North Seattle College EMT Entrance
Exam
Blunt trauma - Any mechanism of injury that occurs without penetration of the body
Hypoxia - Lack of adequate oxygen; most common cause of cellular injury. Quickly affects cells of
the brain, heart and kidneys
amputation - partial or complete removal of an extremity due to trauma or a circulatory disease
Abrasions - A in DCAP-BTLS
pleurae - serous membranes that form an envelope between the lungs and the chest wall
Pleurae - serous membranes that form an envelope between the lungs and the chest wall
abruptio placentae - premature separation of the placenta from the uterine wall
active rewarming - application of an external heat source to rewarm the body of a hypothermic
patient
Adrenal glands - Located above each kidney. Releases epinephrine and norepinephrine
air embolism - Air is sucked in a torn blood vessel and travels to organs, which can lead to cardiac
arrest if it enters the heart.
airway and responsiveness, breathing, circulation, disability, exposure - ABCDE primary survey
Alert, Responds to Verbal Stimuli, Responds to Painful Stimuli, Unresponsive - AVPU- level of
responsiveness
,Allergies - A- SAMPLE history
Altered mental status - Any deviation from alert and oriented to person, place, time, and event, or
any deviation from a patient's normal baseline mental status.
Alveoli - tiny sacs of lung tissue specialized for the movement of gases between air and blood
Anaphylaxis - A severe allergic reaction that affects multiple body systems
anterior - toward the front
Aorta - Largest artery in the body
aortic valve - valve between left ventricle and aorta
Abdominal cavity - Contains stomach, intestines, spleen, and liver, and other organs
appearance breathing circulation - ABC general impression
appendicular skeleton - upper/lower extremities, shoulder girdle and pelvic girdle
Arterial bleeding - blood squirts out due to high pressure with every heart beat
Arteries - carry blood away from the heart
Arterioles - Small vessels that connect arteries to capillaries
, Atria - upper chambers of the heart. Receive blood from body/lungs
axial skeleton - Skull, spinal column, sternum and ribs
basilar skull fracture - fracture at the base of the skull
Battle's Sign - Bruising behind an ear over the mastoid process that may indicate a skull fracture.
bicuspid valve - valve between the left atrium and the left ventricle.
Blood pressure - Force exerted by blood on inner walls of heart and arteries
Brachial pulse - Pulse checked in an infant
Burns - B in DCAP-BTLS
Capillaries - Microscopic vessel through which exchanges take place between the blood and cells
of the body
Capillary refill - A test that evaluates distal circulatory system function by squeezing (blanching)
blood from an area such as a nail bed and watching the speed of its return after releasing the pressure.
cardiac muscle - Involuntary muscle tissue found only in the heart.
Cardiac output - The amount of blood the heart pumps through the circulatory system in a
minute.
Cardiogenic shock - Shock caused by inadequate function of the heart, or pump failure.
Exam
Blunt trauma - Any mechanism of injury that occurs without penetration of the body
Hypoxia - Lack of adequate oxygen; most common cause of cellular injury. Quickly affects cells of
the brain, heart and kidneys
amputation - partial or complete removal of an extremity due to trauma or a circulatory disease
Abrasions - A in DCAP-BTLS
pleurae - serous membranes that form an envelope between the lungs and the chest wall
Pleurae - serous membranes that form an envelope between the lungs and the chest wall
abruptio placentae - premature separation of the placenta from the uterine wall
active rewarming - application of an external heat source to rewarm the body of a hypothermic
patient
Adrenal glands - Located above each kidney. Releases epinephrine and norepinephrine
air embolism - Air is sucked in a torn blood vessel and travels to organs, which can lead to cardiac
arrest if it enters the heart.
airway and responsiveness, breathing, circulation, disability, exposure - ABCDE primary survey
Alert, Responds to Verbal Stimuli, Responds to Painful Stimuli, Unresponsive - AVPU- level of
responsiveness
,Allergies - A- SAMPLE history
Altered mental status - Any deviation from alert and oriented to person, place, time, and event, or
any deviation from a patient's normal baseline mental status.
Alveoli - tiny sacs of lung tissue specialized for the movement of gases between air and blood
Anaphylaxis - A severe allergic reaction that affects multiple body systems
anterior - toward the front
Aorta - Largest artery in the body
aortic valve - valve between left ventricle and aorta
Abdominal cavity - Contains stomach, intestines, spleen, and liver, and other organs
appearance breathing circulation - ABC general impression
appendicular skeleton - upper/lower extremities, shoulder girdle and pelvic girdle
Arterial bleeding - blood squirts out due to high pressure with every heart beat
Arteries - carry blood away from the heart
Arterioles - Small vessels that connect arteries to capillaries
, Atria - upper chambers of the heart. Receive blood from body/lungs
axial skeleton - Skull, spinal column, sternum and ribs
basilar skull fracture - fracture at the base of the skull
Battle's Sign - Bruising behind an ear over the mastoid process that may indicate a skull fracture.
bicuspid valve - valve between the left atrium and the left ventricle.
Blood pressure - Force exerted by blood on inner walls of heart and arteries
Brachial pulse - Pulse checked in an infant
Burns - B in DCAP-BTLS
Capillaries - Microscopic vessel through which exchanges take place between the blood and cells
of the body
Capillary refill - A test that evaluates distal circulatory system function by squeezing (blanching)
blood from an area such as a nail bed and watching the speed of its return after releasing the pressure.
cardiac muscle - Involuntary muscle tissue found only in the heart.
Cardiac output - The amount of blood the heart pumps through the circulatory system in a
minute.
Cardiogenic shock - Shock caused by inadequate function of the heart, or pump failure.
