EMT Chapter 13 - Respiratory
Emergencies Exam Questions and
Answers 100% Pass
Dyspnea is MOST accurately defined as: - ✔✔shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
At the onset of an acute asthma attack, patients commonly experience difficulty
breathing and: - ✔✔expiratory wheezing.
In a healthy individual, the brain stem stimulates breathing on the basis of: -
✔✔increased carbon dioxide levels.
In what area of the lungs does respiration occur? - ✔✔alveoli
A conscious and alert 29-year-old female with a history of asthma complains of
difficulty breathing that began after her morning jog. The temperature outside is 40°F
(5°C). On exam, you hear bilateral expiratory wheezing. After providing 100% oxygen,
you should: - ✔✔determine if she has been prescribed a beta-agonist inhaler.
You are dispatched to an apartment complex where a 21-year-old female has apparently
overdosed on several narcotic medications. She is semiconscious and has slow, shallow
respirations. You should: - ✔✔insert a nasopharyngeal airway and begin assisted
ventilation.
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, A 59-year-old male with a history of emphysema complains of an acute worsening of
his dyspnea and pleuritic chest pain following a forceful cough. Your assessment
reveals that he has a barrel-shaped chest, unilaterally diminished breath sounds, and
tachycardia. What is the MOST likely cause of this patient's condition? -
✔✔spontaneous pneumothorax
Which of the following statements regarding pulse oximetry is correct? - ✔✔Pulse
oximetry measures the percentage of hemoglobin that is saturated with oxygen, but
does not measure the actual hemoglobin content of the blood.
When assessing for fluid collection in the lungs during auscultation of lung sounds, you
should: - ✔✔start at the lower lung fields and determine at which level you start
hearing clear breath sounds.
An alert patient presents with a regular pattern of inhalation and exhalation and breath
sounds that are clear and equal on both sides of the chest. These findings are consistent
with: - ✔✔adequate air exchange.
A 62-year-old man with a history of congestive heart failure presents with severe
respiratory distress and an oxygen saturation of 82%. When you auscultate his lungs,
you hear widespread rales. He is conscious and alert, is able to follow simple
commands, and can only speak in two- to three-word sentences at a time. You should: -
✔✔apply a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device, monitor his blood
pressure, and observe him for signs of improvement or deterioration.
You receive a call for a 70-year-old female with respiratory distress. Her husband tells
you that she has congestive heart failure; however, he does not think that she has been
taking her medications as prescribed. The patient is laboring to breathe, appears tired,
and has cyanosis around her lips. You should: - ✔✔assist her ventilations with a bag-
mask device.
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY BRITTIE DONALD, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
Emergencies Exam Questions and
Answers 100% Pass
Dyspnea is MOST accurately defined as: - ✔✔shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
At the onset of an acute asthma attack, patients commonly experience difficulty
breathing and: - ✔✔expiratory wheezing.
In a healthy individual, the brain stem stimulates breathing on the basis of: -
✔✔increased carbon dioxide levels.
In what area of the lungs does respiration occur? - ✔✔alveoli
A conscious and alert 29-year-old female with a history of asthma complains of
difficulty breathing that began after her morning jog. The temperature outside is 40°F
(5°C). On exam, you hear bilateral expiratory wheezing. After providing 100% oxygen,
you should: - ✔✔determine if she has been prescribed a beta-agonist inhaler.
You are dispatched to an apartment complex where a 21-year-old female has apparently
overdosed on several narcotic medications. She is semiconscious and has slow, shallow
respirations. You should: - ✔✔insert a nasopharyngeal airway and begin assisted
ventilation.
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY BRITTIE DONALD, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
, A 59-year-old male with a history of emphysema complains of an acute worsening of
his dyspnea and pleuritic chest pain following a forceful cough. Your assessment
reveals that he has a barrel-shaped chest, unilaterally diminished breath sounds, and
tachycardia. What is the MOST likely cause of this patient's condition? -
✔✔spontaneous pneumothorax
Which of the following statements regarding pulse oximetry is correct? - ✔✔Pulse
oximetry measures the percentage of hemoglobin that is saturated with oxygen, but
does not measure the actual hemoglobin content of the blood.
When assessing for fluid collection in the lungs during auscultation of lung sounds, you
should: - ✔✔start at the lower lung fields and determine at which level you start
hearing clear breath sounds.
An alert patient presents with a regular pattern of inhalation and exhalation and breath
sounds that are clear and equal on both sides of the chest. These findings are consistent
with: - ✔✔adequate air exchange.
A 62-year-old man with a history of congestive heart failure presents with severe
respiratory distress and an oxygen saturation of 82%. When you auscultate his lungs,
you hear widespread rales. He is conscious and alert, is able to follow simple
commands, and can only speak in two- to three-word sentences at a time. You should: -
✔✔apply a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device, monitor his blood
pressure, and observe him for signs of improvement or deterioration.
You receive a call for a 70-year-old female with respiratory distress. Her husband tells
you that she has congestive heart failure; however, he does not think that she has been
taking her medications as prescribed. The patient is laboring to breathe, appears tired,
and has cyanosis around her lips. You should: - ✔✔assist her ventilations with a bag-
mask device.
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY BRITTIE DONALD, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
