Page 1 of 28
FISDAP PARAMEDIC FINAL LATEST EXAM
|200 FREQUENTLY TESTED
Qs&As|ALREADY GRADED A+|
1. A 45-year-old male is found unresponsive with gurgling
respirations. What is your FIRST action?
A) Insert an OPA
B) Suction the oropharynx
C) Bag-valve-mask ventilations
D) Nasotracheal intubation
Correct Answer: B) Suction the oropharynx
Rationale: Gurgling indicates fluid in the airway. Suctioning must
precede any airway adjunct or ventilation to prevent aspiration.
Airway first: clear before securing.
2. Which breath sound is typically heard first in a developing
tension pneumothorax?
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A) Absent breath sounds bilaterally
B) Diminished breath sounds on the affected side
C) Rhonchi on the affected side
D) Wheezing on the unaffected side
Correct Answer: B) Diminished breath sounds on the affected
side
Rationale: As air accumulates in the pleural space, ventilation is
reduced on that side. Absent sounds occur later in severe tension.
3. Scenario: Post-RSI, your patient’s EtCO2 suddenly drops
from 38 to 20 mmHg. You confirm tube placement again—it’s
correct. What is the most likely cause?
A) Mainstem bronchus intubation
B) Esophageal intubation
C) Pulmonary embolism
D) Kinked endotracheal tube
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Correct Answer: C) Pulmonary embolism
Rationale: A sudden drop in EtCO2 with confirmed tube
placement suggests a massive decrease in cardiac output or
pulmonary perfusion, as in PE. Esophageal intubation would show
zero or very low EtCO2.
4. What is the normal range for EtCO2 in a healthy adult?
A) 10-20 mmHg
B) 25-30 mmHg
C) 35-45 mmHg
D) 50-60 mmHg
Correct Answer: C) 35-45 mmHg
Rationale: Normal cellular metabolism produces CO2, which is
exhaled at this range. Values outside this indicate
hypo/hyperventilation or metabolic issues.
5. Which medication is preferred for RSI in a patient with
traumatic brain injury?
FISDAP PARAMEDIC FINAL LATEST EXAM
|200 FREQUENTLY TESTED
Qs&As|ALREADY GRADED A+|
1. A 45-year-old male is found unresponsive with gurgling
respirations. What is your FIRST action?
A) Insert an OPA
B) Suction the oropharynx
C) Bag-valve-mask ventilations
D) Nasotracheal intubation
Correct Answer: B) Suction the oropharynx
Rationale: Gurgling indicates fluid in the airway. Suctioning must
precede any airway adjunct or ventilation to prevent aspiration.
Airway first: clear before securing.
2. Which breath sound is typically heard first in a developing
tension pneumothorax?
,Page 2 of 28
A) Absent breath sounds bilaterally
B) Diminished breath sounds on the affected side
C) Rhonchi on the affected side
D) Wheezing on the unaffected side
Correct Answer: B) Diminished breath sounds on the affected
side
Rationale: As air accumulates in the pleural space, ventilation is
reduced on that side. Absent sounds occur later in severe tension.
3. Scenario: Post-RSI, your patient’s EtCO2 suddenly drops
from 38 to 20 mmHg. You confirm tube placement again—it’s
correct. What is the most likely cause?
A) Mainstem bronchus intubation
B) Esophageal intubation
C) Pulmonary embolism
D) Kinked endotracheal tube
, Page 3 of 28
Correct Answer: C) Pulmonary embolism
Rationale: A sudden drop in EtCO2 with confirmed tube
placement suggests a massive decrease in cardiac output or
pulmonary perfusion, as in PE. Esophageal intubation would show
zero or very low EtCO2.
4. What is the normal range for EtCO2 in a healthy adult?
A) 10-20 mmHg
B) 25-30 mmHg
C) 35-45 mmHg
D) 50-60 mmHg
Correct Answer: C) 35-45 mmHg
Rationale: Normal cellular metabolism produces CO2, which is
exhaled at this range. Values outside this indicate
hypo/hyperventilation or metabolic issues.
5. Which medication is preferred for RSI in a patient with
traumatic brain injury?
