EMT Chapter 28 Face and Neck Injuries

You are assessing a 59-year-old male and note that his pupils are unequal. He is conscious and alert. When obtaining his medical history, it is most pertinent to ask him if he:

A. is allergic to any medications.

B. regularly sees a family physician.

C. has a history of eye surgeries.

D. noticed the change during a meal.

C. has a history of eye surgeries

Bleeding from soft-tissue injuries to the face is most effectively controlled with:

A. direct pressure using dry, sterile dressings.

B. pressure dressings and chemical ice packs.

C. ice packs and elevation of the patient's head.

D. digital pressure to an adjacent pulse point

A. direct pressure using dry, sterile dressings

Following direct trauma to the upper part of the anterior neck, a young male presents with labored breathing, loss of voice, and subcutaneous emphysema in the soft tissues around his neck. You should suspect a(n):

A. esophageal tear.

B. collapsed trachea.

C. crushed cricoid.

D. laryngeal fracture.

D. laryngeal fracture

A 29-year-old male has an anterior nosebleed after he was accidentally elbowed in the nose. He is conscious and alert with adequate breathing. The most appropriate care for this patient includes:

A. packing the nasopharynx with moist, sterile dressings.

B. placing him supine and pinching his nostrils together.

C. applying a gauze pad in between his lower lip and gum.

D. leaning him forward and pinching his nostrils together.

D. leaning him forward and pinching his nostrils together

The optic nerve endings are located within the:

A. cornea.

B. pupil.

C. sclera.

D. retina.

D. retina

When transporting a patient with a facial injury, it is most important to be as descriptive as possible with the hospital regarding the patient's injuries because:

A. they must make arrangements for an ICU bed.

B. most patients with facial trauma will need surgery.

C. they might need to call a specialist to see the patient.

D. it saves time on repeat assessments at the hospital.

C. they might need to call a specialist to see the patient

A 30-year-old female presents with redness, inflammation, and pain to her left eye. During your assessment, you note that she is having difficulty keeping her eyes open. You should suspect that she is experiencing:

A. a detached retina.

B. conjunctivitis.

C. acute retinitis.

D. a corneal abrasion.

B. conjunctivitis

Abnormal variations in pupil size and reaction would most likely be observed in a patient with:

A. contact lenses.

B. conjunctivitis.

C. a brain injury.

D. retinitis.

C. a brain injury

When caring for a patient with an open facial injury, the EMT's immediate priority should be to:

A. consider the mechanism of injury.

B. closely assess the patient's airway.

C. manually stabilize the patient's head.

D. wear gloves and facial protection.

D. wear gloves and facial protection

The inner surface of the eyelids and the exposed surface of the eye itself are covered by a delicate membrane called the:

A. sclera.

B. cornea.

C. conjunctiva.

D. retina

C. conjunctiva

The superficial temporal artery can be palpated:

A. slightly above the ear.

B. just anterior to the tragus.

C. at the angle of the jaw.

D. over the mastoid process.

B. just anterior to the tragus

A 6-year-old female was riding her bicycle and struck a clothesline with her throat. She is breathing but with obvious difficulty. Your assessment reveals a crackling sensation in the soft tissues of her neck and facial cyanosis. In addition to the appropriate airway management, the intervention that will most likely improve her chance of survival is:

A. quickly immobilizing her spinal column.

B. carefully monitoring her vital signs.

C. requesting a paramedic ambulance.

D. rapidly transporting her to the hospital.

D. rapidly transporting her to the hospital

The opening in the center of the iris, which allows light to move to the back of the eye, is called the:

A. cornea.

B. sclera.

C. pupil.

D. conjunctiva.

C. pupil

Which of the following statements regarding the vitreous humor is correct?

A. It is a clear, jellylike fluid near the back of the eye that cannot be replaced if it is lost.

B. It is a clear, watery fluid that is located in front of the lens and can be replaced if it is lost.

C. It is a clear, watery fluid that cannot be replaced if it is lost during an eye injury.

D. It is a clear fluid that is produced by the lacrimal glands and cannot be replaced if it is lost.

A. it is a clear, jellylike fluid near the back of the eye that cannot be replaced if it is lost

You are dispatched to a convenience store, where the clerk sustained a laceration to the side of his neck during a robbery attempt. During your assessment, you note bright red blood spurting from the laceration. You should:

A. apply pressure to the closest arterial pressure point.

B. circumferentially wrap a dressing around his neck.

C. apply direct pressure above and below the wound.

D. apply direct pressure below the lacerated vessel.

C. apply direct pressure above and below the wound

A 39-year-old female experienced a severe closed head injury. She is unresponsive with her eyes slightly open; her pupils are bilaterally dilated and slow to react. In addition to managing problems with airway, breathing, and circulation, you should:

A. secure her eyes open so you can reassess her pupils.

B. inspect her eyes and gently remove impaled objects.

C. irrigate her eyes with water to prevent mucosal drying.

D. close her eyes and cover them with a moist dressing.

D. close her eyes and cover them with a moist dressing

You are transporting an immobilized patient with severe facial trauma. As you are preparing to give your radio report to the hospital, the patient begins vomiting large amounts of blood. You should:

A. reassess his breathing adequacy.

B. quickly suction his oropharynx.

C. turn the backboard onto its side.

D. alert the hospital of the situation.

C. turn the backboard onto its side

Which of the following findings would be least suggestive of a head injury?

A. Briskly constricting pupils when exposed to light

B. One pupil larger in size than the other pupil

C. Failure of the eyes to move in the same direction

D. Failure of the eyes to follow movement of an object

A. briskly constricting pupils when exposed to light

A 30-year-old female was robbed and assaulted as she was leaving a nightclub. She has massive facial trauma and slow, gurgling respirations. As your partner manually stabilizes her head, you should:

A. visualize her mouth for obvious wounds.

B. suction her oropharynx.

C. apply oxygen via a nonrebreathing mask.

D. begin immediate ventilatory assistance.

B. suction her oropharnyx

The conjunctiva are kept moist by fluid produced by the:

A. posterior orbit.

B. corneal duct.

C. lacrimal gland.

D. optic chiasma.

C. lacrimal gland