Ch. 21 Toxicology

25 July 2022
4.7 (114 reviews)
31 test answers

Unlock all answers in this set

Unlock answers (27)
question
A 49-year-old male presents with confusion, sweating, and visual hallucinations. The patient's wife tells you that he is a heavy drinker and she thinks he had a seizure shortly before your arrival. This patient is MOST likely experiencing:
answer
delirium tremens
question
A person who routinely misuses a substance and requires increasing amounts to achieve the same effect is experiencing:
answer
tolerance
question
Activated charcoal is given to patients who have ingested certain substances because it:
answer
binds to the substance and prevents absorption.
question
An overdose of acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, will MOST likely cause:
answer
liver failure
question
As you enter the residence of a patient who has possibly overdosed, you should:
answer
be alert for personal hazards.
question
Heroin is an example of a(n)
answer
opioid
question
How do poisons typically act to harm the body?
answer
By changing the normal metabolism of cells or by destroying them
question
Hypotension, hypoventilation, and pinpoint pupils would be expected following an overdose of:
answer
oxycodone (Percocet).
question
In an apparent suicide attempt, a 19-year-old female ingested a full bottle of amitriptyline (Elavil). At present, she is conscious and alert and states that she swallowed the pills approximately 30 minutes earlier. Her blood pressure is 90/50 mm Hg, her pulse is 140 beats/min and irregular, and her respirations are 22 breaths/min with adequate depth. When transporting this patient, you should be MOST alert for:
answer
seizures and cardiac arrhythmias.
question
Victims of inhaled poisoning will require which of the following?
answer
Transport to an emergency department for evaluation
question
Which of the following sets of vital signs would the EMT MOST likely encounter in a patient with acute cocaine overdose?
answer
BP, 200/100 mm Hg; pulse, 150 beats/min
question
Which of the following statements regarding the Salmonella bacterium is correct?
answer
The Salmonella bacterium itself causes food poisoning.
question
You and your paramedic partner are caring for a patient who ingested codeine, acetaminophen (Tylenol), and hydrocodone (Vicodin). The patient is unresponsive, his breathing is slow and shallow, and his pulse is slow and weak. Treatment for this patient should include:
answer
assisted ventilation and naloxone (Narcan).
question
common brand of naloxone (Narcan)
answer
Evzio
question
You receive a call to a residence where a man found his wife unresponsive on the couch. The patient's respiratory rate is 8 breaths/min, her breathing is shallow, her heart rate is 40 beats/min, and her pulse is weak. The husband hands you an empty bottle of hydrocodone (Vicodin), which was refilled the day before. You should:
answer
ventilate her with a BVM
question
A 25-year-old man overdosed on heroin and is unresponsive. His breathing is slow and shallow and he is bradycardic. He has track marks on both arms. The EMT should:
answer
insert a nasal airway and ventilate with a BVM
question
A 4-year-old, 15-kg male ingested an unknown quantity of acetaminophen (Tylenol). The child's mother states that she does not know when the ingestion occurred. The child is conscious and alert and in no apparent distress. The EMT should:
answer
administer 15 g of activated charcoal.
question
Activated charcoal may be indicated for a patient who ingested:
answer
aspirin
question
After administering activated charcoal to a patient, it is MOST important to:
answer
be alert for vomiting
question
airborne substances should be diluted with
answer
oxygen
question
Before giving activated charcoal, you should:
answer
obtain approval from medical control.
question
Common names for activated charcoal include all of the following, EXCEPT:
answer
Fructose
question
In general, injected poisons are impossible to dilute or remove because they:
answer
are usually absorbed quickly into the body.
question
Signs and symptoms of a sympathomimetic drug overdose include
answer
tachycardia
question
Substance abuse is MOST accurately defined as:
answer
knowingly misusing a substance to produce a desired effect.
question
The major side effect associated with administration of activated charcoal is
answer
black stools.
question
The poison control center will be able to provide you with the most information regarding the appropriate treatment for a patient with a drug overdose if the center:
answer
is aware of the substance that is involved.
question
You are dispatched to a local nursery for a 39-year-old female who is sick. When you arrive, you find the patient lying on the floor. She is semiconscious, has copious amounts of saliva coming from her mouth, and is incontinent of urine. You quickly feel her pulse and note that it is very slow. Immediate management for this patient should include:
answer
thoroughly suctioning her oropharynx
question
You respond to a college campus for a young male who is acting strangely. After law enforcement has secured the scene, you enter the patient's dorm room and find him sitting on the edge of the bed; he appears agitated. As you approach him, you note that he has dried blood around both nostrils. He is breathing adequately, his pulse is rapid and irregular, and his blood pressure is 200/110 mm Hg. Treatment for this patient includes:
answer
attempting to calm him and giving him oxygen if tolerated.
question
Your paramedic partner administers atropine to a 49-year-old male with bradycardia. Which of the following side effects would you expect the patient to experience?
answer
Dry Mucous membranes
question
If the victim of a toxicologic emergency vomits, an EMT should _________.
answer
use appropriate PPE and examine the vomitus for pill fragments or other clues for patient care.