unit 5 exam

Question 1

Which of the following techniques should you use to dislodge a foreign body airway obstruction in a patient who is in an advanced stage of pregnancy or who is very obese?

Select one:

a. Chest thrusts
b. Abdominal thrusts
c. Back blows
d. Finger sweeps

Answer 1

a. Chest thrusts

Question 2

You are dispatched to a residence for a 40-year-old female who fainted. Upon your arrival, the patient is conscious and alert, and states that she is fine. Her husband tells you that she fainted after receiving news that her sister was killed in a car crash. You offer oxygen to the patient, but she refuses to accept it. At this point, your primary concern should be to:

Select one:

a. determine if she was injured when she fainted
b. provide emotional support regarding her sister
c. advise her that she needs to go to the hospital
d. obtain baseline vital signs and a medical history

Answer 2

a. determine if she was injured when she fainted

Question 3

The proper depth of chest compressions on a 9-month-old infant is:

Select one:

a. one-half the diameter of the chest, or about 1½ inches
b. two-thirds the diameter of the chest, or about 2 inches
c. one-third the diameter of the chest, or about 1½ inches
d. one-half to two-thirds the diameter of the chest

Answer 3

c. one-third the diameter of the chest, or about 1 1/2 inches

Question 4

To protect vital organs, the body compensates by directing blood flow away from organs that are more tolerant of low flow, such as

Select one:

a. the brain
b. the skin
c. the heart
d. the lungs

Answer 4

b. the skin

Question 5

Pulmonary edema and impaired ventilation occur during:

Select one:

a. septic shock
b. anaphylactic shock
c. neurogenic shock
d. cardiogenic shock

Answer 5

cardiogenic shock

Question 6

You are off duty at a park when you witness an apparently healthy 12-year-old child suddenly collapse. There are no bystanders around and your mobile phone is in your car. After confirming that the child is in cardiac arrest, you should:

Select one:

a. deliver five rescue breaths before starting chest compressions
b. perform chest compressions only until a bystander arrives
c. call 9-1-1 and then return to begin CPR on the child
d. perform CPR for 2 minutes and then call 9-1-1

Answer 6

c. call 9-1-1 and the return to begin CPR on the child

Question 7

A young male is unresponsive after overdosing on an opioid. He is not breathing and his pulse is weak. The EMT should immediately:

Select one:

a. request an ALS ambulance
b. begin chest compressions
c. ventilate with a BVM
d. administer naloxone

Answer 7

c. ventilate with a BVM

Question 8

When performing chest compressions on an adult, the EMT should compress:

Select one:

a. more than 2.5 inches.
b. at least 1 inch
c. at least 2 inches
d. between 1 inch and 2 inches

Answer 8

c. at least 2 inches

Question 9

Foods, medications, and insects are common causes of ________.

Select one:

a. neurogenic shock
b. septic shock
c. anaphylactic shock
d. psychogenic shock

Answer 9

c. anaphylactic shock

Question 10

You respond to a residence for a patient with a severe leg injury following an accident with a chainsaw. When you arrive, you find the patient, a 44-year-old male, lying supine in the backyard. He has a partial amputation of his right lower leg that is actively bleeding. The patient is conscious and breathing adequately; however, he is restless and his skin is diaphoretic. You should:

Select one:

a. administer 100% supplemental oxygen
b. assess the rate and quality of his pulse
c. immediately evaluate his airway.
d. apply direct pressure to the wound

Answer 10

d. apply direct pressure to the wound

Question 11

A 25-year-old unrestrained female struck the steering wheel with her chest when her car hit a tree while traveling at a high rate of speed. She has signs and symptoms of shock, which you suspect are the result of intrathoracic bleeding. Which of the following interventions will provide this patient with the greatest chance for survival?

Select one:

a. Full immobilization of her spine
b. Rapid transport to a trauma center
c. Intravenous fluid administration
d. High-flow oxygen administration

Answer 11

b. Rapid transport to a trauma center

Question 12

Which of the following statements regarding anaphylactic shock is correct?

Select one:

a. Anaphylactic shock is caused by immune system failure due to a toxic exposure
b. Sensitized people will experience less severe reactions upon subsequent exposure
c. Anaphylactic shock occurs immediately after a person is sensitized to an allergen
d. Subsequent exposure after sensitization often produces a more severe reaction

Answer 12

d. Subsequent exposure after sensitization often produces a more severe reaction.

Question 13

Neurogenic shock occurs when

Select one:

a. failure of the nervous system causes widespread vasodilation
b. massive vasoconstriction occurs distal to a spinal cord injury
c. the spinal cord is severed and causes massive hemorrhaging
d. there is too much blood to fill a smaller vascular container.

