West Coast EMT Block Exam #1
__________ rays easily penetrate through the human body and require lead or several inches
of concrete to prevent penetration.
Select one:
A. Alpha
B. Neutron
C. Gamma
D. Beta - ANS -C. Gamma
\"Chondro" in the word chondritis means:
Select one:
A. joint.
B. rib.
C. cartilage.
D. tendon. - ANS -C. cartilage.
\"Gastro" in the word "gastroenteritis" means:
Select one:
A. tongue.
B. intestine.
C. bowel.
D. stomach. - ANS -D. stomach.
\"Myo" in the word myocarditis means:
Select one:
A. vein.
B. muscle.
C. bone.
D. cartilage. - ANS -B. muscle.
\A 16-year-old female complains of vaginal bleeding and abdominal cramping that began
several hours ago. During your assessment interview, you should:
Select one:
A. inquire about the possibility of pregnancy in private, if possible.
B. avoid asking questions that she will feel uncomfortable answering.
C. obtain the majority of your information from one of her parents.
D. recall that patients in this age group prefer not to be treated as adults. - ANS -A. inquire
about the possibility of pregnancy in private, if possible.
\A 19-year-old female has just been extricated from her severely damaged car. She is on a long
backboard and has been moved to a place of safety. As your partner maintains manual
stabilization of her head, you perform a rapid assessment. The patient is unresponsive, has
slow and shallow respirations, and has bilaterally closed femur deformities. You should:
Select one:
A. stabilize her legs with long board splints.
B. apply oxygen via a nonrebreathing mask.
,C. obtain baseline vital signs and transport at once.
D. direct your partner to begin ventilatory assistance. - ANS -D. direct your partner to begin
ventilatory assistance.
\A 33-year-old restrained driver of a motor vehicle crash is awake and alert, complaining only of
neck pain and left leg pain. The vehicle is stable and no hazards are present. When removing
this patient from his vehicle, you should:
Select one:
A. apply a full leg splint prior to extrication.
B. use the rapid extrication technique.
C. maintain slight traction to his neck area.
D. immobilize him with a vest-style device. - ANS -D. immobilize him with a vest-style device.
\A 4-year-old boy had an apparent seizure. He is conscious and calm and is sitting on his
mother's lap. His father is sitting in a nearby chair. The child's mother suddenly begins crying
uncontrollably, which causes the child to start crying. You should:
Select one:
A. attempt to calm the child's mother, but avoid separating her from her child because this will
increase her anxiety.
B. ask the father to hold the child so you can assess him while your partner tries to calm the
mother.
C. reassure the child's mother that seizures in children are very common and that there is
nothing to worry about.
D. give the child a favorite toy or blanket to hold onto and perform your assessment to the best
of your ability. - ANS -B. ask the father to hold the child so you can assess him while your
partner tries to calm the mother.
\A 5-year-old boy has fallen and has a severe deformity of the forearm near the wrist. He has
possibly sustained a fracture of the ____________ forearm.
Select one:
A. superior
B. dorsal
C. distal
D. proximal - ANS -C. distal
\A diabetic patient has polydipsia. This means that she:
Select one:
A. is excessively thirsty.
B. is unable to swallow.
C. urinates frequently.
D. has low blood sugar. - ANS -A. is excessively thirsty.
\A medical transport helicopter is incoming and you are responsible for setting up the landing
zone (LZ). You should:
Select one:
A. use yellow caution tape to mark of the LZ perimeter.
B. ask bystanders to stand at all four corners of the LZ.
C. place four flares 100 feet apart in an "X" pattern.
,D. use weighted cones to mark all four corners of the LZ. - ANS -D. use weighted cones to mark
all four corners of the LZ.
\A normal systolic blood pressure for a 30-year-old is between:
Select one:
A. 70 and 140 mm Hg.
B. 80 and 120 mm Hg.
C. 60 and 120 mm Hg.
D. 90 and 140 mm Hg. - ANS -D. 90 and 140 mm Hg.
\A patient has fractured both femurs. Anatomically, these injuries would be described as being:
Select one:
A. bilateral.
B. medial.
C. proximal.
D. unilateral. - ANS -A. bilateral.
\A supervisor who has more than seven people reporting to him or her:
Select one:
A. has exceeded an effective span of control and should divide tasks and delegate the
supervision of some tasks to another person.
B. is more beneficial to the overall effort than a supervisor with fewer personnel because his or
her team can accomplish more tasks.
C. should assign a specific task to each person reporting to him or her and regularly follow up to
ensure that the tasks were carried out.
D. should regularly report to the incident commander (IC) to inform him or her of the functions
that his or her team is performing. - ANS -A. has exceeded an effective span of control and
should divide tasks and delegate the supervision of some tasks to another person.
\A type _____ ambulance features a conventional, truck cab-chassis with a modular ambulance
body that can be transferred to a newer chassis as needed.
