Chapter 13: Vital Signs and Monitoring Devices Flashcards
Which of the following is NOT a vital sign?
- 1. Pulse
- 2. Mental status
- 3. Temperature
- 4. Blood pressure
Mental status
You should obtain the first vital signs:
During the secondary assessment
The vital sign that is least useful in adults is:
Capillary refill
The patient that you would expect to have the slowest at-rest pulse rate is a(n):
Athlete
An EMT should be most concerned with a pulse rate maintained above:
120 beats per minute
In case of shock or later stages of blood loss, an EMT would expect the pulse to be:
Rapid and thready
The first pulse taken by an EMT on patients one year old and older is the:
Radial pulse
If an EMT has trouble finding the radial pulse on a conscious patient, they should first:
Try the wrist on the other arm
A rapid pulse, or any pulse over 100 beats per minute, is called:
Tachycardia
A person is considered febrile if they have a temperature greater than:
101.3 F
All of the following are signs of labored breathing EXCEPT:
- 1. Nasal flaring
- 2. Retractions
- 3. Grunting
- 4. Palpitations
Palpitations
In cases of children and infants, an EMT can expect to find the highest normal respiration rates in a(n):
Newborn
The respiratory sound that points toward medical problems such as asthma is:
Wheezing
The respiratory sound that indicates a patient might need suctioning is:
Gurgling
The skin color that indicates poor circulation is
Pale
The skin color that indicates inadequate breathing or heart function is:
Cyanotic
For skin to be called “clammy”, it must be:
Cool and moist
When checking pupils, an EMT should look for all of the following EXCEPT:
- 1. Size
- 2. Reactivity
- 3. Equality
- 4. Color
Color
In cases of stroke or head injury, the pupils are likely to be:
Unequal
A normal systolic blood pressure for a 40-year-old female would be:
100
When deflating the cuff of a sphygmomanometer, the “systolic” blood pressure is the:
First sound
A normal pulse oximeter reading is at least:
96%
For unstable patients, an EMT should take vital signs every:
5 minutes
What is a normal vital sign in a light-skinned patient?
Pink, warm skin
A normal blood glucose level is usually at least:
70 to 100 mg/dL
The most important part of the patient assessment is the [_________].
Chief complaint
The outward signs of what is going on inside a patients body are the [_________].
Vital signs
The first set of vital signs an EMT obtains is called [_______] vital signs.
Baseline
The rhythmic beats felt as the heart pumps blood through the arteries is called the [_____].
Pulse
A rapid pulse, usually over 100 beats per minute, is known as [___________].
Tachycardia
A slow pulse, usually below 60 beats per minute, is known as [___________].
Bradycardia
Pressing too hard on the [_______] artery can result in a slowing of the heart.
Carotid
If the pulse rate, rhythm, or character is not normal, an EMT should continue taking the pulse for [____] seconds.
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