Answer 13

a. failure of the nervous system causes widespread vasodilation

Question 14

A 56-year-old male is found semiconscious by his wife. Your assessment reveals that his respirations are rapid and shallow, his pulse is rapid and irregular, and his blood pressure is low. The patient’s wife states that he complained of left arm pain and nausea the day before, but would not allow her to call 9-1-1. The MOST likely cause of this patient’s present condition is:

Select one:

a. cardiogenic hypoperfusion
b. a ruptured aortic aneurysm
c. acute myocardial infarction
d. severe septic hypoperfusion

Answer 14

a. cardiogenic hypoperfusion

Question 15

When assessing the pulse of an unresponsive infant, you should palpate the ________ artery.

Select one:

a. carotid
b. radial
c. femoral
d. brachial

Answer 15

d. brachial

Question 16

Hypovolemic shock caused by severe burns is the result of a loss of:

Select one:

a. red blood cells Incorrect
b. whole blood
c. plasma
d. platelets

Answer 16

c.plasma

Question 17

Which of the following MOST accurately describes septic shock?

Select one:

a. Bacterial infection of the nervous system with widespread vasodilation
b. Viral infection of the blood vessels, vascular damage, and vasoconstriction
c. Bacterial damage to the vessel wall, leaking blood vessels, and vasodilation
d. Widespread vasoconstriction and plasma loss due to a severe viral infection

Answer 17

c. Bacterial damage to the vessel wall, leaking blood vessels, and vasodilation

Question 18

Initial treatment to dislodge a severe foreign body airway obstruction in a responsive infant involves:

Select one:

a. blind finger sweeps
b. bag-valve mask ventilation
c. abdominal thrusts
d. back slaps

Answer 18

d. back slaps

Question 19

What is the correct ratio of compressions to ventilations when performing two-rescuer child CPR?

Select one:

a. 15:2
b. 3:1
c. 5:1
d. 30:2

Answer 19

a. 15:2

Question 20

You are transporting a 33-year-old male who was involved in a major motor vehicle crash. You have addressed all immediate and potentially life-threatening conditions and have stabilized his condition with the appropriate treatment. With an estimated time of arrival at the hospital of 20 minutes, you should:

Select one:

a. take his vital signs in 15 minutes
b. reassess his condition in 5 minutes
c. arrange for an ALS rendezvous
d. repeat your secondary assessment

Answer 20

b. reassess his condition in 5 minutes

Question 21

If gastric distention begins to make positive-pressure ventilation difficult, you should:

Select one:

a. suction the patient’s oropharynx
b. reposition the patient’s airway
c. increase the rate of ventilation
d. insert an oropharyngeal airway.

Answer 21

b. reposition the patient’s airway

Question 22

A 20-year-old male has a large laceration to his wrist. He is holding a blood-soaked towel over the wound, but it continues to bleed rapidly. You should:

Select one:

a. apply a tourniquet proximal to the wrist
b. ask him what he was doing
c. wrap the towel with pressure bandages
d. apply pressure to the brachial artery

Answer 22

a. apply a tourniquet proximal to the wrist

Question 23

When assessing a patient with signs and symptoms of shock, it is important to remember that:

Select one:

a. irreversible shock often responds well to a prompt blood transfusion.
b. the patient’s respirations are deep during the early stages of shock
c. multiple fractures are the most common cause of hypovolemic shock
d. blood pressure may be the last measurable factor to change in shock

Answer 23

d. blood pressure may be the last measurable factor to change in shock

Question 24

When treating an 80-year-old patient who is in shock, it is important to remember that:

Select one:

a. changes in gastric motility may delay gastric emptying, which increases the risk for vomiting
b. the older patient’s central nervous system usually reacts more briskly to compensate for shock.
c. compensation from the respiratory system usually manifests with increased tidal volume.
d. medications older patients take for hypertension often cause an unusually fast heart rate

Answer 24

a. changes in gastric motility may delay gastric emptying, which increases the risk for vomiting

Question 25

Clinical signs of compensated shock include all of the following, EXCEPT

Select one:

a. absent peripheral pulses
b. rapid, shallow breathing
c. restlessness or anxiety
d. cool and clammy skin

Answer 25

a. absent peripheral pulses

Question 26

A 19-year-old male was stung multiple times by fire ants. He is experiencing obvious signs and symptoms of anaphylactic shock. You administer high-flow oxygen and give him epinephrine via intramuscular injection. Upon reassessment, you determine that his condition has not improved. You should:

Select one:

a. consider that he may actually be experiencing an acute asthma attack.
b. repeat the epinephrine injection after consulting with medical control
c. request a paramedic unit that is stationed approximately 15 miles away
d. transport him immediately and provide supportive care while en route

Answer 26

b. repeat the epinephrine injection after consulting with medical control

Question 27

Which of the following injuries would MOST likely cause obstructive shock?

