Block 1 Flashcards
Negative or injurious stress is also called:
A. redirected stress.
B. projected stress.
C. eustress.
D. distress.
D. distress.
“Everyday” calls are the most dangerous kinds of calls the paramedic will run because:
A. he or she becomes naturally comfortable with them.
B. law enforcement personnel are often not available.
C. most of these calls have a high potential for violence.
D. everyday calls tend to attract a lot of bystanders.
A. he or she becomes naturally comfortable with them.
Dr. Eugene Nagel advanced emergency medical treatment in 1969 by:
A. developing a telemetry system that enabled fire fighters to transmit a patient’s electrocardiogram to the physician at the hospital.
B. developing and implementing closed-chest cardiac massage (CPR) in order to pump blood in a patient without a pulse.
C. implementing the “golden hour,” which dramatically increased survival rates of patients who experienced severe trauma.
D. training paramedics to administer certain medications directly through the chest wall and into the left ventricle.
A. developing a telemetry system that enabled fire fighters to transmit a patient’s electrocardiogram to the physician at the hospital.
Which of the following situations would be the LEAST likely to require a critical incident stress debriefing (CISD)?
A. An airliner crash involving multiple casualties
B. Intense media attention during a major incident
C. Death of a 91-year-old patient with lung cancer
D. Serious injury of a coworker in the line of duty
C. Death of a 91-year-old patient with lung cancer
It would be MOST appropriate to ask a patient a closed-ended question when:
A. you are trying to obtain medical history information.
B. you are using complex medical terminology.
C. the question requires the patient to think.
D. you are attempting to establish the quality of a patient’s pain.
A. you are trying to obtain medical history information.
If, when responding to a call for a patient in cardiac arrest, you run every stop sign and drive with unnecessary speed:
A. you are not a credible advocate for injury prevention.
B. law enforcement will generally allow you to do this.
C. the chances of a successful resuscitation are greater.
D. you are more likely to arrive at the scene much sooner.
A. you are not a credible advocate for injury prevention.
If a patient avoids answering a specific question, you should:
A. avoid repeating the question as this may upset the patient.
C. document that the patient did not answer the question.
D. conclude that the patient is trying to hide something.
B. redirect him or her to the question to elicit a response.
Before you begin to transmit over the radio, you should check the volume and then:
A. listen to make sure that the channel is clear of traffic.
B. turn the squelch setting to zero to ensure a good signal.
C. key the microphone two or three times to reach the repeater.
D. press the transmit key for 1 second before talking.
A. listen to make sure that the channel is clear of traffic.
Peer review can be a good learning experience if:
A. the information gained from the review is shared with other personnel within the EMS system.
B. those conducting the review have good guidelines to follow and the person being evaluated keeps an open mind.
C. the EMS system’s medical director and administrative staff take part in the process.
D. the person or persons conducting the review have at least 10 years of EMS experience.
B. those conducting the review have good guidelines to follow and the person being evaluated keeps an open mind.
Ignoring one’s circadian rhythms may result in all of the following, EXCEPT:
A. persistent difficulty with sleep.
B. enhanced social functioning.
C. decreased physical coordination.
D. impairment of higher thought function.
B. enhanced social functioning.
All of the following are common triggers of distress, EXCEPT:
A. planning a lengthy vacation.
B. the loss of a loved one.
C. having children that leave home.
D. excessive responsibility at work.
A. planning a lengthy vacation.
Most unintentional injuries are the result of:
A. sports-related incidents.
B. accidental shootings.
C. motor vehicle accidents.
D. water-related incidents.
C. motor vehicle accidents.
Which of the following statements regarding peer review is correct?
A. Peer review is not a tool to demean or belittle a fellow paramedic.
B. The EMS administrator is the ideal person to conduct the review.
C. Review findings should be shared with others to facilitate learning.
D. It is preferable to use the same people to conduct all peer reviews.
A. Peer review is not a tool to demean or belittle a fellow paramedic.
A patient states, “I can’t catch my breath,” and the paramedic responds, “You say you can’t catch your breath, ma’am’?” This is an example of:
A. facilitation.
B. confrontation.
C. reflection.
D. interpretation.
C. reflection.
Common signs of PTSD include all of the following, EXCEPT:
A. a change in appetite following a serious incident.
B. recurring mental flashbacks of the incident.
C. difficulty getting an incident out of your thoughts.
D. feelings of guilt that you performed inadequately.
D. feelings of guilt that you performed inadequately.
If the wife of a critically ill man asks you if her husband is going to die, the MOST appropriate response should be:
A. “It is possible, and you should prepare yourself for the worst.”
B. “The situation appears grim, but you should not lose all hope.”
C. “He is very sick, but we are doing everything we can to help him.”
D. “That question is best answered by the physician at the hospital.”
C. “He is very sick, but we are doing everything we can to help him.”
The statement “If I can just live long enough to see my son’s wedding, I can die in peace” is indicative of the ____________ stage of the grieving process.
A. denial
B. anger
C. bargaining
D. depression
C. bargaining
An unsuccessful resuscitation attempt will rarely be an emotional issue for the paramedic if he or she:
A. has never personally experienced a loved one’s death.
B. has participated in many resuscitation attempts in the past.
C. maintains a firm and realistic grip on his or her own ego.
D. critiques the call and knows that mistakes were not made.
C. maintains a firm and realistic grip on his or her own ego.
A major distinction between a paramedic and an EMT is that the paramedic:
A. is more likely to be sued for negligence.
B. is held to a higher professional standard.
C. carries out advanced pharmacologic skills.
D. can function independently of a physician.
C. carries out advanced pharmacologic skills.
Many _________ believe that touching the head may put their soul in jeopardy.
