EMT Block 4 Exam

Assessment of the medical patient is usually focused on the _________.

nature of illness

Which of the following is bacterium resistant to most antibiotics and causes skin abscesses?

MRSA

When forming your general impression of a patient with a medical complaint, it is important to remember that:

the conditions of many medical patients may not appear serious at first

It is especially important to assess pulse, sensation, and movement in all extremities as well as pupillary reactions in patients with a suspected ___________ problem.

neurologic

The determination of whether a medical patient is a high-priority or low-priority transport is typically made:

after the primary assessment has been completed

After sizing up the scene of a patient with a possible infectious disease, your next priority should be to:

take standard precautions

Which of the following patients is at greatest risk for complications caused by the influenza virus?

68-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes

Ten days after treating a 34-year-old patient with tuberculosis, you are given a tuberculin skin test, which yields a positive result. This MOST likely indicates that:

you were exposed to another infected person before treating the 34-year-old patient

In 2009, the H1N1 virus accounted for over 200,000 deaths worldwide in the form of the swine flu. In 1919, a similar outbreak of the H1N1 occurred in the form of the Spanish flu. Starting in Kansas City, the virus spread rapidly worldwide, claiming up to 50 million lives. These are both examples of:

pandemics

Your patient has a chronic respiratory condition. His stimulus to breathe is triggered by low oxygen levels in the blood. This is known as the ___________.

hypoxic drive

Which of the following must be assessed in every respiratory patient?

Lung sounds

Crackles (rales) are caused by _________.

pulmonary edema, CHF, fluid overload and inhaled air colliding with secretions

In what area of the lungs does respiration occur?

alveoli

Which of the following is MOST characteristic of adequate breathing?

24 breaths/min with bilaterally equal breath sounds and pink skin

A 59-year-old male with a history of emphysema complains of an acute worsening of his dyspnea and pleuritic chest pain following a forceful cough. Your assessment reveals that he has a barrel-shaped chest, unilaterally diminished breath sounds, and tachycardia. What is the MOST likely cause of this patient's condition?

spontaneous pneumothorax

Treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) would MOST likely be contraindicated in which of the following situations?

History of pulmonary fibrosis and shortness of breath and a blood pressure of 76/56 mm Hg

Asthma is caused by a response of the:

immune system

A 30-year-old male presents with acute shortness of breath, widespread hives, and facial swelling. He denies any past medical history and takes no medications. During your assessment, you hear wheezing over all the lung fields. His blood pressure is 90/50 mm Hg and his heart rate is 110 beats/min. In addition to giving him high-flow oxygen, the MOST important treatment for this patient is:

epinephrine.

When auscultating the lungs of a patient with respiratory distress, you hear adventitious sounds. This means that the patient has:

abnormal breath sounds.

While auscultating an elderly woman's breath sounds, you hear low-pitched "rattling" sounds at the bases of both of her lungs. This finding is MOST consistent with which of the following conditions?

aspiration pneumonia

You are assisting an asthma patient with his prescribed metered-dose inhaler. After the patient takes a deep breath and depresses the inhaler, you should:

instruct him to hold his breath for as long as he comfortably can.

A pleural effusion is MOST accurately defined as:

fluid accumulation outside the lung.

You are attending to a 3-year-old male patient who is presenting with severe shortness of breath. His parents report that he has had a cough and cold with a low grade fever for the past two days. They became worried today, as his level of distress has increased dramatically. On assessment, the patient is sitting upright and making high-pitched noises with each breath. Based on this information, the patient is most likely suffering from:

viral infection of the upper respiratory tract.

His parents tell you that their son has had a chest infection for the past two days and when they took him to their family doctor, they were told it was likely due to the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). They have kept him well hydrated, but the infection seems to have gotten worse. On auscultation, you hear decreased air entry bilaterally with fine expiratory wheezes and the occasional coarse wet crackle. Based on this information, your patient is most likely suffering from:

bronchiolitis

You are attending to a 54-year-old female patient in a homeless shelter. The patient tells you that she had the flu a couple of weeks ago, and she has not gotten over it. She has been tired and keeps waking up at night, sweating. She has been coughing up green sputum occasionally and has been experiencing episodes of chest pain that get worse when she breathes. Based on this information, your patient is most likely suffering from:

tuberculosis.

Deoxygenated blood from the body returns to the:

Right atrium

Angina pectoris occurs when:

myocardial oxygen demand exceeds the supply

The electrical impulse generated by the heart originates in the:

Sinoatrial (SA) node

Risk factors for AMI that cannot be controlled include:

family history (genetics)

Signs and symptoms of a hypertensive emergency would MOST likely be delayed in patients who:

have chronic hypertension.

A 49-year-old male presents with an acute onset of crushing chest pain and diaphoresis. You should:

assess the adequacy of his respirations.

Which of the following is NOT a common sign or symptom associated with malfunction of an implanted cardiac pacemaker?

a rapid heart rate

A patient in cardiac arrest is wearing an external defibrillator vest, which is interfering with effective chest compressions. The EMT should:

remove the battery from the monitor and then remove the vest.

A 66-year-old female with a history of hypertension and diabetes presents with substernal chest pressure of 2 hours' duration. Her blood pressure is 140/90 mm Hg, her pulse is 100 beats/min and irregular, her respirations are 22 breaths/min, and her oxygen saturation is 92%. The patient does not have prescribed nitroglycerin, but her husband does. You should:

administer oxygen, give her 324mg (2 81mg each tablet) chewable aspirin, and assess her further.

Nitroglycerin is contraindicated in patients:

who have experienced a head injury.

A patient tells you that he has a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Which of the following conditions should you suspect that he has experienced?

acute myocardial infarction

Most AEDs are set up to adjust the voltage based on the impedance, which is the:

resistance of the body to the flow of electricity.

After the AED has delivered a shock, the EMT should:

immediately resume CPR.

You and your partner arrive at the scene of a middle-aged man who collapsed about 5 minutes ago. He is unresponsive, apneic, and pulseless. Bystanders are present, but have not provided any care. You should:

begin high-quality CPR and apply the AED without delay.

Prior to attaching the AED to a cardiac arrest patient, the EMT should:

dry the chest off if it is wet

Which of the following signs is commonly observed in patients with right-sided heart failure?

dependent edema

The three major parts of the brain are the:

cerebrum, cerebellum, and brain stem

The MOST significant risk factor for a hemorrhagic stroke is:

hypertension

Which of the following conditions would be the LEAST likely to mimic the signs and symptoms of a stroke?

hypvolemia

Which of the following MOST accurately describes what the patient will experience during the postictal state that follows a seizure?

dazed, confused, or combative appearance and fatigued

When caring for a patient with documented hypoglycemia, you should be MOST alert for:

seizure

During the primary assessment of a semiconscious 70-year-old female, you should:

ensure a a patent airway and support ventilation as needed

When assessing for arm drift of a patient with a suspected stroke, you should:

ask the patient to close his or her eyes during the assessment

A patient who is possibly experiencing a stroke is NOT eligible for thrombolytic (fibrinolytic) therapy if he or she:

has bleeding within the brain

Which of the following conditions would MOST likely affect the entire brain?

respiratory failure or cardiopulmonary arrest