NREMT Assesment

Question 1

What is referred pain?

Answer 1

Referred pain is felt at a location other than its source.

In cases of pancreatitis, pain is often felt in the shoulder. This is an example of referred pain.

Question 2

What is the overall purpose of the primary assessment?

Answer 2

To identify and correct life threats.

Question 3

How long should you perform a carotid pulse check on an unresponsive patient?

Answer 3

No longer than 10 seconds.

Question 4

What are the primary differences between assessing a medical patient and assessing a trauma patient?

Answer 4

The medical assessment is more history-dependent than the trauma assessment.

The trauma assessment is more hands-on focused than the medical assessment.

Both types of patients can require prompt transport. Serious trauma patients as well as medical patients (e.g. myocardial infarction and stroke) all require prompt transport for definitive treatment.

Question 5

Define: Nature of Illness

Answer 5

The nature of the illness or complaint for the medical patient.

Question 6

How often should the unstable patient be reassessed?

Answer 6

Every 5 minutes

Question 7

List three things you look for when taking a pulse.

Answer 7

• Rate (presence/absence)
• Strength
• Regularity

A reading might be recorded as: “80/minute, strong and regular”

Question 8

Explain when you would use an A-B-C approach to the patient and when you would use a C-A-B approach to the patient.

Answer 8

A-B-C is used when assessing the overwhelming majority of patients. It is used for every patient except when the patient appears lifeless (not moving or breathing) when C-A-B is used.

Question 9

Define: Bradycardia

Answer 9

A pulse rate below 60 per minute.

Question 10

List the five main components of the scene size-up.

Answer 10

• Scene safety
• Standard precautions
• Number of patients
• Resource determination/call for resources
• Mechanism of injury or nature of illness

Question 11

List the 6 main steps of the primary assessment.

Answer 11

• General impression
• Mental status
• Airway
• Breathing
• Circulation
• Priority determination/Transport decision

Question 12

What are the components of reassessment?

Answer 12

Repeat the primary assessment

Reassess chief complaint

Reassess and check interventions

Reassess vital signs

Question 13

What does the mnemonic OPQRST stand for?

Answer 13

• Onset
• Provocation and palliation
• Quality
• Region and radiation
• Severity
• Time

Question 14

List signs you may observe as part of the circulation check that indicate shock.

Answer 14

Rapid, weak pulse
Cool, clammy skin

(Earlier in the primary assessment you may have noticed anxiety or restlessness as part of the mental status and rapid respirations as you checked breathing.)

Question 15

What is capnography?

Answer 15

Capnography is the measurement of carbon dioxide concentrations in exhaled breath.

A waveform is produced that shows CO2 levels and a pattern that helps identify certain respiratory conditions.

Question 16

List two ways bullets cause injury.

Answer 16

Cavitation - damage from the expanding pressure wave caused by the bullet.

Projectile - damage to tissue or organs physically struck by the bullet.

Question 17

When will an EMT hear Korotkoff sounds?

Answer 17

Korotkoff sounds are the sounds heard while auscultating a blood pressure.

Question 18

If you took a pulse for 15 seconds what number would you multiply the results by to get the pulse rate?

Answer 18

If you take pulse or respirations for 15 seconds multiply by 4. If you take a pulse or respiratory count for 30 seconds multiply the result by 2.

Question 19

What is the purpose of the general impression?

Answer 19

The general impression provides an early indicator of the seriousness of a call and helps focus primary assessment and early decisions appropriately.

For example, observing an unresponsive patient would indicate an urgent need for ABCs and prompt transport while observing an alert patient would require less primary assessment urgency and intervention.

Question 20

List 4 elements of the “A” or airway portion of the primary assessment.

Answer 20

Opening the airway and assuring it remains open

Examining the airway for foreign material

Suctioning

Oral or nasal airway insertion

Question 21

Where would you perform a pulse check on an infant?

Answer 21

Brachial pulse (upper arm)

Question 22

What is the AVPU mnemonic used for?

Answer 22

AVPU is used to remember levels of responsiveness:

• Alert
• Verbal
• Pain
• Unresponsive