Questions and Answers
1.EMTs should wear high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA)
respirators when they are in contact with contact with patients
who have which of the following?
A. HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) or AIDS (Acquired
Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
B. Tuberculosis (TB)
C. Open Wounds
D. Hepatitis B
Answer B. Tuberculosis
HEPA respirators are worn when in contact with patients airborne
infections such as TB. HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B are both blood-borne
pathogens. Contaminants from open wounds would also be blood-
borne.
2.You are called to assist a 60-year-old female who complains
of a severe headache. Upon entering the home, you smell a
strong odor of natural gas. What is your first reaction?
A. Check the patient's airway, breathing, and circulation.
B. Insert a nasopharyngeal airway and assess vital signs.
C. Remove the patient from the house to your ambulance.
,D. Open all windows and determine the source of the gas leak.
Answer C. Remove the patient from the house to your ambulance.
Your first action should be to remove your crew and the patient from
the possible noxious gas and to notify the gas company of the leak. You
may also be required to alert hazardous material response team.
Treatment for the patient will begin with an ABC assessment and
management of any problems you might encounter.
3.The most common electrical rhythm disturbance that
results in sudden cardiac arrest.
A. Pulseless Electrical Activity
B. Ventricular Fibrillation
C. Ventricular Tachycardia
D. Asystole
Answer B. Ventricular Fibrillation
Because ventricular fibrillation is the most common cause of sudden
cardiac arrest., it is critical to apply an AED on an unconscious apneic
and pulseless patient as quickly as possible. The other rhythms can also
cause a patient to be in cardiac arrest, but they do not occur as
frequently as "V-fib".
4.Which of the following is the highest priority patient?
A. 57-year-old male with chest pain and systolic blood pressure of
, 80.
B. 40-year-old female with moderate pain from a leg injury.
C. 75-year-old male who appears confused but responds to
commands.
D. 25-year-old female in labor with contractions six
minutes apart.
Answer A. 57-year-old male with chest pain and systolic blood
pressure of 80.
The patient with chest pain and systolic blood pressure less than 100 is
the highest priority patient of the four. A leg injury may be life-
threatening if the femoral artery is injured, but most often, a single
extremity injury is not a threat to life. The
elderly gentleman may be exhibiting his normal mental status, or he
may be having problems due to an ongoing health problem. You need
more information before you can make that determination, but he is not
in any imminent danger right now. Labor with contractions 6 minutes
apart is not considered imminent delivery. If you have any questions,
however, you should continue assessing this patient as well by asking
pertinent questions and checking for crowning.
5.Of the following, which body fluid has the most potential
to transmit blood-borne diseases?
A. Nasal Discharge
B. Vomitus
, C. Amniotic Fluid
D. Feces
Answer C. Amniotic Fluid
Fluids containing blood have the highest potential for disease
transmission.
6.Your patient is an 11-month-old female. How can you
determine if she has a decreased mental status and is
responsive to verbal stimuli?
A. She will be upset when you take her from her mother's arms.
B. She will be unable to tell you how old she is if you ask her.
C. She will attempt to locate her parents' voices when they speak.
D. She will try to pull away from a painful stimulus on her
toe.
Answer C. She will attempt to locate her parents' voices when they
speak.
An infant who is alert to verbal stimuli will still try to locate the parents'
voices; choice A describes an alert infant; choice D describes an infant
who is responsive to painful stimuli; choice B is incorrect because
infants of this age are not developed enough to tell you their age
regardless of their mental status.
7.What is the best method to assess circulation in an infant?