Basic EMT Fall Session Chapter 12

When caring for a patient who takes numerous medications, it is best to: Choose one answer. A. let the hospital staff retrieve the patient's medical records, which should show a list of his or her current medications. Incorrect B. send the patient's medications to the hospital with a family member or other person who will safeguard them. Incorrect C. document the medications on your patient care report, but leave them at home so they do not get misplaced. Incorrect D. take all of the patient's medications with you to the hospital and document them on your patient care report. Correct

Which of the following statements regarding hepatitis A is correct? Choose one answer. A. Hepatitis A can only be transmitted by a patient who has an acute infection. Correct B. Hepatitis A is primarily transmitted via contact with blood or other body fluids. Incorrect C. Although there is no vaccine against hepatitis A, treatment is usually successful. Incorrect D. Infection with hepatitis A causes chronic illness with a high mortality rate. Incorrect

The primary prehospital treatment for most medical emergencies: Choose one answer. A. focuses on definitive care because a diagnosis can usually be made. Incorrect B. addresses the patient's symptoms more than the actual disease process. Correct C. typically does not require the EMT to contact medical control. Incorrect D. involves transport only until treatment can be performed at the hospital. Incorrect

Patients with tuberculosis pose the greatest risk for transmitting the disease when they: Choose one answer. A. cough. Correct B. have a fever. Incorrect C. vomit. Incorrect D. are bleeding. Incorrect

Hepatitis B is more virulent than hepatitis C, which means that it: Choose one answer. A. leads to chronic infection after exposure. Incorrect B. is a more contagious type of disease. Incorrect C. has a greater ability to produce disease. Correct D. is less resistant to treatment. Incorrect

Typical chief complaints in patients with an infectious disease include: Choose one answer. A. headache, low back pain, and arm numbness. Incorrect B. crushing chest pain, vomiting, and weakness. Incorrect C. joint pain, muscle aches, and blurred vision. Incorrect D. fever, rash, nausea, and difficulty breathing. Correct

Which of the following statements regarding the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is correct? Choose one answer. A. Most patients who are infected with HIV experience chronic symptoms that vary in duration and severity. Incorrect B. The risk of HIV infection is high, even if an infected person's blood comes in contact with your intact skin. Incorrect C. HIV is far more contagious than hepatitis B and is easily transmitted in the health care setting. Incorrect D. The risk of HIV infection is greatest when deposited on a mucous membrane or directly into the bloodstream. Correct

An index of suspicion is MOST accurately defined as: Choose one answer. A. ruling out specific medical conditions based on the absence of certain signs and symptoms. Incorrect B. determining the underlying cause of a patient's medical condition based on signs and symptoms. Incorrect C. the EMT's prediction of the type of illness a patient has based on how the call is dispatched. Incorrect D. your awareness and concern for potentially serious underlying and unseen injuries or illness. Correct

Which of the following will MOST reliably allow you to determine the nature of a patient's illness? Choose one answer. A. refraining from asking open-ended questions Incorrect B. trending of the patient's vital signs over time Incorrect C. asking questions related to the chief complaint Correct D. focusing solely on how the call is dispatched Incorrect

After sizing up the scene of a patient with a possible infectious disease, your next priority should be to: Choose one answer. A. contact medical control. Incorrect B. notify law enforcement. Incorrect C. take standard precautions. Correct D. quickly access the patient. Incorrect

End-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) monitoring is clearly indicated for patients who present with: Choose one answer. A. a headache. Incorrect B. respiratory distress. Correct C. high blood pressure. Incorrect D. abdominal pain. Incorrect

A 33-year-old female presents with lower abdominal quadrant pain. She is conscious and alert, but in moderate pain. While your partner is asking her questions about her medical history, you take her vital signs. When you assess her radial pulse, you are unable to locate it. You should: Choose one answer. A. immediately take her blood pressure to see if the is hypotensive. Incorrect B. conclude that she is perfusing adequately since she is conscious. Incorrect C. advise your partner that the patient's blood pressure is low. Incorrect D. assess the rate, regularity, and quality of her carotid pulse. Correct

A 58-year-old man complains of chest discomfort and nausea. He is conscious and alert; his blood pressure is 140/90 mm Hg, his pulse is 104 beats/min, and his respirations are 16 breaths/min. Your partner has applied supplemental oxygen. Prior to assisting the patient with one of his prescribed nitroglycerin tablets, you ask him if he takes medication to treat erectile dysfunction and he tells you that he does. You should: Choose one answer. A. ask him what he takes, how much, and when he last took it. Correct B. avoid giving him nitroglycerin and transport him at once. Incorrect C. administer his nitroglycerin and then reassess his blood pressure. Incorrect D. recall that erectile dysfunction drugs can cause hypertension if given with nitroglycerin. Incorrect

Which of the following conditions is NOT categorized as a psychiatric condition? Choose one answer. A. depression Incorrect B. substance abuse Correct C. Alzheimer's disease Incorrect D. schizophrenia Incorrect

Which of the following assessment findings is MOST indicative of a cardiovascular problem? Choose one answer. A. jugular venous distention Correct B. use of the accessory muscles Incorrect C. unequal breath sounds Incorrect D. palpable pain to the epigastrium Incorrect

In addition to obtaining a SAMPLE history and asking questions related to the chief complaint, what else should you inquire about when assessing a patient with a potentially infectious disease? Choose one answer. A. HIV status Incorrect B. drug allergies Incorrect C. sexual practices Incorrect D. recent travel Correct

When assessing a patient with a medical complaint, which of the following would MOST likely reveal the cause of his or her problem? Choose one answer. A. history taking Correct B. rapid body scan Incorrect C. baseline vital signs Incorrect D. primary assessment Incorrect

In contrast to the assessment of a trauma patient, assessment of a medical patient: Choose one answer. A. is not as complex for the EMT because most patients typically present with classic symptoms. Incorrect B. requires a thorough head-to-toe exam that involves a detailed assessment of all body systems. Incorrect C. almost exclusively focuses on physical signs that indicate the patient is experiencing a problem. Incorrect D. is focused on the nature of illness, the patient's chief complaint, and his or her symptoms. Correct

Which of the following conditions often requires transport to a hospital with specialized capabilities that may not be available at the closest hospital? Choose one answer. A. cardiac arrest and shock Incorrect B. diabetes and migraines Incorrect C. stroke and heart attack Correct D. seizures and infection Incorrect

An infectious disease is MOST accurately defined as: Choose one answer. A. the invasion of the human body by a bacterium that cannot be destroyed by antibiotics or other drugs. Incorrect B. a disease that can be spread from one person or species to another through a number of mechanisms. Incorrect C. a medical condition caused by the growth and spread of small harmful organisms within the body. Correct D. any disease that enters the body via the bloodstream and renders the immune system nonfunctional. Incorrect