NREMT Practice Test Bank - Multiple Choice Exam Questions
with Explanations of Answers 2025
A 22-year-old female woman was shot by her husband. Law enforcement is at the scene and has
the husband in custody. The patient is conscious, but extremely restless, and is pale and
diaphoretic. As your partner administers high-flow oxygen, you should:
• A:keep her warm by applying blankets.
• B:take her BP to detect hypotension.
• C:compare her carotid and radial pulses.
• D:look for and control any bleeding. - ANSWER-You selected D; This is correct!
Reason:
The primary assessment of any patient includes ensuring a patent airway, assessing breathing
adequacy, administering high-flow oxygen or assisting ventilations, assessing circulation, and
controlling all active bleeding. You and your partner must work as a team; as your partner
administers high-flow oxygen, you should be looking for her gunshot wound(s) and ensuring
that all bleeding is controlled. After the primary assessment and management, begin treating
her for shock (eg, applying a blanket, elevating her lower extremities [if local protocol permits])
and perform a rapid head-to-toe assessment to search for other injuries that may not have been
obvious during the primary assessment. Assess the patient's vital signs after all life-threatening
injuries or conditions have been identified and corrected.
,A 30-year-old man sustained partial-thickness burns to the anterior chest and both anterior
arms. Based on the Rule of Nines, what percentage of his body surface area has been burned?
• A:36%
• B:9%
• C:18%
• D:27% - ANSWER-The correct answer is C;
Reason:
According to the adult Rule of Nines, the anterior trunk (chest and abdomen) accounts for 18%
of the total body surface area (TBSA) and each entire arm accounts for 9%. Therefore, the
anterior chest, which is one half of the trunk, would account for 9% of the TBSA, and both
anterior arms (4.5% each) would account for 9% TBSA, for a total of 18% TBSA burned.
Snoring respirations in an unresponsive patient are usually the result of:
• A:swelling of the upper airway structures.
• B:foreign body airway obstruction.
• C:collapse of the trachea during breathing.
• D:upper airway obstruction by the tongue. - ANSWER-You selected D; This is correct!
Reason:
In an unresponsive patient, the muscles of the tongue, which attach to the mandible, relax and
fall back over the posterior pharynx. This makes obstruction by the tongue the most common
cause of airway obstruction in the unresponsive patient. Foreign body upper airway
obstructions and upper airway swelling typically produce stridor, a high-pitched sound heard
during inhalation. Collapsing of the trachea during breathing would likely present with marked
respiratory distress.
Hypoglycemia and acute ischemic stroke can present similarly because:
,• A:both oxygen and glucose are needed for brain function.
• B:the majority of stroke patients have a history of diabetes.
• C:the most common cause of a stroke is hypoglycemia.
• D:they are both caused by low levels of glucose in the blood. - ANSWER-• A:both oxygen and
glucose are needed for brain function.
Reason: Although stroke and hypoglycemia are two distinctly different conditions, their signs
and symptoms are often similar. This is because the brain requires both oxygen and glucose to
function normally. An acute ischemic stroke is caused by a lack of oxygen to a part of the brain
due to a blocked cerebral artery, whereas hypoglycemia (low blood glucose level) deprives the
entire brain of glucose. In either case, the patient presents with signs of impaired brain function
(ie, slurred speech, weakness, altered mental status). Both conditions may lead to permanent
brain damage or death if not treated promptly.
When dealing with an emotionally disturbed patient, you should be MOST concerned with:
• A:gathering all of the patient's medications.
• B:safely transporting to the hospital.
• C:whether the patient could harm you.
• D:obtaining a complete medical history. - ANSWER-You selected C; This is correct!
Reason: When managing any patient with an emotional or psychiatric crisis, your primary
concern is your own safety. Safely transporting the patient to the hospital is your ultimate goal.
If possible, you should attempt to obtain a medical history and should take any of the patient's
prescribed medications to the hospital. However, this should not supercede your own safety or
interfere with safely transporting the patient.
You are at the scene where a man panicked while swimming in a small lake. Your initial attempt
to rescue him should include:
• A:rowing a small raft to the victim.
, • B:reaching for the victim with a long stick.
• C:throwing a rope to the victim.
• D:swimming to the victim to rescue him. - ANSWER-You selected B; This is correct!
Reason: General rules to follow when attempting to rescue a patient from the water include
"reach, throw, row, and then go." In this case, you should attempt to reach the victim by having
him grab hold of a large stick or similar object. If this is unsuccessful, throw the victim a rope or
flotation device (if available). If these are not available, row to the patient in a small raft (if
available). Going into the water to retrieve the victim is a last resort. The rescuer must be a
strong swimmer because patients who are in danger of drowning are in a state of blind panic
and will make every attempt to keep themselves afloat, even if it means forcing the rescuer
underwater.
How should you classify a patient's nature of illness if he or she has a low blood glucose level,
bizarre behavior, and shallow breathing?
• A:Behavioral emergency
• B:Altered mental status
• C:Respiratory emergency
• D:Cardiac compromise - ANSWER-The correct answer is B;
Reason: The nature of illness (NOI) is the medical equivalent to mechanism of injury (MOI).
Altered mental status should be the suspected NOI in any patient with any fluctuation in level of
consciousness, which can range from bizarre behavior to complete unresponsiveness. Causes of
an altered mental status include hypo- or hyperglycemia, head trauma, stroke, behavioral crises,
drug overdose, and shock, among others.
A young female is unresponsive after overdosing on an unknown type of drug. Her respirations
are slow and shallow and her pulse is slow and weak. Which of the following drugs is the LEAST
likely cause of her condition?