A. Asians
B. Somalis
C. Thais
D. Muslims
A. Asians
When returning your unit to service following a call, the responsibility of ensuring that the unit is restocked and ready for another call rests with:
A. everyone on the EMS team.
B. the medic who was driving.
C. the paramedic in charge.
D. the shift captain or supervisor.
A. everyone on the EMS team.
To protect your back when lifting, you should:
A. maintain a slight curvature of your back whenever you lift a patient.
B. use the powerful muscles of your lower back to help support weight.
C. spread your legs approximately 6″ apart whenever you lift.
D. keep your back in a straight, upright position and lift without twisting.
D. keep your back in a straight, upright position and lift without twisting.
The MOST effective injury prevention program is one that is:
A. financed by the EMS system.
B. targeted to a specific population.
C. implemented within 6 months.
D. broad and ongoing.
D. broad and ongoing.
Which of the following is NOT a reason why EMS providers are in the ideal position to serve as advocates for injury prevention?
A. In many rural communities, the EMT might be the most medically sophisticated person.
B. EMS providers are distributed widely in the population and are welcome in environments conducive to delivering prevention messages.
C. Most EMS systems require their personnel to participate actively in injury prevention programs.
D. EMS providers are high-profile role models and are perceived as champions of their patients.
C. Most EMS systems require their personnel to participate actively in injury prevention programs.
A critical incident is MOST accurately defined as:
A. a delayed stress reaction to an incident that is similar to what has been experienced in the past.
B. a situation that completely incapacitates a person’s ability to cope with the acute stress reaction at the scene.
C. an incident that overwhelms the ability of an EMS worker or system to cope with the experience, either at the scene or later.
D. any incident that completely overwhelms a paramedic’s ability to manage the short-term stress caused by the incident.
C. an incident that overwhelms the ability of an EMS worker or system to cope with the experience, either at the scene or later.
When dealing with a grieving child, it is important to remember that:
A. children 9 to 12 years of age may want to know details of the incident.
B. children as young as 1 year of age are aware that something bad has occurred.
C. family members should be discouraged from crying in front of the child.
D. you should advise family members to change the child’s routine.
A. children 9 to 12 years of age may want to know details of the incident.
A man having a possible heart attack redirects his anger away from his condition and toward the paramedic. This is called:
A. regression.
B. displacement.
C. digression.
D. projection.
B. displacement.
According to the Haddon matrix, which of the following is an example of a pre-event strategy used to prevent injury of a child who is riding in a motor vehicle?
A. Training bystanders in basic pediatric first aid
B. Reducing driving during high-risk times
C. A driver maintaining control of his or her vehicle
D. Outfitting ambulances with pediatric-sized equipment
B. Reducing driving during high-risk times
A patient has requested to be transported to a specific hospital; however, the hospital does not have the proper resources to meet the patient’s needs. You should:
A. determine if there is a more appropriate medical facility within a reasonable distance.
B. remember that the hospital can always transfer the patient to a more appropriate facility.
C. contact medical control and request permission to transport the patient to his or her choice hospital.
D. advise the patient that his or her hospital of choice is a poorly equipped medical facility.
A. determine if there is a more appropriate medical facility within a reasonable distance.
An unblinded research study is one in which:
A. some of the participants are aware of all aspects of the project.
B. all research participants are advised of all aspects of the project.
C. only the principal researcher is aware of all aspects of the project.
D. nobody is aware of any of the aspects of the research project.
B. all research participants are advised of all aspects of the project.
Performing the functions of a paramedic prior to licensure is:
A. unlawful.
B. unethical.
C. permissible.
D. immoral.
A. unlawful.
Being empathetic toward a patient means that you:
A. reassure the patient of your competence.
B. know exactly how the patient feels.
C. feel a sense of sorrow for the patient.
D. acknowledge the patient’s feelings.
D. acknowledge the patient’s feelings.
The ability of multiple agencies or systems to share the same radio frequency is called:
A. a duplex.
B. trunking.
C. telemetry.
D. patching.
B. trunking.
The entity that was created in 1966 and that provides authority and financial support for the development of basic and advanced life support programs is the:
A. National Association of EMTs.
B. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
C. National Highway Safety Department.
D. United States Department of Transportation.
D. United States Department of Transportation.
The BEST teachable moments are those that:
A. judge the patient’s actions.
B. occur during an acute emergency.
C. convey positive reinforcement.
D. employ the use of scare tactics.
C. convey positive reinforcement.
Standard precautions differ from universal precautions in that standard precautions:
A. are designed to approach all body fluids as being potentially infectious.
B. involve the use of latex gloves when you make contact with any patient.
C. assume that only blood and certain other fluids are infected with HIV.
D. are only applied when you encounter a patient who is actively bleeding.
A. are designed to approach all body fluids as being potentially infectious.
The leading cause of death in the United States is:
A. stroke.
B. unintentional injury.
C. cancer.
D. heart disease.
D. heart disease.
In order for the paramedic to talk and transmit an ECG simultaneously on one frequency, a __________ system is required.
A. low-band
B. simplex
C. duplex
D. multiplex
D. multiplex
Immediately following exposure to a patient’s blood or body fluids, the paramedic should:
A. thoroughly document the exposure.
B. turn patient care over to another provider.
C. wash the affected area with soap and water.
D. be evaluated by a physician.
B. turn patient care over to another provider.
If a parent insists on monitoring your conversation with his or her adolescent son or daughter, you should:
A. suspect that the adolescent has been physically or emotionally abused and confront the parent.
B. communicate the situation to the emergency department physician and document it accurately.
C. explain to the adolescent that he or she is a minor and that you cannot converse without parental presence.
D. refuse the parent’s prerogative and move the patient to the ambulance to continue your conversation.
B. communicate the situation to the emergency department physician and document it accurately.
