Chapter 03 - Medical, Legal, and Ethical Issues

Question 1

You and your partner arrive at the scene of a major motor vehicle crash. The driver, a young male, is severely entrapped in his car. He has an open head injury and massive facial trauma. He is unresponsive, is not breathing, and does not have a palpable carotid pulse. You should:

A. have your partner check for a pulse to confirm that the patient is deceased

B. ventilate the patient for 5 minutes and then stop if there is no response

C. stop any active bleeding and advise dispatch to send a paramedic crew

D. request the fire department to extricate the patient so you can begin CPR

Answer 1

A. have your partner check for a pulse to confirm that the patient is deceased

P 92-93, Physical Signs of Death

Question 2

Which type of consent is involved when a 39-year-old mentally competent female with a severe headache asks you to take her to the hospital?

A. Informed

B. Implied

C. Expressed

D. Formal

Answer 2

C. Expressed

P 86, Consent

Question 3

As an EMT, the standards of emergency care are often partially based on:

A. a consensus among paramedic supervisors

B. locally accepted protocols

C. the priorities of the medical director

D. the wishes of the general public

Answer 3

B. locally accepted protocols

P 101, Records and Reports

Question 4

Which of the following components are needed to prove negligence?

A. Duty to act, abandonment, breach of duty, and causation

B. Duty to act, breach of duty, injury/damages, and causation

C. Breach of duty, injury/damages, abandonment, and causation

D. Abandonment, breach of duty, damages, and causation

Answer 4

B. Duty to act, breach of duty, injury/damages, and causation

P 98, Negligence