Ten days after treating a 34-year-old patient with tuberculosis, you are given a tuberculin skin test, which yields a positive result. This MOST likely indicates that:
you were exposed to another infected person prior to treating the 34-year-old patient.
After sizing up the scene of a patient with a possible infectious disease, your next priority should be to:
take standard precautions.
An infectious disease is MOST accurately defined as:
a medical condition caused by the growth and spread of small, harmful organisms within the body.
Assessment of the medical patient is usually focused on the _________.
NOI
Hepatitis B is more virulent than hepatitis C, which means that it:
has a greater ability to produce disease.
In 2009, the H1N1 virus accounted for over 200,000 deaths worldwide in the form of the swine flu. In 1919, a similar outbreak of the H1N1 occurred in the form of the Spanish flu. Starting in Kansas City, the virus spread rapidly worldwide, claiming up to
pandemics
In which of the following situations would it be MOST appropriate to utilize an air medical transportation service?
61-year-old man with signs and symptoms of a stroke and a ground transport time of 50 minutes
It is especially important to assess pulse, sensation, and movement in all extremities as well as pupillary reactions in patients with a suspected ___________ problem.
neurologic
Most patients with an infectious disease will have _________.
a fever
Most treatments provided in the prehospital setting are intended to _________.
address the patient's symptoms
The BEST way to prevent infection from whooping cough is to:
get vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis
The determination of whether a medical patient is a high-priority or low-priority transport is typically made:
after the primary assessment has been completed.
When assessing a patient with a medical complaint, which of the following would MOST likely reveal the cause of the problem?
Medical history
When caring for a patient with an altered mental status and signs of circulatory compromise, you should:
limit your time at the scene to 10 minutes or less, if possible.
When forming your general impression of a patient with a medical complaint, it is important to remember that:
the conditions of many medical patients may not appear serious at first
Which of the following conditions is NOT categorized as a psychiatric condition?
Substance abuse
Which of the following is bacterium resistant to most antibiotics and causes skin abscesses?
MRSA
Which of the following patients is at greatest risk for complications caused by the influenza virus?
68-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes
You and your EMT partner arrive at the residence of a 50-year-old man who complains of weakness. Your primary assessment reveals that he is critically ill and will require aggressive treatment. The closest hospital is 25 miles away. You should:
manage all threats to airway, breathing, and circulation and consider requesting an ALS unit
You are attending to a 27-year-old male driver of a car. According to his passenger, the patient had been acting strangely while driving, then slumped forward against the steering wheel, apparently unconscious. The car drove off the road and struck a tele
combination of a medical and trauma emergency.
Which of the following statements regarding medical emergencies is correct?
Medical emergencies can appear to be traumatic in nature.
Tunnel vision" occurs when ___________.
you exclude certain possibilities for the patient's condition
The acronym "TACOS" is used to _________.
identify factors that may complicate the patient's condition or your treatment
The greatest danger in displaying a personal bias or labeling a patient who frequently calls EMS is:
overlooking a potentially serious medical condition.
Upon initial contact with a patient who appears to be unconscious, you should:
attempt to elicit a verbal response by talking to the patient.
Which of the following will MOST reliably allow you to determine the nature of a patient's illness?
Asking questions related to the chief complaint
You have just completed your primary assessment of a 48-year-old man with crushing chest pain and difficulty breathing. The patient has been given 324 mg of aspirin and is receiving supplemental oxygen. As you begin your secondary assessment, you note tha
prepare the patient for immediate transport.
The primary prehospital treatment for most medical emergencies:
addresses the patient's symptoms more than the actual disease process.
Which of the following conditions often requires transport to a hospital with specialized capabilities that may not be available at the closest hospital?
Stroke and heart attack
Typical chief complaints in patients with an infectious disease include:
fever, rash, nausea, and difficulty breathing.
In addition to obtaining a SAMPLE history and asking questions related to the chief complaint, what else should you specifically inquire about when assessing a patient with a potentially infectious disease?
