NREMT Airway, Respiration, and
Ventilation
A 39-year-old female is lying in bed. When you assess her, which of the following findings indicate an
inadequate airway?
A. She has chest wall expansion with little abdominal wall movement.
B. She has an open pill bottle next to her bed.
C. She is lying on her side.
D. She is unresponsive and snoring. - ANSShe is unresponsive and snoring.
Which of the following describes how albuterol helps a patient who is having an asthma attack?
A. It decreases pulmonary capillary pressure.
B. It increases airway pressure in the alveoli.
C. It relaxes the smooth muscles of the bronchioles.
D. It reduces inflammation in the bronchus. - ANSIt relaxes the smooth muscles of the bronchioles.
A 9-year-old male has partial-thickness burns around his mouth after inhaling steam. He has a history of
asthma and has had a cold for three days. His mother tells you he has had chest congestion and she was
trying to break up the phlegm. He is drooling and tells you he cannot swallow. You should first:
A. administer his metered-dose inhaler.
B. insert an oropharyngeal airway.
C. begin transport.
D. assess his vital signs. - ANSbegin transport.
A 66-year-old male complains of difficulty breathing. He tells you that his asthma attack began 20
minutes ago, and his inhaler isn't helping. You auscultate wheezes in all lung fields and good chest rise
,with accessory muscle use. His vital signs are P 96, R 24, BP 146/88, and SpO2 is 93% on room air. You
should suspect his minute ventilation is:
A. adequate and administer CPAP.
B. adequate and administer oxygen.
C. inadequate and assist his ventilation.
D. inadequate and administer oxygen. - ANSadequate and administer oxygen.
A 93-year-old female complains of a sudden onset of difficulty breathing. She tells you that she has a
history of breast cancer. She tells you it is easier for her to breathe when she is sitting up. She has
decreased lung sounds when you auscultate her left mid-axillary line, sixth intercostal space. Her vital
signs are P 86, R 18, BP 144/92, and SpO2 is 95% on room air. You should:
A. administer oxygen by nasal cannula.
B. administer oxygen by non-rebreather mask.
C. administer aspirin.
D. assist with the administration of her nitroglycerin. - ANSadminister oxygen by nasal cannula.
A 47-year-old male complains of difficulty breathing, and he cannot stop coughing. His conjunctivae are
pale and moist. He has a 40 pack-year smoking history. You should first:
A. determine his past medical history.
B. collect a sample of his phlegm.
C. administer oxygen.
D. assess his vital signs. - ANSadminister oxygen.
You are ventilating an unresponsive 47-year-old male who is in respiratory arrest. How should you
determine that you are delivering adequate tidal volume?
A. Look for slight chest rise.
B. Assess his pulse oximetry.
C. Auscultate for bronchial breath sounds.
D. Fully deflate the BVM. - ANSLook for slight chest rise.
, An unresponsive 7-month-old female is lying limp in her father's arms. He tells you that she was having
an asthma attack but is better now. Her conjunctivae are pale and moist. You are only able to auscultate
faint wheezes in her upper chest. Her vital signs are P 76 and R 18. You should first:
A. administer oxygen by non-rebreather mask.
B. assist her ventilation with a BVM.
C. assess her oxygen saturation level.
D. assist with the administration of her nebulized albuterol. - ANSassist her ventilation with a BVM.
A 49-year-old male complains of a sore throat and has a muffled voice. He tells you the sore throat
started a week ago and has gotten worse. He looks sick, and his skin is hot to the touch. He has a history
of asthma. You auscultate a slight high-pitched sound occasionally in his upper airway. His vital signs are
P 102, R 16, BP 132/84, and SpO2 is 93% on room air. You should:
A. inspect his airway.
B. assist with the administration of his MDI.
C. place him supine.
D. administer oxygen. - ANSadminister oxygen.
An unresponsive 22-year-old male is lying on the ground outside a bar. You do not see any chest rise but
palpate a carotid pulse. You should suspect:
A. respiratory arrest.
B. alcohol intoxication.
C. hypoglycemia.
D. head injury. - ANSrespiratory arrest.
An 11-year-old male who has a history of cystic fibrosis complains of difficulty breathing. He tells you he
has been coughing up thick mucus. His vital signs are P 92, R 24, BP 118/76, and SpO2 is 91% on room
air. You should:
A. administer a bronchodilator.
B. apply CPAP.
C. administer humidified oxygen.
D. assist his ventilation. - ANSadminister humidified oxygen.
Ventilation
A 39-year-old female is lying in bed. When you assess her, which of the following findings indicate an
inadequate airway?
