Chapter 15 - Medical Overview Flashcards
Ten days after treating a 34-year-old patient with tuberculosis, you are given a tuberculin skin test, which yields a positive result. This MOST likely indicates that:
Select one:
A. you are actively infected with tuberculosis and should be treated immediately.
B. you were exposed to another infected person prior to treating the 34-year-old patient.
C. the disease is dormant in your body, but will probably never cause symptoms.
D. you contracted the disease by casual contact instead of exposure to secretions.
B. you were exposed to another infected person prior to treating the 34-year-old patient
After sizing up the scene of a patient with a possible infectious disease, your next priority should be to:
Select one:
A. notify law enforcement.
B. contact medical control.
After sizing up the scene of a patient with a possible
C. take standard precautions.
D. quickly access the patient.
C. take standard precautions.
An infectious disease is MOST accurately defined as:
Select one:
A. any disease that enters the body via the bloodstream and renders the immune system nonfunctional.
B. a disease that can be spread from one person or species to another through a number of mechanisms.
C. the invasion of the human body by a bacterium that cannot be destroyed by antibiotics or other drugs.
D. a medical condition caused by the growth and spread of small, harmful organisms within the body.
D. a medical condition caused by the growth and spread of small, harmful organisms within the body.
Assessment of the medical patient is usually focused on the _________.
Select one:
A. field diagnosis
B. associated symptoms
C. nature of illness
D. medical history
C. nature of illness
Hepatitis B is more virulent than hepatitis C, which means that it:
Select one:
A. leads to chronic infection after exposure.
B. is less resistant to treatment.
C. is a more contagious type of disease.
D. has a greater ability to produce disease.
D. has a greater ability to produce disease.
In 2009, the H1N1 virus accounted for over 200,000 deaths worldwide in the form of the swine flu. In 1919, a similar outbreak of the H1N1 virus occurred in the form of the Spanish flu.
Starting in Kansas City, the virus spread rapidly worldwide, claiming up to 50 million lives. These are both examples of:
Select one:
A. parasitic infection.
B. pandemics.
C. uncontrolled outbreaks.
D. epidemics.
B. pandemics.
In which of the following situations would it be MOST appropriate to utilize an air medical transportation service?
Select one:
A. 50-year-old conscious woman with severe nausea and vomiting, fever, and chills of 3 days’ duration
B. 29-year-old woman who is 18 weeks pregnant, has light vaginal bleeding, and stable vital signs
C. 43-year-old man experiencing a heart attack, and the closest appropriate hospital is 15 minutes away
D. 61-year-old man with signs and symptoms of a stroke and a ground transport time of 50 minutes
D. 61-year-old man with signs and symptoms of a stroke and a ground transport time of 50 minutes
It is especially important to assess pulse, sensation, and movement in all extremities as well as pupillary reactions in patients with a suspected ___________ problem.
Select one:
A. cardiac
B. endocrine
C. respiratory
D. neurologic
D. neurologic
Most patients with an infectious disease will have _________.
Select one:
A. a fever
B. abdominal pain
C. a low blood glucose level
D. seizures
A. a fever
Most treatments provided in the prehospital setting are intended to _________.
Select one:
A. address the patient’s symptoms
B. confirm the patient’s diagnosis
C. correct the patient’s underlying problem
D. reduce the need for transport to the hospital
A. address the patient’s symptoms
The BEST way to prevent infection from whooping cough is to:
Select one:
A. wear a HEPA mask when treating any respiratory patient.
B. get vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis.
C. ask all patients if they have recently traveled abroad.
D. routinely place a surgical mask on all respiratory patients.
B. get vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis.
The determination of whether a medical patient is a high-priority or low-priority transport is typically made:
Select one:
A. after the primary assessment has been completed.
B. once the patient’s baseline vital signs are known.
C. as soon as the patient voices his or her chief complaint.
D. upon completion of a detailed secondary assessment.
A. after the primary assessment has been completed.
When assessing a patient with a medical complaint, which of the following would MOST likely reveal the cause of the problem?
Select one:
A. Primary assessment
B. Baseline vital signs
C. Index of suspicion
D. Medical history
D. Medical history
When caring for a patient with an altered mental status and signs of circulatory compromise, you should:
Select one:
A. transport immediately and begin all emergency treatment en route to the hospital.
B. perform a detailed secondary assessment prior to transporting the patient.
C. limit your time at the scene to 10 minutes or less, if possible.
D. have a paramedic unit respond to the scene if it is less than 15 minutes away.
C. limit your time at the scene to 10 minutes or less, if possible.
When forming your general impression of a patient with a medical complaint, it is important to remember that:
Select one:
A. the conditions of many medical patients may not appear serious at first.
B. the majority of medical patients you encounter are also injured.
C. most serious medical conditions do not present with obvious symptoms.
D. it is during the general impression that assessment of the ABCs occurs.
A. the conditions of many medical patients may not appear serious at first.