Select one:

a. Simple pneumothorax
b. Cardiac tamponade
c. Spinal cord injury
d. Liver laceration

Answer 27

b. cardiac tamponade

Question 28

The MOST appropriate treatment for a patient with a mild upper airway obstruction includes:

Select one:

a. performing five back blows and five abdominal thrusts
b. visualizing the airway and removing the obstruction
c. administering oxygen and transporting immediately.
d. advising the patient not to make any attempts to cough.

Answer 28

c. administering oxygen and transporting immediately.

Question 29

What is the minimum number of chest compressions that should be delivered per minute to a 4-month-old infant?

Select one:

a. 90
b. 110
c. 100
d. 120

Answer 29

c. 100

Question 30

Your assessment of an unresponsive patient reveals that her breathing is inadequate. Your MOST immediate action should be to:

Select one:

a. administer high-flow oxygen
b. move her to the ambulance stretcher
c. ventilate her with a bag-valve mask
d. check her airway for obstructions

Answer 30

d. check her airway for obstructions

Question 31

CPR is in progress on a pregnant woman. Shortly after manually displacing her uterus to the left, return of spontaneous circulation occurs. Which of the following would MOST likely explain this?

Select one:

a. Pressure was relieved from her aorta and vena cava, which improved chest compression effectiveness
b. Displacement of her uterus caused blood to flow backward, which increased blood flow to her heart.
c. Increased blood flow to her heart caused her ventricles to stop fibrillating, which restored her pulse
d. Displacement of her uterus allowed her lungs to expand more fully, which restored her pulse.

Answer 31

a. Pressure was relieved from her aorta and vena cava, which improved chest compression effectiveness

Question 32

As you approach a patient lying at the side of the roadway, you observe severe bleeding from the leg. What should your first action be?

Select one:

a. Open the airway
b. Administer oxygen
c. Control the bleeding
d. Check for a pulse

Answer 32

c. control the bleeding

Question 33

Your partner is performing one-rescuer CPR on a middle-aged woman in cardiac arrest. When you apply the AED pads, you note that she has a medication patch over the same area where one of the AED pads will be placed. You should:

Select one:

a. remove the medication patch, wipe away any medication residue, and apply the AED pads
b. apply the AED pad at least 1 inch away from the medication patch to avoid skin burns
c. continue CPR until you can determine the name of the medication contained in the patch
d. move the patch to another area of the patient’s chest and then properly apply the AED pads

Answer 33

a. remove the medication patch, wipe away any medication residue, and apply the AED pads.

Question 34

Distributive shock occurs when:

Select one:

a. temporary but severe vasodilation causes a decrease in blood supply to the brain.
b. widespread dilation of the blood vessels causes blood to pool in the vascular beds.
c. an injury causes restriction of the heart muscle and impairs its pumping function.
d. severe bleeding causes tachycardia in order to distribute blood to the organs faster.

Answer 34

b. widespread dilation of the blood vessels causes blood to pool in the vascular beds.

Question 35

Most prehospital cardiac arrests occur as the result of:

Select one:

a. an acute ischemic stroke
b. severe blunt trauma
c. a cardiac dysrhythmia
d. obstruction of the airway

Answer 35

c. a cardiac dysrhythmia

Question 36

You should deliver chest compressions to an unresponsive adult patient in cardiac arrest by:

Select one:

a. compressing the sternum between the nipples.
b. depressing the sternum more than 2.5 inches in depth
c. placing the heel of your hand on the xiphoid
d. compressing quickly and releasing slowly

Answer 36

a. compressing the sternum between the nipples.

Question 37

Your patient is in shock, but the body’s defense mechanisms are currently able to maintain adequate circulation. This is called ___________.

Select one:

a. decompensated shock
b. irreversible shock
c. late shock
d. compensated shock

Answer 37

d. compensated shock

Question 38

In an acute injury setting, neurogenic shock is commonly accompanied by:

Select one:

a. tachycardia
b. hypothermia
c. diaphoresis
d. hypovolemia

Answer 38

b. hypothermia

Question 39

When should nonlifesaving interventions be performed for your multisystem trauma patient?

Select one:

a. Immediately after the injuries are discovered
b. During the primary assessment
c. En route to the hospital
d. Prior to transport

Answer 39

c. en route to the hospital

Question 40

Which of the following is the ONLY action that can prevent eventual death from a tension pneumothorax?

Select one:

a. Rapid administration of intravenous fluids
b. Decompression of the injured side of the chest
c. Early administration of high-flow oxygen
d. Positive-pressure ventilation with a bag-valve mask

Answer 40

b. Decompression of the injured side of the chest