A. She has chest wall expansion with little abdominal wall movement.
B. She has an open pill bottle next to her bed.
C. She is lying on her side.
D. She is unresponsive and snoring. - ANSShe is unresponsive and snoring.
Which of the following describes how albuterol helps a patient who is having an asthma attack?
A. It decreases pulmonary capillary pressure.
B. It increases airway pressure in the alveoli.
C. It relaxes the smooth muscles of the bronchioles.
D. It reduces inflammation in the bronchus. - ANSIt relaxes the smooth muscles of the bronchioles.
A 9-year-old male has partial-thickness burns around his mouth after inhaling steam. He has a history of
asthma and has had a cold for three days. His mother tells you he has had chest congestion and she was
trying to break up the phlegm. He is drooling and tells you he cannot swallow. You should first:
A. administer his metered-dose inhaler.
B. insert an oropharyngeal airway.
C. begin transport.
D. assess his vital signs. - ANSbegin transport.
A 66-year-old male complains of difficulty breathing. He tells you that his asthma attack began 20
minutes ago, and his inhaler isn't helping. You auscultate wheezes in all lung fields and good chest rise
,with accessory muscle use. His vital signs are P 96, R 24, BP 146/88, and SpO2 is 93% on room air. You
should suspect his minute ventilation is:
A. adequate and administer CPAP.
B. adequate and administer oxygen.
C. inadequate and assist his ventilation.
D. inadequate and administer oxygen. - ANSadequate and administer oxygen.
A 93-year-old female complains of a sudden onset of difficulty breathing. She tells you that she has a
history of breast cancer. She tells you it is easier for her to breathe when she is sitting up. She has
decreased lung sounds when you auscultate her left mid-axillary line, sixth intercostal space. Her vital
signs are P 86, R 18, BP 144/92, and SpO2 is 95% on room air. You should:
A. administer oxygen by nasal cannula.
B. administer oxygen by non-rebreather mask.
C. administer aspirin.
D. assist with the administration of her nitroglycerin. - ANSadminister oxygen by nasal cannula.
A 47-year-old male complains of difficulty breathing, and he cannot stop coughing. His conjunctivae are
pale and moist. He has a 40 pack-year smoking history. You should first:
A. determine his past medical history.
B. collect a sample of his phlegm.
C. administer oxygen.
D. assess his vital signs. - ANSadminister oxygen.
You are ventilating an unresponsive 47-year-old male who is in respiratory arrest. How should you
determine that you are delivering adequate tidal volume?
A. Look for slight chest rise.
B. Assess his pulse oximetry.
C. Auscultate for bronchial breath sounds.
D. Fully deflate the BVM. - ANSLook for slight chest rise.
, An unresponsive 7-month-old female is lying limp in her father's arms. He tells you that she was having
an asthma attack but is better now. Her conjunctivae are pale and moist. You are only able to auscultate
faint wheezes in her upper chest. Her vital signs are P 76 and R 18. You should first:
A. administer oxygen by non-rebreather mask.
B. assist her ventilation with a BVM.
C. assess her oxygen saturation level.
D. assist with the administration of her nebulized albuterol. - ANSassist her ventilation with a BVM.
A 49-year-old male complains of a sore throat and has a muffled voice. He tells you the sore throat
started a week ago and has gotten worse. He looks sick, and his skin is hot to the touch. He has a history
of asthma. You auscultate a slight high-pitched sound occasionally in his upper airway. His vital signs are
P 102, R 16, BP 132/84, and SpO2 is 93% on room air. You should:
A. inspect his airway.
B. assist with the administration of his MDI.
C. place him supine.
D. administer oxygen. - ANSadminister oxygen.
An unresponsive 22-year-old male is lying on the ground outside a bar. You do not see any chest rise but
palpate a carotid pulse. You should suspect:
A. respiratory arrest.
B. alcohol intoxication.
C. hypoglycemia.
D. head injury. - ANSrespiratory arrest.
An 11-year-old male who has a history of cystic fibrosis complains of difficulty breathing. He tells you he
has been coughing up thick mucus. His vital signs are P 92, R 24, BP 118/76, and SpO2 is 91% on room
air. You should:
A. administer a bronchodilator.
B. apply CPAP.
C. administer humidified oxygen.
D. assist his ventilation. - ANSadminister humidified oxygen.
