EMT Final Exam Comprehensive Review

Flashcards covering the foundational vocabulary, mnemonics, anatomical terms, and emergency protocols for the EMT curriculum based on a 200-question practice exam.

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)

A level of EMS provider with a broader scope of practice than an EMR, including advanced airway management and medication administration.

Scope of Practice

The care that an EMT is legally allowed and expected to provide based on training and certification.

Good Samaritan Laws

Legal principles that protect an EMT from liability when providing care in good faith during an emergency in many jurisdictions.

Implied Consent

Consent that applies when an unresponsive patient needs emergency care and no guardian is available.

Duty to Act

A legal obligation to provide care while on duty and dispatched to a call, or in some jurisdictions when identifying as an EMT.

Patient Care Report (PCR)

A document that serves as a legal document, continuity of care record, and quality improvement tool.

CHART Method

A documentation mnemonic standing for Chief complaint, History, Assessment, Rx (treatment), and Transport details.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

The agency responsible for regulating radio communications frequencies and licensing.

Power Lift

A lifting technique that uses the strong muscles of the legs and keeps the back in a locked-in position.

Prone

The anatomical position of lying face down.

Medial

Toward the midline of the body.

Proximal

Refers to a structure that is closer to the point of attachment or the trunk.

Bilateral

Pertaining to both sides of the body.

Perfusion

The delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the cells and removal of waste products via the circulatory system.

Aerobic Metabolism

Cellular metabolism that occurs in the presence of oxygen and produces significantly more ATP than anaerobic metabolism.

Minute Ventilation

A calculation determined by multiplying $\text{Tidal volume} \times \text{Respiratory rate}$.

Neonatal Heart Rate

The normal heart rate range for a neonate ($0-1$ month), which is typically $100-160$ bpm.

Head-tilt/Chin-lift Maneuver

A maneuver used to open the airway in patients who do not have a suspected spinal injury.

Jaw-thrust Maneuver

The preferred method for opening the airway when a cervical spine injury is suspected.

Stridor

A high-pitched sound on inspiration indicating an upper airway obstruction.

Rigid (Yankauer) Suction Catheter

A device preferred for suctioning large amounts of secretions or vomitus from the oropharynx of adults.

Bradypnea

A respiratory rate that is lower than normal; in an adult, $8$ breaths/min is considered bradypnea.

Jaundice

Yellowing of the skin or sclera most commonly associated with liver dysfunction or hemolysis.

Anisocoria

Unequal pupils, which may indicate increased intracranial pressure, stroke, or eye trauma.

Pulse Pressure

The difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure, calculated as $\text{Systolic} - \text{Diastolic}$.

SAMPLE History

A mnemonic for Signs/Symptoms, Allergies, Medications, Past medical history, Last oral intake, and Events leading up to the illness/injury.

OPQRST

A mnemonic used primarily to evaluate a chief complaint, especially pain or discomfort.

AVPU Scale

A mnemonic for Alert, Verbal, Painful, and Unresponsive used to assess level of consciousness.

Pediatric Assessment Triangle (PAT)

An assessment tool for children evaluating Appearance, Work of Breathing, and Circulation to the skin.

Aspirin

A medication administered for suspected cardiac chest pain that inhibits platelet aggregation to limit clot formation.

Hypoglycemia

Low blood sugar, which may present as altered mental status, diaphoresis, tachycardia, or seizure.

Activated Charcoal

A substance that works by binding certain toxins in the GI tract to prevent absorption.

Shock (Hypoperfusion)

A state that ultimately leads to cellular hypoxia and, if uncorrected, cell death and organ failure.

Automated External Defibrillator (AED)

A device designed to analyze the heart rhythm and deliver a shock if a shockable rhythm like VF or pVT is detected.

Adult Compression Rate

The correct rate for chest compressions during adult cardiac arrest, which is $100-120$ per minute.

Dyspnea

The clinical term for difficulty breathing or the sensation of shortness of breath.

Epiglottitis

A pediatric emergency characterized by rapid onset, high fever, drooling, stridor, and a preference for sitting upright.

CPAP

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure; useful for alert, cooperative patients with cardiogenic pulmonary edema or COPD exacerbation.

Myocardial Ischemia

Occurs when myocardial oxygen demand exceeds supply, often due to coronary artery narrowing or occlusion.

Cardiogenic Shock

Shock characterized by pump failure leading to inadequate perfusion despite adequate blood volume.

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)

A temporary episode of neurologic dysfunction caused by focal brain ischemia that resolves without acute infarction.

Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale

A tool used to assess for stroke by evaluating facial droop, arm drift, and speech abnormalities.

Status Epilepticus

Continuous seizure activity lasting $> 5$ minutes or recurrent seizures without a return to baseline consciousness.

Postictal Phase

The phase following a seizure characterized by a gradual recovery of consciousness, often with confusion and fatigue.

Anaphylaxis

A severe systemic allergic reaction involving airway swelling, respiratory distress, and hypotension.

Axial Skeleton

The portion of the skeleton that includes the skull, vertebral column, ribs, and sternum.

Tension Pneumothorax

A condition where air accumulation under pressure causes lung collapse, mediastinal shift, JVD, and obstructive shock.

START Triage - Black Tag

The tag assigned to a patient who is not breathing after airway positioning in a multiple casualty incident.

TRACEM

A hazardous materials mnemonic for Thermal, Radiological, Asphyxiant, Chemical, Etiological, and Mechanical hazards.