Recent travel
Which of the following statements regarding the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is correct?
The risk of HIV infection is greatest when deposited on a mucous membrane or directly into the bloodstream.
Early signs and symptoms of viral hepatitis include all of the following, EXCEPT:
jaundice and abdominal pain.
A patient who presents with a headache, fever, confusion, and red blotches on his or her skin should be suspected of having:
meningitis
In contrast to the assessment of a trauma patient, assessment of a medical patient:
is focused on the nature of illness, the patient's chief complaint, and his or her symptoms.
Factors that increase the risk for developing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) include:
prolonged hospitalization, especially in an intensive care unit.
Three months after returning home from West Africa, a 50-year-old man begins experiencing a fever, cough, and muscle aches. The EMT should suspect:
influenza
Which of the following questions would be the MOST pertinent to ask a patient who recently returned from Europe and is now ill?
Is anyone else in your travel party sick?
Your patient's symptoms include high fever, cough, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and shortness of breath. Which of the following should you suspect?
MERS-CoV
An index of suspicion is MOST accurately defined as:
your awareness and concern for potentially serious underlying and unseen injuries or illness.
A 29-year-old pregnant woman has had severe vomiting for the last 2 days. Today, she is vomiting large amounts of blood. Her skin is cool and pale and she is tachycardic. The EMT should suspect:
Mallory-Weiss tear.
A 30-year-old woman with a history of alcoholism presents with severe upper abdominal pain and is vomiting large amounts of bright red blood. Her skin is cool, pale, and clammy; her heart rate is 120 beats/min and weak; and her blood pressure is 70/50 mm
protect her airway from aspiration.
A 47-year-old male presents with severe abdominal pain of 3 hours' duration. His abdomen is distended and guarded. Your MOST important consideration for this patient should be to:
be alert for signs and symptoms of shock.
A 59-year-old male presents with sudden-onset severe lower back pain. He is conscious and alert, but very restless and diaphoretic. Your assessment reveals a pulsating mass to the left of his umbilicus. You should:
administer oxygen and prepare for immediate transport.
A young female presents with costovertebral angle tenderness. She is conscious and alert with stable vital signs. Which of the following organs is MOST likely causing her pain?
Kidney
An important aspect in the treatment of a patient with severe abdominal pain is to:
provide emotional support en route to the hospital.
For a patient with a gastrointestinal complaint, it is MOST important for the EMT to _________.
identify whether the patient requires rapid transport
Most patients with abdominal pain prefer to:
lie on their side with their knees drawn into the abdomen.
Pain that may be perceived at a distant point on the surface of the body, such as the back or shoulder, is called:
referred pain.
Peritonitis may result in shock because:
fluid shifts from the bloodstream into body tissues.
Urinary tract infections are more common in ____________.
women
When assessing a patient with abdominal pain, you should:
palpate the abdomen in a clockwise direction, beginning with the quadrant after the one the patient indicates is painful.
Which of the following helps filter the blood and has no digestive function?
Spleen
Which of the following is correct about the secondary assessment for a high-priority patient?
You may not have time to complete a secondary assessment.
Which of the following may help reduce your patient's nausea?
Low-flow oxygen
Which of the following organs lies in the retroperitoneal space?
Pancreas
Which of the following statements regarding dialysis is correct?
Patients who miss a dialysis treatment often present with weakness.
Which of the following statements regarding the acute abdomen is correct?
The initial pain associated with an acute abdomen tends to be vague and poorly localized.
Your patient complains of abdominal pain that occurs mostly at night or after eating fatty foods. You should suspect ____________.
cholecystitis
Your patient complains of chronic "burning" stomach pain that improves after eating. You should suspect:
peptic ulcer disease.
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 co
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:
has bleeding within the brain.
A patient whose speech is slurred and difficult to understand is experiencing:
dysarthria.
