Chapter 2 Flashcards
Questions
Answers
Your supervisor has assigned you the task of designing a program that provides for stress management and health promotion within the department. Which program would accomplish this task in the best way?
Complementary passes to a local fitness center
You have worked with the same partner for several years and know him well. Over the past three months, the two of you have had four horrific pediatric calls with death as the outcome of each. Which observation would make you the most suspicious that your partner is experiencing a possible stress reaction that might encumber his ability to work as an EMT?
Excessive and uncharacteristic irritability
If you have questions regarding the steps to take when exposed to an infectious disease, your best resource would be:
Your service’s written exposure control plan
You are treating a patient with active tuberculosis. What additional precaution would afford you the best protection from the disease given the mode of transmission for this disease?
High-efficiency particulate aspirator mask
A patient with terminal lung cancer has called EMS for shortness of breath. At the request of your paramedic partner, you are obtaining the patient’s blood pressure. While inflating and then deflating the blood pressure cuff, the patient angrily shouts, ‘That thing is too tight! What are you trying to do—send me to the funeral home early?’ Your best reply would be:
‘I know that this is tight and uncomfortable, but I am almost done now.’
A patient with a history of hepatitis C has called 911 because they have a headache. Given the complaint and medical history, which personal protective equipment, at a minimum, is most appropriate?
Gloves
Preincident stress education, one-on-one support, and disaster support services are all part of:
A comprehensive critical incident stress management (CISM) program
Which rationale best explains the reason for wearing a high-visibility safety vest at the scene of a motor vehicle collision?
The use of the vest can increase your visibility to passing drivers at the scene of an accident.
A male patient informs you that he was recently diagnosed with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection but has yet to develop AIDS. Given this information, which statement is true?
Gloves and eye protection will be adequate protection under most conditions unless body fluids are present
In the field setting, the best way to avoid becoming infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is:
Use the appropriate protective personal equipment
You are doing CPR on a male patient who is unresponsive, not breathing, and pulseless. Emergency Medical Responders (EMRs) were on the scene first and applied the AED, which did not deliver a shock to the patient. The patient’s wife is crying and asks how her husband is doing. Your response would be:
‘Right now he is not breathing and his heart is not beating, but we are doing everything we possibly can for him.’
You have been told that you must get your purified protein derivative (PPD) test for tuberculosis (TB). As a knowledgeable EMT, you recognize that the PPD test will:
Need to be repeated annually
You and your partner were among several rescuers on a call involving a house fire in which a 4-year-old girl died. That night, your partner states that he did not sleep well and is extremely bothered by the little girl’s death. The next day he calls you and states that he is so upset that he is now having chest pain. What is the most appropriate response?
‘You really need to get yourself to the emergency department to get checked out.’
As an EMT, you would recognize what situation as having the greatest potential for causing emotional stress?
Caring for a child whose parents have appeared to have neglected him
A patient with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is complaining of chest pain. In this situation, which personal protective equipment, at a minimum, is required to be donned prior to contact with the patient?
Gloves and eyewear
Regarding ‘burnout’ and the Emergency Medical Services (EMS), what statement is most accurate?
Burnout can diminish an EMT’s ability to provide competent care.
Organisms that cause diseases are called:
Pathogens
An EMT has an understanding of the different types of pathogens when they state:
‘Viruses are resistant to antibiotics because they live within the body’s cells.’
A shooting at a public mall leaves three people dead and nine injured, several critically. As operations wind down, many rescuers are physically and emotionally upset. Which event may be most appropriate at this specific time?
A gathering that allows the rescuers to vent their emotions
You are attempting to increase your cardiovascular endurance in an effort to better perform your job as an EMT. Which action would be the most appropriate in working toward this goal?
Walking on a treadmill 3 to 4 times per week
A prospective student is interested in becoming an EMT but is unsure how it will affect his family. He says that his wife is very worried about the danger associated with Emergency Medical Services and has never had to deal with him being gone for 24 hours at a time. What is the most appropriate response?
‘It may help to bring your wife here so she can see what we do and the safety precautions we take.’
You are at a long-term care facility at the bedside of an 89-year-old female with an infected area on her back. The staff members state that they are fearful that the patient has a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection, so they have requested transport to the emergency department for further evaluation. To decrease your chance of acquiring MRSA, what should you, as an EMT, do?
Wash your hands following patient contact
The EMT practice of protecting oneself from disease transmission through exposure to blood and other body fluids is referred to as:
Standard Precautions
