ch. 32 environmental emergencies Flashcards
Hypothermia is diagnosed when the core body temperature falls below what temperature?
95 degrees F. (35 C)
Shivering stops and muscle activity ceases once the body’s core temperature reaches what?
90 degrees F (32.2 C)
Rough handling a patient with severe hypothermia may cause which of the following dysrhythmias?
Ventricular fibrillation
In the context of an environment that is 90 degrees F with 85% humidity, what does moist, pale, cool skin indicate?
There has been excessive fluid and salt loss
What is the first sign of heat stroke?
change in behavior
In which of the following environmental emergencies are you most likely to encounter laryngospasm?
drowning
What is the most dangerous, and most common emergency in scuba diving?
air embolism
You are treating a patient who was climbing a 10,000 ft mountain when he began to experience a severe, constant, throbbing headache; ataxia; and extreme fatigue. He is nauseated and as you assess him, he loses consciousness. Which of the following should you expect?
HACE
You suspect the patient you are treating was bitten by a rattlesnake. What do you do first?
Place the patient in a supine position
A person who strands outside in windy, wintry weather and wears only lightweight clothing is experiencing heat loss mainly by what method?
convection
Breath-holding syncope is caused by a decreased stimulus to breathe and occurs when
A swimmer hyperventilates prior to entering the water
All of the following snakes are pit vipers, except:
coral snake
Signs and symptoms of an air embolism include all of the following, EXCEPT:
pale skin
Which of the following statements regarding lightning strike is correct?
Lightening strikes may cause cardiac dysrhythmias that spontaneously resolve
The venom of a brown recluse spider is cytotoxic, meaning that it:
causes severe local tissue damage.
After being stung on the leg by a jellyfish, a man complains of severe pain to his leg, dizziness, and difficulty breathing. He has a red rash covering his trunk and his blood pressure is 90/50 mm Hg. The EMT should:
Administer oxygen and epinephrine and prepare for rapid transport
A frostbitten foot can be identified by the presence of:
Mottling and blisters
Signs of late heatstroke include:
a weak, rapid pulse.
You are assessing a 33-year-old male who complains of severe abdominal pain, weakness, and nausea. He tells you that he was gathering wood to build a fire when he felt a sudden, sharp pain on the back of his hand. Your assessment reveals that the patient’s abdomen is rigid and painful to palpation. You should suspect:
black widow spider bite
Which of the following statements regarding drowning is correct?
Laryngospasm following submersion in water makes rescue breathing difficult.
A patient with a core body temperature of 95°F (35°C) will MOST likely experience:
Rapid breathing
You are dispatched to a residence for a young female who is sick. The patient complains of a rash to her lower extremities and truncal area. Your assessment reveals a small, painful blister on her inner thigh. As your partner is taking the patient’s vital signs, she states that she and her family returned from a camping trip 2 days ago. On the basis of this patient’s presentation, you should suspect:
Lyme disease
A dysbarism injury refers to the signs and symptoms related to changes in:
Barometric pressure
The transfer of heat to circulating air, such as when cool air moves across the body’s surface, is called:
convection
Geriatric patients, newborns, and infants are especially prone to hyperthermia because they:
Exhibit poor thermoregulation
Shivering is a mechanism in which the body generates heat by:
increasing the metabolic rate.
The diving reflex may allow a person to survive extended periods of submersion in cold water secondary to:
Bradycardia and a slowing of the metabolic rate
Air bubbles in the blood vessels
Air embolism
The temperature of the surrounding environment
Ambient temperature
A serum that counteracts the effect of venom from an animal or insect
Antivenin
A common name for decompression sickness
bends
The loss of heat by direct contact when a body part comes into contact (with cold object)
conduction
The loss of body heat caused by air movement
convection
The temperature of the central part of the body
core temperature
A painful condition in divers who ascend too quickly, and which gas, especially nitrogen, forms bubbles in blood vessels and other tissues
decompression sickness
The slowing of the heart rate caused by submerging in Coldwater
diving reflex
Process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion or immersion in liquid
drowning
Any signs and symptoms caused by the difference between the surrounding atmospheric pressure and the total gas pressure and various tissues, fluids, and cavities of the body
Dysbarism injuries
Conversion of water or another liquid to gas
evaporation
Damage to the tissues as the result of exposure to cold; frozen body parts
A condition in which the body core temperature falls below 95°F or 35°C after exposure to a cold environment
frostbite
Painful muscle spasms usually associated with vigorous activity in a hot environment
heat cramps
Painful muscle spasms usually associated with vigorous activity in a hot environment
heat exhaustion
A life threatening condition of severe hypothermia caused by exposure to excessive natural or artificial heat, marked by warm, dry skin; severely altered mental status; and often a reversible,
heat stroke
A balance of all the systems of the body
Homeostasis
A condition in which the body core temperature rises to 101°F or 38.3°C or more
hyperthermia
A condition in which the body core temperature falls below 95°F or 35°C after exposure to a cold environment
hypothermia
A family of insects that includes bees, wasps, ants, and yellow jackets
Hymenoptera
The transfer of heat to colder objects in the environment by radiant energy; for example heat gained from the fire
radiation
The loss of body heat as warm air in the lungs is exhaled into the atmosphere and cooler air is inhaled
respiration
A triage process used in treating multiple victims of a lightning strike, in which efforts are focused on those who are in respiratory and cardiac arrest. Reverse triage is different from conventional triage were such patients would be classified as deceased
reverse triage
The system that delivers air to the mouth and lungs at various atmospheric pressure’s, increasing with the depth of the dive; stands for self contained underwater breathing apparatus
scuba gear
The ability of the skin to resist deformation; tested by gently pinching skin on the forehead or back of the hand
turgor