A patient with an altered mental status is:
not thinking clearly or is incapable of being aroused.
During the primary assessment of a semiconscious 70-year-old female, you should:
ensure a patent airway and support ventilation as needed.
Interruption of cerebral blood flow may result from all of the following, EXCEPT:
cerebral vasodilation.
The left cerebral hemisphere controls:
the right side of the body.
The MOST significant risk factor for a hemorrhagic stroke is:
hypertension.
The three major parts of the brain are the:
cerebrum, cerebellum, and brain stem.
When assessing for arm drift of a patient with a suspected stroke, you should:
ask the patient to close his or her eyes during the assessment.
When caring for a patient with documented hypoglycemia, you should be MOST alert for:
a seziure
When you are obtaining medical history from the family of a suspected stroke patient, it is MOST important to determine:
when the patient last appeared normal.
Which of the following conditions would be the LEAST likely to mimic the signs and symptoms of a stroke?
Hypovolemia
Which of the following conditions would MOST likely affect the entire brain?
Respiratory failure or cardiopulmonary arrest
Which of the following MOST accurately describes a simple partial seizure?
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?
Confusion and fatigue
Which of the following symptoms would lead the EMT to believe that a patient's headache is caused by sinus congestion?
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:
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 run
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:
8
A 49-year-old male presents with an acute onset of crushing chest pain and diaphoresis. You should:
assess the adequacy of his respirations.
A 66-year-old female with a history of hypertension and diabetes presents with substernal chest pressure of 2 hours' duration. Her blood pressure is 140/90 mm Hg, her pulse is 100 beats/min and irregular, her respirations are 22 breaths/min, and her oxyge
administer oxygen, give her 324 mg of aspirin, and assess her further.
A dissecting aortic aneurysm occurs when:
the inner layers of the aorta become separated.
A patient in cardiac arrest is wearing an external defibrillator vest, which is interfering with effective chest compressions. The EMT should
remove the battery from the monitor and then remove the vest
A patient tells you that he has a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Which of the following conditions should you suspect that he has experienced?
Acute myocardial infarction
A patient with atherosclerotic heart disease experiences chest pain during exertion because:
the lumen of the coronary artery is narrowed and cannot accommodate increased blood flow.
After the AED has delivered a shock, the EMT should:
immediately resume CPR.
Angina pectoris occurs when:
myocardial oxygen demand exceeds supply.
Deoxygenated blood from the body returns to the:
right atrium.
Most AEDs are set up to adjust the voltage based on the impedance, which is the:
resistance of the body to the flow of electricity.
Nitroglycerin is contraindicated in patients:
A. who have experienced a head injury.
Prior to attaching the AED to a cardiac arrest patient, the EMT should:
Select one:
dry the chest if it is wet.
Risk factors for AMI that cannot be controlled include:
family history
Signs and symptoms of a hypertensive emergency would MOST likely be delayed in patients
have chronic hypertension.
The electrical impulse generated by the heart originates in the:
sinoatrial node.
The EMT should use an AED on a child between 1 month and 8 years of age if:
Select one:
pediatric pads and an energy-reducing device are available.
When preparing to obtain a 12-lead ECG, the "LL" and "RL" electrodes should be placed:
on the thighs or ankles.
Which of the following is NOT a common sign or symptom associated with malfunction of an implanted cardiac pacemaker?
A rapid heart rate
Which of the following signs is commonly observed in patients with right-sided heart failure?
Dependent edema
You and your partner arrive at the scene of a middle-aged man who collapsed about 5 minutes ago. He is unresponsive, apneic, and pulseless. Bystanders are present, but have not provided any care. You should:
begin high-quality CPR and apply the AED as soon as possible.
Which of the following blood vessels transports oxygenated blood?
Pulmonary veins
The ability of cardiac muscle cells to contract spontaneously without a stimulus from a nerve source is called:
automaticity
Which of the following would cause the greatest increase in cardiac output?
