Emergency Medicine Midterm
Exam Questions and Answers
Latest Versions 2025 A+
What triage level is acute psychosis?
Level 3
34yo female presents to the ED after a minor car accident
where they hit their head on the steering wheel. She did not
lose consciousness and is healthy aside from a headache.
Vitals are normal.
Using the 5 triage levels, how would you triage this patient?
Level 4
Head injury, alert, no vomiting
Which of the following is FALSE about asthma?A. it is a
preventable disease
B. affects over 6 million people
C. always has a trigger
D. corticosteroids are the fastest acting and are first line
therapy
E. it is a reversible bronchospasm
D. corticosteroids are the fastest acting and are first line therapy
Best tx--> beta agonists (albuterol)
- steroids prevent recurrence of asthma exacerbation
- asthma is the only reversible respiratory disease
- COPD is NOT reversible
Individuals with asthma are found to do best with which of
the following treatments?A. albuterol aloneB. anticholinergic
aloneC. steroids aloneD. albuterol + anticholinergicE.
albuterol + steroidsF. steroids + anticholinergic
D. albuterol + anticholinergic
,albuterol + anticholinergic (ipratropium) = DuoNeb
You are treating a patient in the ED for severe asthma. The
patient has just been given 3 DuoNeb treatments and they
are still "huffing and puffing", struggling to breathe and look
very unwell. What is next in your treatment plan?
A. give a 4th DuoNeb treatment
B. give an anticholinergic only nebulizer treatment
C. give 2g of magnesium IV
D. send patient home with an oral steroidE. no further
treatment can be done
C. give 2g of magnesium IV
--> "oh shit" drug, last resort but shown to work well
When you are starting a patient with severe asthma on a
DuoNeb, what else should be added to their treatment?
A. albuterol inhaler
B. oral or IV anticholinergic
C. IV magnesium
D. oral or IV steroid
D. oral or IV steroid
DuoNeb + steroid!!
- oral if they are able to go home, IV if admitting-
DuoNeb is combo of albuterol + anticholinergic
-IV magnesium used in difficult cases, not when starting tx
What chest x-ray view should be ordered for an individual in
the ED with acute pulmonary distress?
A. A-P or P-A
B. lateral
C. both A & B
D. chest x-rays can't be ordered in the ED
C. both A & B--> both views because infections can hide behind
the heart/vasculature!
,An individual with COPD presents for exacerbated
symptoms. You find that their O2 is 88%. What does this
mean?
A. they are going into acute respiratory failure
B. this value suggests human error
C. there is a problem with the O2 stat monitor
D. this is normal for someone with COPD
D. this is normal for someone with COPD
88-92% O2--> should NOT treat with oxygen
T/F
If a d-dimer is negative, you can definitively rule out a
pulmonary embolism
True
D-dimer checks for the presence of proteins that are present
when there is a blood clot
positive d-dimer --> means you need to do more tests do
determine (CTA), can't rule it out yet
negative d-dimer--> can rule out PE
T/F
If you are triaging a patient and are trying to decide between
a level 2 or 3, you should always choose level 3.
False.
- always triage UP if you are between a 2 or a 3 (especially if vital
signs are abnormal)
- level 2 more urgent
Using the 5 triage levels, how would you triage a patient that
presents after getting chemicals in their eyes while working
in a lab?
Level 2
What are the levels of triage?
, 1. Resuscitation
2. Emergent
3. Urgent
4. Less urgent
5. Non urgent
Triage level 1:
Time to nurse assessment?
Time to clinician assessment?
Resuscitation
IMMEDIATE
IMMEDIATE
What triage level?
Cardiac & respiratory arrest
Level 1- Resuscitation
What are the 5 examples for Triage Level 1?
Cardiac & respiratory arrest
Major trauma
Active seizure
Shock
Status asthmatics
What triage level is "a threat to life"?
Level 1 (resuscitation)
What triage level is shock?
Level 1 (resuscitation)
Triage level 2:
Time to nurse assessment?
Time to clinician assessment?
Emergent
Immediate
<15mins
What triage level is for "potential threat to life, limb, or
function"?
