EMR Test #1 (Chapters 1-7) Practice Questions and Answers with Complete Solutions

Which of the following MOST accurately describes an emergency medical responder (EMR)? A. An individual who provides initial advanced life support B. An individual who responds to the scene in an ambulance C. The first medically trained person to arrive at the scene D. A fire fighter or police officer who assists the paramedics - ANSWER-C. The first medically trained person to arrive at the scene Fire fighters and law enforcement personnel are likely to be the first EMRs to arrive at a scene because: A. they are trained in all aspects of an emergency call. B. they are typically paid and are on call 24 hours a day. C. most communities do not have EMTs or paramedics. D. of their location or speed in responding to the call. - ANSWER-D. of their location or speed in responding to the call. A cardiac arrest patient's most crucial contact with the EMS system occurs when: A. trained EMRs arrive at the patient's side. B. medical control is made aware of the situation. C. paramedics arrive and administer advanced care. D. the receiving hospital is made aware of the situation. - ANSWER-A. trained EMRs arrive at the patient's side. When EMTs or paramedics arrive at the scene of an emergency, the EMR should: A. accompany the patient to the receiving medical facility. B. assume that his or her assistance will no longer be required. C. assist the EMTs in continuing the care that he or she initiated. D. obtain a signature from the EMT who is assuming patient care. - ANSWER-C. assist the EMTs in continuing the care that he or she initiated. Which of the following interventions would the EMR most likely perform at the scene of a cardiac arrest? A. CPR and defibrillation B. Administration of certain medications C. Insertion of an endotracheal tube D. Initiation of an intravenous line - ANSWER-A. CPR and defibrillation Fire units are often a crucial part of the EMS system because they: A. always arrive at the scene before EMTs or paramedics. B. are better trained than EMTs to assist paramedics. C. provide specialized rescue such as patient extrication. D. provide protection and control of the scene. - ANSWER-C. provide specialized rescue such as patient extrication. Which of the following statements regarding transport of a patient to the hospital is correct? A. Patients may require immediate stabilization at the closest hospital and then transfer to another facility. B. Any sick or injured patient should be transported to the closest hospital, regardless of the patient's condition. C. EMRs are legally obligated to accompany the patient in the back of the ambulance to the hospital. D. In most states and EMS systems, EMRs are not authorized to assist the EMT in the back of the ambulance. - ANSWER-A. Patients may require immediate stabilization at the closest hospital and then transfer to another facility. A patient requires rapid transport to the hospital when: A. the patient's condition may deteriorate if he or she is not transported fairly quickly. B. EMS personnel are unable to give the patient adequate life-saving care in the field. C. traffic is extremely heavy and the patient's condition requires treatment by a physician. D. he or she requires care that can be provided only by a physician at the hospital. - ANSWER-B. EMS personnel are unable to give the patient adequate life-saving care in the field. A 33-year-old woman has a possible broken left ankle. She is in significant pain but is conscious and otherwise stable. This patient: A. should be rapidly transported to the closest hospital. B. may deteriorate and requires prompt transport. C. does not require transport to the hospital. D. requires transport but without lights and siren. - ANSWER-D. requires transport but without lights and siren. You are at the scene of a shooting. The patient, who is being cared for by paramedics, is unresponsive and has severe bleeding from his injury. In this case, the EMR's most important function is to: A. factually document the care provided to the patient. B. help keep bystanders away from the patient. C. help the paramedics prepare for rapid transport. D. report observations to law enforcement personnel. - ANSWER-C. help the paramedics prepare for rapid transport. To provide the best possible care for the patient: A. all EMS personnel must function effectively as a team. B. the medical director must be notified during every emergency. C. a paramedic must be present at each and every emergency. D. the patient must receive rapid transport to the closest hospital. - ANSWER-A. all EMS personnel must function effectively as a team. Skills commonly performed by the EMR include all of the following, except: A. intravenous therapy. B. splinting fractures. C. hemorrhage control. D. treating shock. - ANSWER-A. intravenous therapy. The EMR must possess the ability to: A. sustain a patient's life for several hours. B. avoid improvisation whenever possible. C. function at the same level as an EMT. D. treat patients using limited equipment. - ANSWER-D. treat patients using limited equipment. Which of the following pieces of equipment should be