Select one:
A. I
B. III
C. II
D. IV - ANS -A. I
\According to the START triage system, what should you do if a patient is found to have a
respiratory rate of 24 breaths/min?
Select one:
A. Administer high-flow oxygen.
B. Triage the patient as delayed.
C. Assess for bilateral radial pulses.
D. Assess his or her neurologic status. - ANS -C. Assess for bilateral radial pulses.
\After applying a tourniquet, the injury from a patient's leg stops bleeding. This is called:
Select one:
A. hematemesis.
B. hemiplegia.
C. hemolysis.
, D. hemostasis. - ANS -D. hemostasis.
\After assessing a patient's blood glucose level, you accidentally stick yourself with the
contaminated lancet. You should:
Select one:
A. get immunized against hepatitis as soon as possible.
B. report the incident to your supervisor after the call.
C. discontinue patient care and seek medical attention.
D. immerse your wound in an alcohol-based solution. - ANS -B. report the incident to your
supervisor after the call.
\After eating at a local restaurant, a 20-year-old male complains of blurred vision, difficulty
speaking, and difficulty breathing. He is conscious; however, his respirations are profoundly
labored and producing minimal tidal volume. You should:
Select one:
A. assist his ventilations with high-flow oxygen.
B. position him supine and elevate his legs.
C. apply oxygen via a nonrebreathing mask.
D. request a paramedic to administer atropine. - ANS -A. assist his ventilations with high-flow
oxygen.
\After primary triage, the triage supervisor should communicate all of the following information to
the medical branch officer, EXCEPT:
Select one:
A. the number of patients in each triage category.
B. the total number of patients that have been triaged.
C. the recommended transport destination for each patient.
D. recommendations for movement to the treatment area. - ANS -C. the recommended transport
destination for each patient.
\All of the following are vesicant agents, EXCEPT:
Select one:
A. sulfur mustard.
B. sarin.
C. lewisite.
D. phosgene oxime. - ANS -B. sarin.
\American Heart Association protocols are based on __________.
Select one:
A. theories ready for field trial
B. trends in the EMS community
C. opinions from a core group of cardiologists
D. evidence-based research - ANS -D. evidence-based research
\An attack on an abortion clinic would MOST likely be carried out by a(n):
Select one:
A. doomsday cult.
B. single-issue group.
C. extremist political group.
D. violent religious group. - ANS -B. single-issue group.
__________ rays easily penetrate through the human body and require lead or several inches
of concrete to prevent penetration.
Select one:
A. Alpha
B. Neutron
C. Gamma
D. Beta - ANS -C. Gamma
\"Chondro" in the word chondritis means:
Select one:
A. joint.
B. rib.
C. cartilage.
D. tendon. - ANS -C. cartilage.
\"Gastro" in the word "gastroenteritis" means:
Select one:
A. tongue.
B. intestine.
C. bowel.
D. stomach. - ANS -D. stomach.
\"Myo" in the word myocarditis means:
Select one:
A. vein.
B. muscle.
C. bone.
D. cartilage. - ANS -B. muscle.
\A 16-year-old female complains of vaginal bleeding and abdominal cramping that began
several hours ago. During your assessment interview, you should:
Select one:
A. inquire about the possibility of pregnancy in private, if possible.
B. avoid asking questions that she will feel uncomfortable answering.
C. obtain the majority of your information from one of her parents.
D. recall that patients in this age group prefer not to be treated as adults. - ANS -A. inquire
about the possibility of pregnancy in private, if possible.
\A 19-year-old female has just been extricated from her severely damaged car. She is on a long
backboard and has been moved to a place of safety. As your partner maintains manual
stabilization of her head, you perform a rapid assessment. The patient is unresponsive, has
slow and shallow respirations, and has bilaterally closed femur deformities. You should:
Select one:
A. stabilize her legs with long board splints.
B. apply oxygen via a nonrebreathing mask.
,C. obtain baseline vital signs and transport at once.
D. direct your partner to begin ventilatory assistance. - ANS -D. direct your partner to begin
ventilatory assistance.
\A 33-year-old restrained driver of a motor vehicle crash is awake and alert, complaining only of
neck pain and left leg pain. The vehicle is stable and no hazards are present. When removing
this patient from his vehicle, you should:
Select one:
A. apply a full leg splint prior to extrication.
B. use the rapid extrication technique.
C. maintain slight traction to his neck area.
D. immobilize him with a vest-style device. - ANS -D. immobilize him with a vest-style device.
\A 4-year-old boy had an apparent seizure. He is conscious and calm and is sitting on his
mother's lap. His father is sitting in a nearby chair. The child's mother suddenly begins crying
uncontrollably, which causes the child to start crying. You should:
Select one:
A. attempt to calm the child's mother, but avoid separating her from her child because this will
increase her anxiety.