Level 2 (emergent)
What triage level:
Overdose (conscious)
Exam Questions and Answers
Latest Versions 2025 A+
What triage level is acute psychosis?
Level 3
34yo female presents to the ED after a minor car accident
where they hit their head on the steering wheel. She did not
lose consciousness and is healthy aside from a headache.
Vitals are normal.
Using the 5 triage levels, how would you triage this patient?
Level 4
Head injury, alert, no vomiting
Which of the following is FALSE about asthma?A. it is a
preventable disease
B. affects over 6 million people
C. always has a trigger
D. corticosteroids are the fastest acting and are first line
therapy
E. it is a reversible bronchospasm
D. corticosteroids are the fastest acting and are first line therapy
Best tx--> beta agonists (albuterol)
- steroids prevent recurrence of asthma exacerbation
- asthma is the only reversible respiratory disease
- COPD is NOT reversible
Individuals with asthma are found to do best with which of
the following treatments?A. albuterol aloneB. anticholinergic
aloneC. steroids aloneD. albuterol + anticholinergicE.
albuterol + steroidsF. steroids + anticholinergic
D. albuterol + anticholinergic
,albuterol + anticholinergic (ipratropium) = DuoNeb
You are treating a patient in the ED for severe asthma. The
patient has just been given 3 DuoNeb treatments and they
are still "huffing and puffing", struggling to breathe and look
very unwell. What is next in your treatment plan?
A. give a 4th DuoNeb treatment
B. give an anticholinergic only nebulizer treatment
C. give 2g of magnesium IV
D. send patient home with an oral steroidE. no further
treatment can be done
C. give 2g of magnesium IV
--> "oh shit" drug, last resort but shown to work well
When you are starting a patient with severe asthma on a
DuoNeb, what else should be added to their treatment?
A. albuterol inhaler
B. oral or IV anticholinergic
C. IV magnesium
D. oral or IV steroid
D. oral or IV steroid
DuoNeb + steroid!!
- oral if they are able to go home, IV if admitting-
DuoNeb is combo of albuterol + anticholinergic
-IV magnesium used in difficult cases, not when starting tx
What chest x-ray view should be ordered for an individual in
the ED with acute pulmonary distress?
A. A-P or P-A
B. lateral
C. both A & B
D. chest x-rays can't be ordered in the ED
C. both A & B--> both views because infections can hide behind
the heart/vasculature!
,An individual with COPD presents for exacerbated
symptoms. You find that their O2 is 88%. What does this
mean?
A. they are going into acute respiratory failure
B. this value suggests human error
C. there is a problem with the O2 stat monitor
D. this is normal for someone with COPD
D. this is normal for someone with COPD
88-92% O2--> should NOT treat with oxygen
T/F
If a d-dimer is negative, you can definitively rule out a
pulmonary embolism
True
D-dimer checks for the presence of proteins that are present
when there is a blood clot
positive d-dimer --> means you need to do more tests do
determine (CTA), can't rule it out yet
negative d-dimer--> can rule out PE
T/F
If you are triaging a patient and are trying to decide between
a level 2 or 3, you should always choose level 3.
False.
- always triage UP if you are between a 2 or a 3 (especially if vital
signs are abnormal)
- level 2 more urgent
Using the 5 triage levels, how would you triage a patient that
presents after getting chemicals in their eyes while working
in a lab?
Level 2
What are the levels of triage?
, 1. Resuscitation
2. Emergent
3. Urgent
4. Less urgent
5. Non urgent
Triage level 1:
Time to nurse assessment?
Time to clinician assessment?
Resuscitation
IMMEDIATE
IMMEDIATE
What triage level?
Cardiac & respiratory arrest
Level 1- Resuscitation
What are the 5 examples for Triage Level 1?
Cardiac & respiratory arrest
Major trauma
Active seizure
Shock
Status asthmatics
What triage level is "a threat to life"?
Level 1 (resuscitation)
What triage level is shock?
Level 1 (resuscitation)
Triage level 2:
Time to nurse assessment?
Time to clinician assessment?
Emergent
Immediate
<15mins
What triage level is for "potential threat to life, limb, or
function"?
Level 2 (emergent)
What triage level:
Overdose (conscious)