included in the EMR's life support kit? A. Manual defibrillator B. Endotracheal tubes C. Mechanical suction device D. Mouth-to-mask ventilation device - ANSWER-D. Mouth-to-mask ventilation device Components of the quality improvement process, as identified by the Institute of Medicine, include all of the following, except: A. safety. B. timeliness. C. efficiency. D. teamwork. - ANSWER-D. teamwork. Which of the following statements regarding stress is correct? A. Past experiences may make it difficult to deal with stress. B. Mass-casualty incidents typically produce low stress levels. C. Most emergency calls produce only a minor level of stress. D. Very young patients tend to cause the least amount of stress. - ANSWER-A. Past experiences may make it difficult to deal with stress. Ways in which the EMR can prevent and reduce unnecessary stress include all of the following, except: A. frequent exposure to stress-causing situations to train the mind. B. being aware of the resources and services that are available. C. adjustments in lifestyle to include stress-reducing activities. D. learning to recognize the signs and symptoms of stress. - ANSWER-A. frequent exposure to stress-causing situations to train the mind. Which of the following would most likely produce the greatest amount of stress for the EMR? A. Death B. Anger C. Exercise D. Depression - ANSWER-A. Death All of the following are part of the normal grieving process, except: A. violence B. anger C. depression D. acceptance - ANSWER-A. violence To see his grandson graduate from high school, a man with a terminal illness promises to keep all of his doctor's appointments and take all of his medications exactly as prescribed. This is an example of: A. bargaining B. acceptance C. denial D. anger - ANSWER-A. bargaining Which of the following statements regarding the acceptance stage of the grieving process is correct? A. The patient understands that the situation cannot be changed. B. The patient is satisfied with the situation during this phase. C. Acceptance is typically the first stage of the grieving process. D. It is often characterized by sadness, despair, and denial. - ANSWER-A. The patient understands that the situation cannot be changed. When you encounter a patient with a significant illness, it is important to remember that he or she: A. may be experiencing any stage of grief. B. is usually depressed and will not talk. C. ill always project anger toward you. D. has probably already accepted the situation. - ANSWER-A. may be experiencing any stage of grief. An important step in managing your own stress is the ability to: A. recognize its signs and symptoms. B. ignore its signs and symptoms. C. eliminate all stressors in your life. D. project the stress toward others. - ANSWER-A. recognize its signs and symptoms. If you are experiencing stress away from your job, you should: A. seek assistance from a mental health professional. B. spend some time away from family and friends. C. obtain a prescription for anti-anxiety medication. D. find another job not related to emergency medicine. - ANSWER-A. seek assistance from a mental health professional. A critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) is used to: A. alleviate the stress reactions caused by high-stress incidents B. determine whether any errors in patient care occurred. C. investigate potential wrongdoings by the EMS responder. D. identify the exact stressors that resulted in the stress reaction. - ANSWER-A. alleviate the stress reactions caused by high-stress incidents Which of the following infectious diseases would be the least likely to be spread by the airborne droplet route? A. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) B. Influenza C. Tuberculosis (TB) D. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) - ANSWER-A. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) The most effective way to prevent exposure to infectious diseases is to: A. follow standard precautions on all calls. B. place a mask on all patients you treat. C. ensure that your immunizations are current. D. wash your hands thoroughly after each call. - ANSWER-A. follow standard precautions on all calls. Which of the following is not part of the standard precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)? A. Use leather gloves as a barrier against blood and fluids. B. Wear a face shield if blood splatter is anticipated. C. Place needles directly in a puncture-proof container. D. Wash your hands immediately after patient contact. - ANSWER-A. Use leather gloves as a barrier against blood and fluids. In which of the following situations would the use of a gown or apron, face shield, and gloves clearly be indicated? A. Emergency childbirth B. Minor trauma C. Obtaining vital signs D. All emergency situations - ANSWER-A. Emergency childbirth You are the first responder to arrive at an emergency scene. What should you do first? A. Survey the scene for potential safety hazards. B. Access the patient and initiate the appropriate care. C. Wait in your vehicle until law enforcement arrives. D. Determine exactly how many patients are involved. - ANSWER-A. Survey the scene for