Increased heart rate and increased stroke volume
Narrowing of the coronary arteries caused by a buildup of fatty deposits is called:
atherosclerosis.
Which of the following is a major difference between angina pectoris and AMI?
Anginal pain typically subsides with rest.
An acute myocardial infarction (AMI) occurs when:
myocardial tissue dies secondary to an absence of oxygen.
Common signs and symptoms of a hypertensive emergency include:
a bounding pulse, a severe headache, and dizziness.
A 66-year-old woman presents with a stabbing pain in the middle of her chest that radiates to her back. She tells you that the pain suddenly began about 30 minutes ago and has been severe since the onset. She has a history of hypertension, but admits to b
Dissecting aortic aneurysm
Which of the following medications is commonly given to patients with chest pain to prevent blood clots from forming or getting bigger?
Aspirin
Which of the following represents the MOST appropriate method of assisting a patient with his or her prescribed nitroglycerin tablet or spray?
Administer the medication sublingually and allow it to dissolve or absorb.
When obtaining a 12-lead ECG, the patient should be:
in a supine position with legs uncrossed.
In contrast to an automatic implantable cardiac defibrillator (AICD), an external defibrillator vest:
delivers high-energy shocks, similar to an AED.
A patient with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) tells you that the device's pump flow is continuous. Which of the following should you expect to encounter during your assessment?
Absence of a palpable pulse
The AED is MOST advantageous to the EMT because:
it delivers prompt defibrillation to patients with ventricular fibrillation.
The main legal risk in using the AED is:
failing to deliver a shock when one is needed.
Defibrillator pads are placed on the patient's chest:
with one pad to the right of the upper sternum and the other pad to the left lower chest below the armpit.
Your EMS team is performing CPR on a 60-year-old male in cardiac arrest. You connect the AED, push the analyze button, and receive a "no shock advised" message. You should:
perform CPR for 2 minutes and reassess.
You and your partner have achieved return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in a patient who was in cardiac arrest. An ALS unit will arrive in less than 2 minutes. The patient remains unresponsive and has slow, irregular breathing. Further treatment for t
BVM ventilation at 10-12 breaths/min and assessment of oxygen saturation.
Prior to defibrillating a patient with an AED, it is MOST important that you:
ensure that no one is touching the patient.
Which of the following signs or symptoms would you NOT expect to encounter in a patient with congestive heart failure?
Hypotension and flat jugular veins
PASTE" is an alternate assessment tool for
respiratory patients
A 30-year-old male presents with acute shortness of breath, widespread hives, and facial swelling. He denies any past medical history and takes no medications. During your assessment, you hear wheezing over all the lung fields. His blood pressure is 90/50
epinephrine
A 59-year-old male with a history of emphysema complains of an acute worsening of his dyspnea and pleuritic chest pain following a forceful cough. Your assessment reveals that he has a barrel-shaped chest, unilaterally diminished breath sounds, and tachyc
Spontaneous pneumothorax Correct
A pleural effusion is MOST accurately defined as:
fluid accumulation outside the lung.
Asthma is caused by a response of the:
immune system. Correct
Crackles (rales) are caused by
air passing through fluid
His parents tell you that their son has had a chest infection for the past two days and when they took him to their family doctor, they were told it was likely due to the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). They have kept him well hydrated, but the infecti
bronchiolitis
In order for efficient pulmonary gas exchange to occur:
oxygen and carbon dioxide must be able to freely diffuse across the alveolar-capillary membrane
In what area of the lungs does respiration occur?
Alveoli
Treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) would MOST likely be contraindicated in which of the following situations?
Shortness of breath and a blood pressure of 76/56 mm Hg
When auscultating the lungs of a patient with respiratory distress, you hear adventitious sounds. This means that the patient has:
abnormal breath sounds
Which of the following conditions would be LEAST likely to result in hypoxia?
Severe anxiety
Which of the following is a genetic disorder that predisposes the patient to repeated lung infections?
