Medical Emergencies Flashcards
.You are dispatched to an “ill person.” On arrival, you find a 64-year-old patient who tells
you he just doesn’t feel well. He is anxious and breathing at 26 times per minute, pulse 96
and regular, blood pressure (BP) 128/92. He tells you he used his inhaler for his breathing.
He is shaky and his skin is pale, cool, and sweaty. Which of the following do you suspect
is his primary problem?
a. Difficulty breathing/respiratory
b. Chest pain/cardiac
c. Altered level of consciousness/neurological
d. Behavioral/psychiatric
a. Difficulty breathing/respiratory
Emergency First Responders assess a 42-year-old male who complains of chest tightness.
He tells you the discomfort goes into his arm and jaw. He is a little short of breath and
feels nauseated. Which of the following is most likely this patient’s primary problem?
a. Difficulty breathing/respiratory
b. Chest pain/cardiac
c. Altered level of consciousness/neurological
d. Behavioral/psychiatric
b. Chest pain/cardiac
Care for a patient with difficulty breathing and a history of asthma would include which of
the following?
a. Encourage the patient to lay flat, suction as needed
b. Encourage the patient to use his or her inhaler, position of comfort, oxygen, reassure
c. Position of comfort, high concentration oxygen, apply an automated external
defibrillator (AED)
d. Recovery position, small sips of warmed fluids, low concentration oxygen
b. Encourage the patient to use his or her inhaler, position of comfort, oxygen, reassure
Care for a patient with chest pain would include all of the following EXCEPT _____.
a. Oxygen as needed
b. Position of comfort
c. Encourage patient to walk off the pain
d. AED as needed
c. Encourage patient to walk off the pain
Which of the following patients does NOT have an altered mental status?
a. A 1-year-old patient who points to his injured foot when asked where he hurts but does
not speak
b. A 16-year-old patient who mumbles “Where am I?” when asked his name
c. A 64-year-old patient who yells obscenities when asked what happened
d. An 82-year-old patient who tells you it is morning when it is actually evening
a. A 1-year-old patient who points to his injured foot when asked where he hurts but does
not speak
Which of the following is NOT a component of the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale?
a. Ask the patient to show his or her teeth or smile.
b. Have the patient close his or her eyes and hold out both arms for 10 seconds.
c. Have the patient say “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
d. Shine a light in the patient’s eyes to assess for equality and reactivity.
d. Shine a light in the patient’s eyes to assess for equality and reactivity.
Your patient is a 73-year-old female who is complaining of weakness on her left side. As you assess her, she tells you the weakness is going away. You note her grip is stronger than when you arrived. You suspect which of the following?
a. Stroke
b. Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
c. A behavioral emergency
d. She was faking it
b. Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
Which of the following conditions would potentially cause an altered mental status in a
patient?
a. Fever, infections, psychiatric conditions
b. Poisoning, low blood sugar, head injury, decreased oxygen to the brain
c. All of the above
d. None of the above
c. All of the above
You respond to a patient who is confused and is nauseated and vomiting. The family tells
you he is an insulin-dependent diabetic. They tell you he has been sick a few days and is getting worse. He appears dehydrated. You suspect which of the following?
a. Hyperglycemia
b. Hypoglycemia
c. The flu with no diabetic problems
d. An acute abdomen with no diabetic problems
a. Hyperglycemia
Which of the following statements is TRUE of a seizure?
a. It may be caused by problems such as fever, infections, and low blood sugar.
b. The body may have convulsions and may stiffen and violently jerk.
c. The patient may be incontinent of stool and urine and sleepy after the seizure.
d. All of the above
d. All of the above
Care for a patient with seizures includes which of the following?
a. Move dangerous objects away, protect privacy, restrain the patient as needed
b. Suction as needed, do not restrain the patient, oxygen as needed
c. Place the patient in the recovery position after the seizure, place an oral airway
d. Maintain a safe environment, place a bite block to maintain the airway
b. Suction as needed, do not restrain the patient, oxygen as needed
Your patient is complaining of abdominal pain and is nauseated and vomiting. What other signs and symptoms may be present and suggestive of an acute abdomen?
a. Abdominal guarding and shock
b. Loss of control of bladder and bowel
c. Loss of sensation to the affected area
d. Difficulty breathing and headache
a. Abdominal guarding and shock
You are called to the home of 24-year-old male who was discharged from the hospital
today. He had a fracture of his femur and pelvis and has been immobile for a period of
time in the hospital. He complains of sudden onset of chest pain on the right side. The
pain is sharp and stabbing. He is also complaining of difficulty breathing. His lungs are
clear and the pain is worse when he takes a deep breath. You suspect he has which of the
following conditions?
a. Myocardial infarction
b. Angina
c. Pulmonary emboli
d. Congestive heart failure
c. Pulmonary emboli
You are dispatched to an office complex. You find a 56-year-old female with chest
pain. She tells you the pain came on when she was walking up the stairs to her office. The
pain was a dull ache in her chest but is almost gone now that she has been sitting down
resting. You suspect she has which of the following conditions?
a. Myocardial infarction
b. Angina
c. Pulmonary emboli
d. Congestive heart failure
b. Angina
You are dispatched to the home of a patient who is threatening to kill himself. Which
of the following is your first action?
a. Do not enter until police officers arrive.
b. Try to talk calmly to the patient.
c. Distract the patient so your partner can restrain him.
d. Explain to the patient what you are doing
a. Do not enter until police officers arrive.
