to get the patient to a trauma center by
ground within the ideal time frame for the best clinical outcome.
C. ground transport will take your ambulance out of service for an extended period of
time, regardless of the severity of the patient's injuries.
D. he or she was involved in a motor vehicle crash in which another occupant in the
same vehicle was killed, even if your patient's injuries are minor.
Correct Answer
B. traffic conditions hamper the ability to get the patient to a trauma center by
ground within the ideal time frame for the best clinical outcome.
Page 3 of 56
, Question 8
A simple pneumothorax:
Select one:
A. heals on its own without any treatment.
B. often has a nontraumatic cause.
C. is commonly caused by blunt chest trauma.
D. is caused by penetrating chest trauma.
Correct Answer
C. is commonly caused by blunt chest trauma.
Question 9
The thoracic cavity is separated from the abdominal cavity by the:
Select one:
A. intercostal margin.
B. costovertebral angle.
C. diaphragm.
D. anterior rib cage.
Correct Answer
C. diaphragm.
Question 10
With regard to musculoskeletal injuries, the zone of injury is defined as the:
Select one:
A. part of the body that sustained secondary injury.
B. area of obvious deformity over the site of impact.
C. area of soft-tissue damage surrounding the injury.
D. exact part of the bone or joint that was disrupted.
Correct Answer
C. area of soft-tissue damage surrounding the injury.
Page 4 of 56