24 breaths/min with bilaterally equal breath sounds and pink skin
Which of the following must be assessed in every respiratory patient?
Lung sounds
While auscultating an elderly woman's breath sounds, you hear low-pitched "rattling" sounds at the bases of both of her lungs. This finding is MOST consistent with which of the following conditions?
Aspiration pneumonia
You are assisting an asthma patient with his prescribed metered-dose inhaler. After the patient takes a deep breath and depresses the inhaler, you should:
instruct him to hold his breath for as long as he comfortably can.
You are attending to a 3-year-old male patient who is presenting with severe shortness of breath. His parents report that he has had a cough and cold with a low grade fever for the past two days. They became worried today, as his level of distress has inc
viral infection of the upper respiratory tract.
You are attending to a 54-year-old female patient in a homeless shelter. The patient tells you that she had the flu a couple of weeks ago, and she has not gotten over it. She has been tired and keeps waking up at night, sweating. She has been coughing up
tuberculosis
Your patient has a chronic respiratory condition. His stimulus to breathe is triggered by low oxygen levels in the blood. This is known as the ___________.
hypoxic drive
Which of the following filters, warms, and humidifies air during inhalation?
Upper airway
The hypoxic drive is the body's _________.
secondary respiratory drive
Your elderly patient recently had surgery. She now complains of a sudden onset of dyspnea and sharp chest pain. You should suspect ___________.
pulmonary embolus
Your patient is complaining of fatigue. She is breathing at 18 breaths per minute, has equal chest rise and fall, and has clear lung sounds. She is presenting with signs of ___________.
normal breathing
During the primary assessment, you determine your patient has a life-threatening emergency. You should now:
transport rapidly.
Which of the following is a common MDI drug?
Alupent
The two processes that occur during respiration are:
inspiration and expiration.
The respiratory distress that accompanies emphysema is caused by:
chronic stretching of the alveolar walls.
At the onset of an acute asthma attack, patients commonly experience difficulty breathing and:
expiratory wheezing.
A young female is unconscious after intentionally ingesting a large amount of aspirin. You will MOST likely find her respirations:
deep and rapid.
A 60-year-old male presents with acute respiratory distress. He is conscious and alert, has pink and dry skin, and has respirations of 22 breaths/min with adequate depth. Which of the following treatments is MOST appropriate for this patient?
Oxygen via nonrebreathing mask and a focused secondary assessment
Harsh, high-pitched inspiratory sounds are characteristic of:
stridor.
A conscious and alert 29-year-old female with a history of asthma complains of difficulty breathing that began after her morning jog. The temperature outside is 40�F (5�C). On exam, you hear bilateral expiratory wheezing. After providing supplemental oxyg
determine if she has been prescribed a beta-agonist inhaler.
Which of the following statements regarding pulse oximetry is correct?
Pulse oximetry measures the percentage of hemoglobin that is saturated with oxygen, but does not measure the actual hemoglobin content of the blood.
Albuterol is a generic name for:
Ventolin
You are assessing a patient with respiratory distress and are unsure if the cause is congestive heart failure (CHF) or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Which of the following clinical signs would be the MOST helpful in determining whether the
Jugular vein distention
In a healthy individual, the brain stem stimulates breathing on the basis of:
increased carbon dioxide levels.
You are attending to a 28-year-old female patient in severe respiratory distress. The patient has had a high fever all day, and the respiratory distress came on very quickly. Your patient is now sitting in a chair, leaning forward with her hands on her kn
epiglottitis.
You are attending to a 6-year-old female patient. Her parents tell you that she has been sick for the last three days with the respiratory infection that has been going around her school. They became concerned when she stopped drinking fluids, and they co
respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection.
You are attending to a 5-year-old male patient who has had a cold and fever for the last two days. His parents became concerned when he started having coughing spells that would last for over a minute, during which he would turn blue. After the coughing a
pertussis