When performing the secondary assessment, the EMT should find which one of the following
injuries first?
Answers:
Bruising to the abdomen
Decreased pulse in the left foot
Unstable pelvis
Deformity to the left thigh
ANS - Bruising to the abdomen
A seven-year-old boy choked on a grape at school. By the time the obstruction was removed,
assessment revealed him to be in cardiac arrest. When you arrive, teachers are performing
CPR. The school nurse informs you that CPR has been in progress for six minutes. You have
an AED, but do not have a pediatric conversion device that reduces the energy of
defibrillation from that of an adult to that of a child. Which one of the following should you
do immediately?
Answers:
Continue CPR and transfer the boy to the stretcher for immediate transport.
Perform five abdominal thrusts and then one minute of CPR before using the AED.
Place the electrodes on the boy's chest and follow the AED's prompts.
Instruct the teachers to continue CPR for another minute before applying the AED.
ANS - Place the electrodes on the boy's chest and follow the AED's prompts.
Which one of the following medications should the EMT administer orally?
Answers:
Nitroglycerin
Aspirin
Albuterol
Epinephrine
ANS - Aspirin
Why is defibrillation in the first few minutes of cardiac arrest so critical?
Answers:
Research has shown that a heart in cardiac arrest will continue to pump blood for a few
minutes before cardiac output drops to zero.
In the first few minutes of cardiac arrest, the blood pressure is still normal, but will drop
quickly, making successful defibrillation less likely.
If cardiac arrest is not treated within the first few minutes, ventricular fibrillation will convert
to asystole, a non-shockable heart rhythm.
In the first few minutes of cardiac arrest the heart is still warm, but begins to cool rapidly
making it less receptive to a defibrillatory shock.
,ANS - If cardiac arrest is not treated within the first few minutes, ventricular fibrillation will
convert to asystole, a non-shockable heart rhythm.
An EMT has just received a "Shock Advised" message from the AED. Just before delivering
the shock, the EMT must:
Answers:
remove the oral airway to prevent possible choking.
ensure that all rescuers are clear of the patient.
press the analyze button once more.
hold the patient's head to avoid injury when shocking.
ANS - remove the oral airway to prevent possible choking.
The EMT should recognize which one of the following patients as breathing at a normal rate?
Answers:
6-month-old infant breathing 44 times per minute
44-year-old male breathing 8 times per minute
8-year-old male breathing 26 times per minute
22-year-old female breathing 22 times per minute
ANS - 6-month-old infant breathing 44 times per minute
You are treating a patient with severe chest pain and believe she is in cardiogenic shock. As
such, which one of the following is most beneficial?
Answers:
Application of the AED
Rapid transport with the patient supine
High-flow oxygen
Administration of nitroglycerin
ANS - High-flow oxygen
When should the EMT conduct an evaluation of the scene for hazards that can threaten or
harm him?
Answers:
Prior to leaving the ambulance
Throughout the entire call
After completing the primary assessment
Before responding to the call
ANS - Prior to leaving the ambulance
An Emergency Medical Responder informs you that he was assisting EMS with a cardiac
arrest last week. He also states that the patient had been in cardiac arrest for eight minutes
,and questions why CPR was performed first, even though the AED was right there. You
should reply:
Answers:
"Compressions administered prior to defibrillation help ensure that the heart is perfused with
blood, increasing the chance of successful defibrillation."
"The chest compressions administered before defibrillation relax the muscles of the chest
wall, allowing more electricity to enter the body."
"When the heart is in cardiac arrest for a few minutes, the blood in the heart becomes toxic
and must be pumped out before defibrillating."
"Research has shown that chest compressions frequently convert the heart rhythm from
asystole to ventricular fibrillation."
ANS - "Compressions administered prior to defibrillation help ensure that the heart is
perfused with blood, increasing the chance of successful defibrillation."
You have been dispatched to a residence for a male patient with a cardiac history who is
complaining of chest pain. On scene you find a 52-year-old male patient sitting in a chair. He
is alert and oriented and states that his chest pain feels like the last time he had a heart attack.
He also states that in the hospital his heart stopped and they had to shock him twice before it
restarted. He is breathing adequately and has a strong radial pulse. Which one of the
following would be appropriate in the care of this patient?
Answers:
Provide positive pressure ventilation with high-flow oxygen.
Open the airway using the head tilt-chin lift maneuver.
Apply the AED to the patient but do not turn it on.
Obtain the heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure.
ANS - Apply the AED to the patient but do not turn it on.
After assisting a patient with her EpiPen, she states that it is much easier for her to breathe.
However, her heart rate has increased from 92 to 118 beats per minute. In relation to the
epinephrine, the EMT recognizes the increased heart rate as a(n):
Answers:
therapeutic effect.
contraindication.
allergy.
side effect.
ANS - Side effect
As you approach a patient, you observe dark blood on his shirt. He appears confused, pale,
and diaphoretic. Which one of the following should you do first?
Answers:
Apply oxygen.
Cut his pants.
Assess his airway.
Treat for shock.
, ANS - Apply oxygen.
Which one of the following standard precautions must the EMT take on every call?
Answers:
Goggles and gown
Gloves
Gloves, gown, and goggles
Gloves and face shield
ANS - Gloves and face shield
After receiving a "No Shock Advised" message from the AED, it is determined that the
patient has a weak pulse and slow and shallow respirations. Which one of the following
should you do immediately?
Answers:
Provide two minutes of CPR.
Obtain a blood pressure.
Transfer to the stretcher for transport.
Start positive pressure ventilation.
ANS - Transfer to the stretcher for transport.
Which one of the following capillary refill times is considered normal for a five-year-old
child?
Answers:
3 seconds
4 seconds
2 seconds
6 seconds
ANS - 3 seconds
A driver was ejected from his vehicle in a rollover-type collision. Assessment findings
include unresponsiveness and bruising to the abdominal and pelvic areas along with an open
femur fracture. The patient has an open airway and is breathing at 32 times per minute. The
skin is cool and clammy and the radial pulses are weak. Manual in-line spinal stabilization is
being maintained. Which one of the following is the EMT's initial intervention?
Answers:
Apply a cervical collar.
Examine the fracture site.
Obtain a blood pressure.
Assist respirations.
ANS - Assist respirations.