potential safety hazards. In addition to ensuring your own safety, the most important guideline to follow when moving a patient is to: A. do no further harm to the patient. B. move the patient only when necessary. C. move the patient as little as possible. D. move the patient's body as a unit. - ANSWER-A. do no further harm to the patient. When moving a patient, who typically gives the command to begin the move? A. The most senior responder at the scene B. The paramedic in charge of patient care C. The rescuer at the patient's head D. The strongest rescuer at the scene - ANSWER-C. The rescuer at the patient's head If you suspect that a patient has suffered a head or spine injury, you should: A. carefully move the patient in a sitting position to avoid further injury. B. allow the patient to move slowly as you stabilize his or her head. C. move the patient quickly so that his or her spine can be immobilized. D. keep the patient's head and spine immobilized to avoid movement - ANSWER-D. keep the patient's head and spine immobilized to avoid movement Regardless of the technique you use for moving patients, you should: A. lift and lower the patient by bending your legs. B. maintain a slight curvature of your back. C. lift and lower the patient by bending your back. D. keep your arms away from your body. - ANSWER-A. lift and lower the patient by bending your legs. You and your partner are the first to arrive at the scene of a man who fell approximately 20′ (6 m) from a second-story balcony. The patient is found lying on his side. He is conscious and alert with adequate breathing. A paramedic unit is approximately 5 minutes away. You should: A. keep the patient's head and neck stabilized, tell the patient not to move, and wait for the paramedic unit to arrive at the scene. B. carefully place the patient on his back and stabilize his head and neck until the paramedic unit arrives at the scene. C. apply a cervical collar and carefully secure the patient to a short backboard or vest-style immobilization device. D. carefully immobilize the patient to a long backboard and monitor his condition until the paramedic unit arrives. - ANSWER-A. keep the patient's head and neck stabilized, tell the patient not to move, and wait for the paramedic unit to arrive at the scene. The recovery position is used for patients who are: A. unconscious and not injured. B. semiconscious with a neck injury. C. severely obese and not breathing. D. experiencing respiratory distress. - ANSWER-A. unconscious and not injured. With regard to lifting and moving, good body mechanics includes: A. using your legs and not your back when lifting. B. twisting your body slightly when lifting. C. lifting with the strong musculature of your back. D. keeping your feet no less than 3′ (1 m) apart. - ANSWER-A. using your legs and not your back when lifting. Before attempting to move any patient, you should: A. assess the patient's weight and know your physical limitations. B. put on a protective back brace to facilitate curvature of your back. C. roll the patient onto his or her side to estimate his or her weight. D. concentrate on what you are doing instead of the other rescuers. - ANSWER-A. assess the patient's weight and know your physical limitations. You are the first medically trained person to arrive at the scene of an ill person. You find the patient, a 350-pound man, sitting in a small bathroom. The patient tells you that he is extremely weak and is unable to walk. You should: A. wait for additional rescuers to arrive before trying to move him. B. apply a cervical collar and position the patient on his left side. C. use the one-person walking assist technique to move the patient. D. carefully lift the patient and move him to a more open area. - ANSWER-A. wait for additional rescuers to arrive before trying to move him. The blanket drag would be most appropriate to use to move a patient if he or she is: A. wearing clothing that is easily torn. B. in cardiac arrest and requires CPR. C. underweight and semiconscious. D. wearing a sturdy shirt but no pants. - ANSWER-A. wearing clothing that is easily torn. An elderly woman must be moved from an unsafe environment quickly. The patient is unconscious and is wearing a thin nightgown. What is the most rapid and effective way for you and your partner to move her? A. Place a blanket or rug on the ground, roll her onto it, and quickly remove her from the unsafe environment. B. Grasp the patient by the collar of her nightgown and pull her in the direction of the long axis of her body. C. Quickly log roll her onto a backboard, secure her to the board with straps, and move her to safety. D. Place her in a chair and rapidly move her to a place of safety while protecting her head and neck. - ANSWER-A. Place a blanket or rug on the ground, roll her onto it, and quickly remove her from the unsafe environment. Basic patient movement techniques require slight modification when moving a patient from a wrecked vehicle because the patient: A. is not in a lying position. B. cannot be grasped under the arms. C. is often unconscious. D. is usually trapped in the wreckage. - ANSWER-A. is not in a lying position.