EMT Final Exam JBL: Questions &
Answers
According to the USDOT, minimum staffing for BLS ambulance includes:
(Ans – At least one EMT in the patient compartment. The driver does not
need to be an EMT
Which of the following statements regarding heatstroke is correct?
(Ans – Heatstroke occurs when the body is exposed to more heat than it
can eliminate and normal mechanisms such as sweating are overwhelmed.
The temp can rise to appoint where tissues are destroyed. It can develop
during prolonged vigorous physical activity or in closed, poorly ventilated,
hot and humid space. High humidity impairs heat elimination via sweating.
Patients will have hot, dry, flushed skin, become agitated, and LOC will
decrease
If a vehicle strikes a tree at 60 mph, the unrestrained driver would likely
experience the MOST severe injuries during the:
(Ans – Motor-vehicle crashes typically consist of three separate collisions.
Understanding the events that occur during each collision will help you
remain alert for certain types of injury patterns. During the first collision, the
vehicle strikes another object. Damage to the car is perhaps the most
dramatic part of the collision, but it does not directly affect patient care. It
does, however, provide information about the severity of the collision; thus,
it has an indirect effect on patient care. During the second collision, the
passenger collides with the interior of the vehicle. Just like the obvious
damage to the exterior of the car, the injuries that result are often dramatic
and usually apparent during your primary assessment. During the third
collision, the occupant’s internal organs collide with the solid structures of
the body. Although the injuries that occur during the third collision may not
be as obvious as those that occur during the second collision, they are
often the most life-threatening.
A 22-year-old man had a strong acid chemical splashed into both of his
eyes. He is conscious and alert, is experiencing intense pain, and states
that he is wearing contact lenses. Treatment should include:
(Ans – As a general rule, contact lenses should be left in place. Chemical
eye burns are an exception to this rule. If left in place, the chemical could
get behind the contact lens and continue to cause injury. Therefore, you
should remove the contact lenses and immediately irrigate the eyes with
sterile saline or water. If needed, continue to irrigate the eyes throughout
transport.
A 22-year-old male has a shard of glass impaled in his cheek. You look
inside his mouth and see minor bleeding. The patient is conscious and alert
with adequate breathing. You should:
(Ans – It remains true that you should remove an impaled object if it
compromises the airway or impedes your ability to manage the airway.
However, neither is the case with this patient because he has an adequate
airway. He is conscious and alert and has only minor bleeding in his mouth.
The safest approach, and most practical given the situation, would be to
carefully stabilize the shard of glass in place; consider wrapping the
exposed glass with gauze to protect yourself from getting cut. Since the
patient is conscious and alert and has only minor oral bleeding, it would not
be unreasonable to hand him the suction catheter and allow him to use it
as needed. Be sure to instruct the patient to use the suction and not to
swallow any blood. Keep in mind that if you attempt to remove the shard of
glass, you risk cutting yourself and causing further injury to the patient.
When an error occurs while using the AED, it is MOST often the result of:
(Ans – AEDs are highly sensitive and specific in recognizing shockable
rhythms (eg, V-Fib, pulseless V-Tach); this means that they are highly
reliable. It would be extremely rare for the AED to recommend a shock
when one is not indicated or fail to recommend a shock when one is
indicated. When an error does occur, it is usually the operator’s fault. The
most common error is not having a charged battery. To avoid this problem,
many AEDs are equipped with an alarm that warns the operator if the
battery is not fully charged. Some of the older AEDs, however, are not
equipped with this feature. Therefore, it is important to check the AED daily,
exercise the battery as often as the manufacturer recommends, and always
have a spare, fully charged battery on hand.
Prior to your arrival, a woman experiencing an asthma attack took two puffs
from her prescribed inhaler without relief. After administering supplemental
oxygen, you should:
(Ans – Before assisting a patient with any medication other than oxygen,
the EMT must ensure that the medication is prescribed to the patient and
then obtain authorization from medical control. In this case, the physician
probably will allow you to help the patient take one more puff from her
inhaler. Generally, up to three puffs from an inhaler are delivered in the
field. It is important for you to ask the patient how many puffs were taken
from the inhaler before you arrived. The EMT must correct any airway
and/or breathing problems as quickly as possible. After doing so, a
secondary assessment can be performed.
Upon discovering an open chest wound, you should:
(Ans – Upon discovering an open chest wound (ie, sucking chest wound),
you must take immediate action to prevent air from entering the wound.
This is most effectively accomplished by applying an occlusive dressing or
similar material to the wound. A porous (non-occlusive) trauma dressing
will not prevent air from entering the wound. Tape three sides of the
occlusive dressing and closely monitor the patient. If worsened respiratory
distress and signs of shock are noted, a tension pneumothorax is probably
developing, and you must release pressure from the pleural space by lifting
up the unsecured portion of the occlusive dressing.
Which of the following signs and symptoms are MOST characteristic of
hyperglycemic ketoacidosis?
(Ans – Hyperglycemic ketoacidosis (diabetic coma) is characterized by a
dangerously high blood glucose level (hyperglycemia); slow onset; warm,
dry skin (from dehydration); Kussmaul’s respirations, which are deep and
rapid; and breath with a fruity or acetone odor. Insulin shock results from a
low blood glucose level (hypoglycemia) and is characterized by a rapid
onset; altered mental status; and cool, clammy skin.