Chapter 19 - Toxicology

Question 1

An EMT’s primary responsibility to the patient who has been poisoned is to:
Select one:
A. administer the appropriate antidote.
B. contact poison control immediately.
C. recognize that a poisoning occurred.
D. administer 25 g of activated charcoal.

Answer 1

C. recognize that a poisoning occurred.

Question 2

An overdose on acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, will MOST likely cause:
Select one:
A. gastric ulcers.
B. kidney failure.
C. central nervous system (CNS) depression.
D. liver failure.

Answer 2

D. liver failure.

Question 3

Atropine sulfate and pralidoxime chloride are antidotes for:
Select one:
A. diphenhydramine (Benadryl).
B. nerve gas agents.
C. lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).
D. anticholinergic drugs.

Answer 3

B. nerve gas agents.

Question 4

How do poisons typically act to harm the body?
Select one:
A. By interfering with normal neurologic function
B. By causing burns and damage to either external or internal organs
C. By changing the normal metabolism of cells or by destroying them
D. By causing a slowing of nearly all bodily functions

Answer 4

C. By changing the normal metabolism of cells or by destroying them

Question 5

If the victim of a toxicologic emergency vomits, an EMT should _________.
Select one:
A. not approach the vomitus.
B. use appropriate personal protective equipment and examine the vomitus for pill fragments or other clues for patient care.
C. have the patient enclose the vomitus in a container and take it to the emergency department.
D. safely dispose of the vomitus as soon as possible and decontaminate the vehicle as necessary.

Answer 5

B. use appropriate personal protective equipment and examine the vomitus for pill fragments or other clues for patient care.

Question 6

Victims of inhaled poisoning will require which of the following?
Select one:
A. ventilation with a bag-mask device
B. an oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal device to maintain an airway
C. transport to an emergency department for evaluation
D. suctioning to clear the airway

Answer 6

C. transport to an emergency department for evaluation

Question 7

You receive a call to a residence where a man found his wife unconscious on the couch. The patient is unresponsive, her respiratory rate is 8 breaths/min, her breathing is shallow, her heart rate is 40 beats/min, and her pulse is weak. The husband hands you an empty bottle of hydrocodone (Vicodin), which was refilled the day before. You should:
Select one:
A. apply oxygen via a nonrebreathing mask.
B. perform a rapid head-to-toe exam.
C. initiate ventilatory assistance.
D. contact the poison control center.

Answer 7

C. initiate ventilatory assistance.