Ch. 7: Medical/Legal Aspects

Question 0

Injuring a person’s name or character through malicious spoken statements is called:

Answer 0

slander

Question 1

A paramedic who transports patients without their consent or other legal authority would most likely be subject to charges of:

Answer 1

False imprisonment

Question 2

A civil wrong committed by one individual against another is a:

Answer 2

tort

Question 3

Paramedic Smith came to work feeling tired and napped before his equipment and vehicle checklist. As a result, when called to a scene there was no medicine to administer a seizing patient. Ultimately, the patient stopped seizing and suffered no apparent adverse consequences. What element is used to establish negligence is missing in this case?

Answer 3

actual damages

Question 4

Malfeasance, misfeasance and nonfeasance are 3 types of:

Answer 4

breach of duty

Question 5

The principle of law that prohibits the release of medical or other personal information about a patient without the patient’s permission is known as:

Answer 5

confidentiality

Question 6

The category of law that deals with issues involving conflicts between two or more parties, such as personal injury cases, contract disputes, and matrimonial issues, is _________ law.

Answer 6

civil

Question 7

When a court orders that a prisoner receive treatment the prisoner does not want, the treatment is based on __________ consent.

Answer 7

involuntary

Question 8

There are ethical and societal limits to the interactions between paramedics or other health care personnel and the patients they serve. These are called:

Answer 8

professional boundaries

Question 9

A patient has been treated by paramedics for a sprained wrist. En route to the hospital, she suffers a stroke. What is the likely outcome of a negligence lawsuit brought by the patient?

Answer 9

The suit would fail because the plaintiff could not demonstrate that the paramedics’ actions were the proximate cause of the stroke

Question 10

When a PCR is found to be incomplete or inaccurate, the paramedic should:

Answer 10

add a dated and signed addendum to the original report

Question 11

The degree of care, skill, and judgment that would be expected of any similarly trained, reasonable paramedic acting under similar circumstances is called the:

Answer 11

standard of care

Question 12

What statement about civil suits regarding torts is generally true?

Answer 12

Plaintiff seeks to recover damages from the defendant

Question 13

You have responded to a physician’s office for a terminal cancer patient in cardiac arrest. The physician says, “This is a chemical code only. Just give the meds, but don’t intubate or do CPR.” What should you do?

Answer 13

Tell the physician you are bound to treat the patient according to protocol. If the physician would like you to do something different, she must take complete responsibility for patient care.

Question 14

What is best described as the unlawful touching of another individual without the individual’s consent?

Answer 14

battery

Question 15

What is an example of good documentation?

Answer 15

it is thorough

Question 16

Most of the laws that OSHA can use to enact regulations and statutes are _________ laws.

Answer 16

administrative

Question 17

The four elements needed to sustain a charge of negligence against a paramedic are:

Answer 17

duty to act, breach of that duty, actual damages and proximate cause

Question 18

What is true in the event that off-duty paramedics provide advanced life-support interventions at an emergency scene?

Answer 18

they may be charged with practicing medicine without a license

Question 19

A paramedic performs an intervention on a patient that is contrary to current practices. The patient suffers an injury as a result of that intervention. This is an example of:

Answer 19

malfeasance

Question 20

OSHA’s development of requirements to be followed at hazardous materials emergencies is an example of ________ law.

Answer 20

administrative

Question 21

The duties and skills paramedics are allowed and expected to perform while carrying out their jobs are called the:

Answer 21

scope of practice

Question 22

The type of consent that must be obtained from a conscious, competent adult patient before a paramedic can begin treatment is called _________ consent.

Answer 22

Informed

Question 23

A patient is involved in a car crash. When the paramedics arrive, he complains of neck pain but refuses to let the medics immobilize his spine. The medics explain the risk of refusing treatment and have the patient sign a release-from-liability form. The patient suffers minor neurological damage and later sues, charging negligence on the part of the medics. What best explains why the patient is not likely to be awarded damages?

Answer 23

There was contributory negligence on the part of the patient

Question 24

What is NOT a component of a civil suit?

Answer 24

Imprisonment

Question 25

You are treating a patient who you think needs an IV of lactated Ringer’s. The patient, however, says he is frightened of needles and refuses to give his consent. If you display the IV catheter and bring it toward the patient, you may be charged with:

Answer 25

assault