• A:Seconal
with Explanations of Answers 2025
A 22-year-old female woman was shot by her husband. Law enforcement is at the scene and has
the husband in custody. The patient is conscious, but extremely restless, and is pale and
diaphoretic. As your partner administers high-flow oxygen, you should:
• A:keep her warm by applying blankets.
• B:take her BP to detect hypotension.
• C:compare her carotid and radial pulses.
• D:look for and control any bleeding. - ANSWER-You selected D; This is correct!
Reason:
The primary assessment of any patient includes ensuring a patent airway, assessing breathing
adequacy, administering high-flow oxygen or assisting ventilations, assessing circulation, and
controlling all active bleeding. You and your partner must work as a team; as your partner
administers high-flow oxygen, you should be looking for her gunshot wound(s) and ensuring
that all bleeding is controlled. After the primary assessment and management, begin treating
her for shock (eg, applying a blanket, elevating her lower extremities [if local protocol permits])
and perform a rapid head-to-toe assessment to search for other injuries that may not have been
obvious during the primary assessment. Assess the patient's vital signs after all life-threatening
injuries or conditions have been identified and corrected.
,A 30-year-old man sustained partial-thickness burns to the anterior chest and both anterior
arms. Based on the Rule of Nines, what percentage of his body surface area has been burned?
• A:36%
• B:9%
• C:18%
• D:27% - ANSWER-The correct answer is C;
Reason:
According to the adult Rule of Nines, the anterior trunk (chest and abdomen) accounts for 18%
of the total body surface area (TBSA) and each entire arm accounts for 9%. Therefore, the
anterior chest, which is one half of the trunk, would account for 9% of the TBSA, and both
anterior arms (4.5% each) would account for 9% TBSA, for a total of 18% TBSA burned.
Snoring respirations in an unresponsive patient are usually the result of:
• A:swelling of the upper airway structures.
• B:foreign body airway obstruction.
• C:collapse of the trachea during breathing.
• D:upper airway obstruction by the tongue. - ANSWER-You selected D; This is correct!
Reason:
In an unresponsive patient, the muscles of the tongue, which attach to the mandible, relax and
fall back over the posterior pharynx. This makes obstruction by the tongue the most common
cause of airway obstruction in the unresponsive patient. Foreign body upper airway
obstructions and upper airway swelling typically produce stridor, a high-pitched sound heard
during inhalation. Collapsing of the trachea during breathing would likely present with marked
respiratory distress.
Hypoglycemia and acute ischemic stroke can present similarly because:
,• A:both oxygen and glucose are needed for brain function.
• B:the majority of stroke patients have a history of diabetes.
• C:the most common cause of a stroke is hypoglycemia.
• D:they are both caused by low levels of glucose in the blood. - ANSWER-• A:both oxygen and
glucose are needed for brain function.
Reason: Although stroke and hypoglycemia are two distinctly different conditions, their signs
and symptoms are often similar. This is because the brain requires both oxygen and glucose to
function normally. An acute ischemic stroke is caused by a lack of oxygen to a part of the brain
due to a blocked cerebral artery, whereas hypoglycemia (low blood glucose level) deprives the
entire brain of glucose. In either case, the patient presents with signs of impaired brain function
(ie, slurred speech, weakness, altered mental status). Both conditions may lead to permanent
brain damage or death if not treated promptly.
When dealing with an emotionally disturbed patient, you should be MOST concerned with:
• A:gathering all of the patient's medications.
• B:safely transporting to the hospital.
• C:whether the patient could harm you.
• D:obtaining a complete medical history. - ANSWER-You selected C; This is correct!
Reason: When managing any patient with an emotional or psychiatric crisis, your primary
concern is your own safety. Safely transporting the patient to the hospital is your ultimate goal.
If possible, you should attempt to obtain a medical history and should take any of the patient's
prescribed medications to the hospital. However, this should not supercede your own safety or
interfere with safely transporting the patient.
You are at the scene where a man panicked while swimming in a small lake. Your initial attempt
to rescue him should include:
• A:rowing a small raft to the victim.
, • B:reaching for the victim with a long stick.
• C:throwing a rope to the victim.
• D:swimming to the victim to rescue him. - ANSWER-You selected B; This is correct!
Reason: General rules to follow when attempting to rescue a patient from the water include
"reach, throw, row, and then go." In this case, you should attempt to reach the victim by having
him grab hold of a large stick or similar object. If this is unsuccessful, throw the victim a rope or
flotation device (if available). If these are not available, row to the patient in a small raft (if
available). Going into the water to retrieve the victim is a last resort. The rescuer must be a
strong swimmer because patients who are in danger of drowning are in a state of blind panic
and will make every attempt to keep themselves afloat, even if it means forcing the rescuer
underwater.
How should you classify a patient's nature of illness if he or she has a low blood glucose level,
bizarre behavior, and shallow breathing?
• A:Behavioral emergency
• B:Altered mental status
• C:Respiratory emergency
• D:Cardiac compromise - ANSWER-The correct answer is B;
Reason: The nature of illness (NOI) is the medical equivalent to mechanism of injury (MOI).
Altered mental status should be the suspected NOI in any patient with any fluctuation in level of
consciousness, which can range from bizarre behavior to complete unresponsiveness. Causes of
an altered mental status include hypo- or hyperglycemia, head trauma, stroke, behavioral crises,
drug overdose, and shock, among others.
A young female is unresponsive after overdosing on an unknown type of drug. Her respirations
are slow and shallow and her pulse is slow and weak. Which of the following drugs is the LEAST
likely cause of her condition?
• A:Seconal
