ACTUAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND
VERIFIED ANSWERS
A 30-year-old male experienced a generalized (tonic-clonic) seizure, which stopped before you
arrived at the scene. The patient is conscious, is answering your questions appropriately, and
refuses EMS transport. Which of the following would be the MOST compelling reason to disagree
with his refusal of transport?
Select one:
A. His Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score is 15
B. His wife states that this was his "usual" seizure
C. He has experienced seizures since he was 20
D. He is currently not prescribed any medications - Correct Answer D. He is currently not prescribed
any medications"
"A patient who is possibly experiencing a stroke is NOT eligible for thrombolytic (fibrinolytic) therapy
if he or she:
Select one:
A. has had a prior heart attack.
B. has bleeding within the brain.
C. has a GCS score that is less than 8.
D. is older than 60 years of age. - Correct Answer B. has bleeding within the brain."
"A patient whose speech is slurred and difficult to understand is experiencing:
Select one:
A. paraplegia.
B. dysphagia.
C. dysarthria.
D. aphasia. - Correct Answer C. dysarthria."
"A patient with an altered mental status is:
,Select one:
A. typically alert but is confused as to preceding events.
B. not thinking clearly or is incapable of being aroused.
C. usually able to be aroused with a painful stimulus.
D. completely unresponsive to all forms of stimuli. - Correct Answer B. not thinking clearly or is
incapable of being aroused."
"Which of the following medications blocks the release of histamines?
Select one:
A. Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
B. Albuterol (Ventolin)
C. Epinephrine (Adrenalin)
D. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) - Correct Answer D. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)"
"Which of the following signs/symptoms are indicative of respiratory involvement of an allergic
reaction?
Select one:
A. Flushed, itching, or burning skin
B. A sense of impending doom
C. Tightness in the chest or throat
D. All of these answers are correct. - Correct Answer C. Tightness in the chest or throat"
"During the primary assessment of a semiconscious 70-year-old female, you should:
Select one:
A. insert a nasopharyngeal airway and assist ventilations.
B. ask family members if the patient has a history of stroke.
C. immediately determine the patient's blood glucose level.
D. ensure a patent airway and support ventilation as needed. - Correct Answer D. ensure a patent
airway and support ventilation as needed."
"Interruption of cerebral blood flow may result from all of the following, EXCEPT:
Select one:
A. an embolism.
,B. cerebral vasodilation.
C. a thrombus.
D. an acute arterial rupture. - Correct Answer B. cerebral vasodilation."
"The left cerebral hemisphere controls:
Select one:
A. heart rate and pupil reaction.
B. the right side of the face.
C. breathing and blood pressure.
D. the right side of the body. - Correct Answer D. the right side of the body."
"Which of the following conditions would MOST likely affect the entire brain?
Select one:
A. Respiratory failure or cardiopulmonary arrest
B. Ruptured cerebral artery in the occipital lobe
C. Blocked cerebral artery in the frontal lobe
D. Reduced blood supply to the left hemisphere - Correct Answer A. Respiratory failure or
cardiopulmonary arrest"
"Which of the following MOST accurately describes a simple partial seizure?
Select one:
A. A generalized seizure without incontinence
B. A seizure that causes the patient to stare blankly
C. A seizure that begins in one extremity
D. A seizure that is not preceded by an aura - Correct Answer C. A seizure that begins in one
extremity"
"Which of the following MOST accurately describes what the patient will experience during the
postictal state that follows a seizure?
Select one:
A. A gradually decreasing level of consciousness
B. A rapidly improving level of consciousness
C. Hyperventilation and hypersalivation
, D. Confusion and fatigue - Correct Answer D. Confusion and fatigue"
"Which of the following symptoms would lead the EMT to believe that a patient's headache is caused
by sinus congestion?
Select one:
A. The headache began suddenly
B. There is associated neck stiffness
C. There is numbness in the extremities
D. The pain is worse when bending over - Correct Answer D. The pain is worse when bending over"
"You are caring for a 68-year-old man with sudden onset of left-sided paralysis and slurred speech.
His airway is patent, his respirations are 14 breaths/min with adequate depth, and his oxygen
saturation is 98%. Treatment for this patient should include:
Select one:
A. recovery position and transport.
B. oral glucose gel and transport.
C. high-flow oxygen and transport.
D. ventilatory assistance and transport. - Correct Answer A. recovery position and transport."
"You respond to a residence for a child who is having a seizure. Upon arrival at the scene, you enter
the residence and find the mother holding her child, a 2-year-old male. The child is conscious and
crying. According to the mother, the child had been running a high fever and then experienced a
seizure that lasted approximately 3 minutes. You should:
Select one:
A. call medical control and request permission to give the child aspirin.
B. transport the child to the hospital and reassure the mother en route.
C. advise the mother to take her child to the doctor the following day.
D. cover the child with wet towels and give oxygen via nasal cannula. - Correct Answer B. transport
the child to the hospital and reassure the mother en route."
"Your patient opens his eyes, moans, and pulls away from you when you pinch his trapezius muscle.
You should assign a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of:
Select one:
A. 7.
B. 9.