B. ask the father to hold the child so you can assess him while your partner tries to calm the
mother.
C. reassure the child's mother that seizures in children are very common and that there is
nothing to worry about.
D. give the child a favorite toy or blanket to hold onto and perform your assessment to the best
of your ability. - ANS -B. ask the father to hold the child so you can assess him while your
partner tries to calm the mother.
\A 5-year-old boy has fallen and has a severe deformity of the forearm near the wrist. He has
possibly sustained a fracture of the ____________ forearm.
Select one:
A. superior
B. dorsal
C. distal
D. proximal - ANS -C. distal
\A diabetic patient has polydipsia. This means that she:
Select one:
A. is excessively thirsty.
B. is unable to swallow.
C. urinates frequently.
D. has low blood sugar. - ANS -A. is excessively thirsty.
\A medical transport helicopter is incoming and you are responsible for setting up the landing
zone (LZ). You should:
Select one:
A. use yellow caution tape to mark of the LZ perimeter.
B. ask bystanders to stand at all four corners of the LZ.
C. place four flares 100 feet apart in an "X" pattern.
,D. use weighted cones to mark all four corners of the LZ. - ANS -D. use weighted cones to mark
all four corners of the LZ.
\A normal systolic blood pressure for a 30-year-old is between:
Select one:
A. 70 and 140 mm Hg.
B. 80 and 120 mm Hg.
C. 60 and 120 mm Hg.
D. 90 and 140 mm Hg. - ANS -D. 90 and 140 mm Hg.
\A patient has fractured both femurs. Anatomically, these injuries would be described as being:
Select one:
A. bilateral.
B. medial.
C. proximal.
D. unilateral. - ANS -A. bilateral.
\A supervisor who has more than seven people reporting to him or her:
Select one:
A. has exceeded an effective span of control and should divide tasks and delegate the
supervision of some tasks to another person.
B. is more beneficial to the overall effort than a supervisor with fewer personnel because his or
her team can accomplish more tasks.
C. should assign a specific task to each person reporting to him or her and regularly follow up to
ensure that the tasks were carried out.
D. should regularly report to the incident commander (IC) to inform him or her of the functions
that his or her team is performing. - ANS -A. has exceeded an effective span of control and
should divide tasks and delegate the supervision of some tasks to another person.
\A type _____ ambulance features a conventional, truck cab-chassis with a modular ambulance
body that can be transferred to a newer chassis as needed.
Select one:
A. I
B. III
C. II
D. IV - ANS -A. I
\According to the START triage system, what should you do if a patient is found to have a
respiratory rate of 24 breaths/min?
Select one:
A. Administer high-flow oxygen.
B. Triage the patient as delayed.
C. Assess for bilateral radial pulses.
D. Assess his or her neurologic status. - ANS -C. Assess for bilateral radial pulses.
\After applying a tourniquet, the injury from a patient's leg stops bleeding. This is called:
Select one:
A. hematemesis.
B. hemiplegia.
C. hemolysis.
, D. hemostasis. - ANS -D. hemostasis.
\After assessing a patient's blood glucose level, you accidentally stick yourself with the
contaminated lancet. You should:
Select one:
A. get immunized against hepatitis as soon as possible.
B. report the incident to your supervisor after the call.
C. discontinue patient care and seek medical attention.
D. immerse your wound in an alcohol-based solution. - ANS -B. report the incident to your
supervisor after the call.
\After eating at a local restaurant, a 20-year-old male complains of blurred vision, difficulty
speaking, and difficulty breathing. He is conscious; however, his respirations are profoundly
labored and producing minimal tidal volume. You should:
Select one:
A. assist his ventilations with high-flow oxygen.
B. position him supine and elevate his legs.
C. apply oxygen via a nonrebreathing mask.
D. request a paramedic to administer atropine. - ANS -A. assist his ventilations with high-flow
oxygen.
\After primary triage, the triage supervisor should communicate all of the following information to
the medical branch officer, EXCEPT:
Select one:
A. the number of patients in each triage category.
B. the total number of patients that have been triaged.
C. the recommended transport destination for each patient.
D. recommendations for movement to the treatment area. - ANS -C. the recommended transport
destination for each patient.
\All of the following are vesicant agents, EXCEPT:
Select one:
A. sulfur mustard.
B. sarin.
C. lewisite.
D. phosgene oxime. - ANS -B. sarin.
\American Heart Association protocols are based on __________.
Select one:
A. theories ready for field trial
B. trends in the EMS community
C. opinions from a core group of cardiologists
D. evidence-based research - ANS -D. evidence-based research
\An attack on an abortion clinic would MOST likely be carried out by a(n):
Select one:
A. doomsday cult.
B. single-issue group.
C. extremist political group.
D. violent religious group. - ANS -B. single-issue group.
