FISDAP EMT Medical Question and Answer
[2026/2027] | UPDATED ACTUAL Exam |
Latest Version
• If someone has a severe headache, seizures, and altered mental status,
what would you suspect? -✓✓ stroke
• If someone has headache, vomiting, altered mental status, and seizures,
what would you suspect? -✓✓ intracranial pressure (ICP)
• If someone has increasing ICP, what could this be? -✓✓ -hemorrhagic
stroke
-tumor
-recent head trauma.
• What is a stroke? Another name? -✓✓ -interruption of blood flow to an
area within the brain that results in the loss of brain function.
-A cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
• What is an ischemic stroke? -✓✓ blood flow through the cerebral arteries
is blocked.
• What is a hemorrhagic stroke? -✓✓ Blood forms a clot, which compresses
the brain tissue next to it.
• What can ischemic stroke be caused by? -✓✓ -thrombosis - where a clot
forms at the site of blockage
-embolus - where the clot forms in a remote area and then travels to the
site of blockage.
• The compression from a hemorrhagic stroke prevents what? -✓✓
oxygenated blood from getting into the area, and the brain cells begin to
die.
• Who are people at high risk for hemorrhagic stroke? -✓✓ -stress or
exertion
-high blood pressure
,• What is an aneurysm? -✓✓ a swelling or enlargement of the wall of an
artery resulting from a defect or weakening of the arterial wall.
• What is a symptom of a hemorrhagic stroke? -✓✓ severe headache
• When stroke-like symptoms go away on their own in less than 24 hours,
the event is called a _____ -✓✓ transient ischemic attack.
• What are the signs and symptoms of a stroke? -✓✓ a. Facial drooping
b. Sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arm, leg, or one side of the
body
c. Decreased or absent movement and sensation on one side of the body
d. Lack of muscle coordination (ataxia) or loss of balance
e. Sudden vision loss in one eye, or blurred and double vision
f. Difficulty swallowing
g. Decreased level of responsiveness
h. Speech disorders
i. Aphasia: difficulty expressing thoughts or inability to use the right words
(expressive aphasia) or difficulty understanding spoken words (receptive
aphasia)
j. Slurred speech (dysarthria)
k. Sudden and severe headache
l. Confusion
m. Dizziness
n. Weakness
o. Combativeness
p. Restlessness
q. Tongue deviation
r. Coma
• A stroke in the left hemisphere may cause ___. -✓✓ Aphasia = the
inability to produce or understand speech.
• Describe a stroke in the right hemisphere. -✓✓ -patients will understand
language and be able to speak,
-their words may be slurred and hard to understand.
, • If there is bleeding in the brain, patients may have ? -✓✓ -very high blood
pressure.
---May be the cause of the bleeding or may be caused by bleeding
• What conditions could mimic a stroke? -✓✓ -hypoglycemia
-postictal state
-subdural or epidural bleeding
• What is the postictal state? -✓✓ Period following seizure that lasts
between 5 and 30 minutes, characterized by labored respirations and some
degree of altered mental status
• What is a seizure? -✓✓ -neurologic episode caused by a surge of
electrical activity in the brain.
• Describe a generalized (tonic-clonic) seizure. -✓✓ -unconsciousness
-generalized severe twitching of all muscles
-lasts several minutes or longer.
• Tonic is what? -✓✓ muscle contraction
• Clonic is what? -✓✓ relaxation
• Describe a petit mal or absence seizure, -✓✓ -seizure may simply be
characterized by a brief lapse of consciousness in which the patient seems
to stare and not respond to anyone
-no changes in motor activity
• How long does a petit mal seizure last? -✓✓ just seconds
• Describe a partial (focal) seizure. -✓✓ Begins in one part of the brain
• Describe a simple partial seizure. -✓✓ -No change in LOC
-numbness
-weakness
-dizziness
-visual changes
-unusual smells and tastes
[2026/2027] | UPDATED ACTUAL Exam |
Latest Version
• If someone has a severe headache, seizures, and altered mental status,
what would you suspect? -✓✓ stroke
• If someone has headache, vomiting, altered mental status, and seizures,
what would you suspect? -✓✓ intracranial pressure (ICP)
• If someone has increasing ICP, what could this be? -✓✓ -hemorrhagic
stroke
-tumor
-recent head trauma.
• What is a stroke? Another name? -✓✓ -interruption of blood flow to an
area within the brain that results in the loss of brain function.
-A cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
• What is an ischemic stroke? -✓✓ blood flow through the cerebral arteries
is blocked.
• What is a hemorrhagic stroke? -✓✓ Blood forms a clot, which compresses
the brain tissue next to it.
• What can ischemic stroke be caused by? -✓✓ -thrombosis - where a clot
forms at the site of blockage
-embolus - where the clot forms in a remote area and then travels to the
site of blockage.
• The compression from a hemorrhagic stroke prevents what? -✓✓
oxygenated blood from getting into the area, and the brain cells begin to
die.
• Who are people at high risk for hemorrhagic stroke? -✓✓ -stress or
exertion
-high blood pressure
,• What is an aneurysm? -✓✓ a swelling or enlargement of the wall of an
artery resulting from a defect or weakening of the arterial wall.
• What is a symptom of a hemorrhagic stroke? -✓✓ severe headache
• When stroke-like symptoms go away on their own in less than 24 hours,
the event is called a _____ -✓✓ transient ischemic attack.
• What are the signs and symptoms of a stroke? -✓✓ a. Facial drooping
b. Sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arm, leg, or one side of the
body
c. Decreased or absent movement and sensation on one side of the body
d. Lack of muscle coordination (ataxia) or loss of balance
e. Sudden vision loss in one eye, or blurred and double vision
f. Difficulty swallowing
g. Decreased level of responsiveness
h. Speech disorders
i. Aphasia: difficulty expressing thoughts or inability to use the right words
(expressive aphasia) or difficulty understanding spoken words (receptive
aphasia)
j. Slurred speech (dysarthria)
k. Sudden and severe headache
l. Confusion
m. Dizziness
n. Weakness
o. Combativeness
p. Restlessness
q. Tongue deviation
r. Coma
• A stroke in the left hemisphere may cause ___. -✓✓ Aphasia = the
inability to produce or understand speech.
• Describe a stroke in the right hemisphere. -✓✓ -patients will understand
language and be able to speak,
-their words may be slurred and hard to understand.
, • If there is bleeding in the brain, patients may have ? -✓✓ -very high blood
pressure.
---May be the cause of the bleeding or may be caused by bleeding
• What conditions could mimic a stroke? -✓✓ -hypoglycemia
-postictal state
-subdural or epidural bleeding
• What is the postictal state? -✓✓ Period following seizure that lasts
between 5 and 30 minutes, characterized by labored respirations and some
degree of altered mental status
• What is a seizure? -✓✓ -neurologic episode caused by a surge of
electrical activity in the brain.
• Describe a generalized (tonic-clonic) seizure. -✓✓ -unconsciousness
-generalized severe twitching of all muscles
-lasts several minutes or longer.
• Tonic is what? -✓✓ muscle contraction
• Clonic is what? -✓✓ relaxation
• Describe a petit mal or absence seizure, -✓✓ -seizure may simply be
characterized by a brief lapse of consciousness in which the patient seems
to stare and not respond to anyone
-no changes in motor activity
• How long does a petit mal seizure last? -✓✓ just seconds
• Describe a partial (focal) seizure. -✓✓ Begins in one part of the brain
• Describe a simple partial seizure. -✓✓ -No change in LOC
-numbness
-weakness
-dizziness
-visual changes
-unusual smells and tastes
