EMS Test 1 Study Guide Flashcards

You are at the scene of a shooting. The patient, who is being cared for by paramedics, is unresponsive and has severe bleeding from his injury. In this case, the EMR’s most important function is to:

a. Factually document the care provided to the patient
b. Help the paramedics prepare for rapid transport
c. Report observations to law enforcement personnel
d. Help keep bystanders away from the patient

A patient is trapped in his car following a collision. After the paramedic starts an intravenous (IV) line on the patient, the paramedic hands you the needle. You should:

a. carefully recap the needle and dispose of it properly.
b. break the needle off and place it in a sharps container.
c. lay the needle on the ground and document its location.
d. place the needle directly in a puncture-resistant container.

You are the first medically trained person to arrive at the scene of a shooting. Law enforcement personnel have secured the scene. The patient, who is critically injured and requires immediate care, is found in his living room. A paramedic unit is en route to the scene. You should:

a. move all furniture and other objects out of the way to make adequate room.
b. provide the appropriate care while disturbing the scene as little as possible.
c. not provide any patient care until authorized by a law enforcement officer.
d. take a mental picture of the scene and wait for the paramedic unit to arrive.

When EMTs or paramedics arrive at the scene of an emergency, the EMR should:

a. Accompany the patient to the receiving medical facility
b. Assume that his or her assistance will no longer be required
c. Obtain a signature from the EMT who is assuming patient care
d. Assist the EMTs in continuing the care that he or she initiated

Advanced EMTs and Paramedics are catigorized as:

a. Advanced Life Support (ALS)
b. Elite Life Support (ELS)
c. Higher Life Support (HLS)
d. Basic Life Support (BLS)

The disease-causing agents that are spread through contact with blood or other secretions are called:

a. Pathogens
b. Bacteria
c. Viruses
d. Antigens

There is no scientific documentation that the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is transmitted via urine, nasal secretions, or sputum, unless:

a. the secretions contain visible signs of blood.
b. the patient has an abnormal blood cell count.
c. the rescuer has been immunized against HIV.
d. the secretions come into contact with intact skin.

Which of the following is not a consideration when responding to an emergency scene?

a. Taking the shortest route.
b. Considering the drivers around you.
c. Fastening your seatbelt.
d. Proceeding quickly but safely.

You are the first medically trained person to arrive at the scene of a shooting. Law enforcement personnel have secured the scene. The patient, who is critically injured and requires immediate care, is found in his living room. A paramedic unit is en route to the scene. You should:

a. move all furniture and other objects out of the way to make adequate room.
b. provide the appropriate care while disturbing the scene as little as possible.
c. not provide any patient care until authorized by a law enforcement officer.
d. take a mental picture of the scene and wait for the paramedic unit to arrive.

A 40-year-old woman has an injury to the midshaft humerus following a motor vehicle crash. What major joint is immediately distal to her injury?

a. Wrist
b. Shoulder
c. Elbow
d. Xiphoid

A man sustained a stab wound to the artery in the neck. To control the bleeding from this injury, you should apply pressure to the:

a. radial artery.
b. carotid artery.
c. popliteal artery.
d. femoral artery.

A pulse is felt:

a. as oxygen and nutrients pass from the blood cells into the cells of the body tissues.
b. when a wave of pressure is created by the heart as it forces blood through the arteries.
c. wherever a large capillary lies between a bony structure and a thin layer of skin.
d. on any part of the body where a large vein lies close to the surface of the skin.

After delivering a trauma patient to the hospital, you later learn that the patient had an injury to his lower back. Which spinal vertebrae were most likely injured?

a. Coccyx
b. Thoracic
c. Cervical
d. Lumbar

During your assessment of a 21-year-old man who fell from a roof, you note the presence of bruising on the medial portion of the anterior trunk. What part of the body is this describing?

a. Toward the center on the back of the torso
b. Toward the center on the front part of the torso
c. Away from the center on the back of the torso
d. Away from the center on the front part of the torso

Which of the following pieces of information is the least critical to relay to the responding EMS unit about your patient?

a. Status of the airway
b. Past medical history
c. Chief complaint
d. Level of responsiveness

A 37-year-old man tripped on a throw rug and fell to the ground, injuring his shoulder. The man is blind and has a service dog. As you are assessing the patient, he keeps inquiring about his dog. You should:

a. tell him that the dog is not allowed in the room and that you need him to answer your questions.
b. tell him that he should not be concerned about the dog because you are there to help him.
c. speak loudly into the patient’s ear to ensure that he heard the questions you are asking him.
d. Provide reassurance and recognize that the dog and the patient depend on each other.

Which of the following statements regarding online medical control is correct?

a. As an EMR, you should be present when an EMT or paramedic contacts medical control for patient care guidance or advice
b. EMTs and paramedics are rarely required to contact online medical control because they follow locally established protocols.
c. In most EMS systems, EMRs are not required to contact medical control for the basic skills they are permitted to perform.
d. The EMR should always contact medical control via cellular telephone prior to performing any basic life support (BLS) skills.

You are caring for an 81-year-old woman as a responding EMS unit is en route to the scene. The woman is possibly having a heart attack and becomes frightened after you explain the situation to her. You should:

a. ask the patient if she understood what you told her.
b. request a neighbor to explain the situation to the patient.
c. wait for the EMS unit to arrive before providing further care
d. use medical terminology to reassure and calm the patient.

You are obtaining the vital signs of a 50-year-old man who is complaining of severe chest pain when he asks you if he is going to die. You should tell him that:

a. his condition is probably not critical and that he will not die.
b. he is having a heart attack and there is a chance that he could die.
c. you don’t know, but you are providing the best care that you can.
d. the responding EMS unit will probably be able to answer his question.

Which of the following is not considered an advance directive?

a. Living will
b. Do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order
c. Durable power of attorney for healthcare
d. State EMS protocols

In general, you should never change or alter a patient care report, unless:

a. you need to correct an error to ensure that the information is accurate.
b. the patient’s condition deteriorated after a paramedic assumed care.
c. law enforcement personnel need the report for legal reasons.
d. a paramedic or licensed physician orders you to do so

Your unit and a police officer simultaneously arrive at the scene of a shooting. After the police officer ensures that the scene is safe, you enter the residence and find the patient, a 22-year-old man, with several gunshot wounds to the chest. He is positioned in between the sofa and a coffee table. What should you do?

a. Provide immediate care without moving the sofa, coffee table, or any other items at the scene.
b. Move only what is necessary to provide immediate medical treatment to the patient.
c. Carefully document the original position of the patient prior to moving him to a more open area.
d. Move the patient to a more open area after the police officer takes photographs of the scene.

Following a call involving a high-profile individual, a police officer asks you for a copy of your patient care report. You should:

a. advise the officer that he or she must obtain a legal subpoena to receive a copy of your report.
b. provide the officer with the patient care report because you are required by law to do so.
c. refuse to give the officer a copy of your report but verbally share the information with him or her.
d. provide a copy of your report to the officer only if you have permission from the patient’s family.

You are dispatched to an elementary school for a 7-year-old boy who sustained a minor injury while on the playground. The child is conscious, alert, and does not appear to have any life-threatening injuries. What should you do?

a. Begin treatment of the child and request an EMT unit to assess the child
b. Obtain a refusal from the child and have an older student sign as a witness
c. Leave the scene without the child, he doesn't need EMS.
d. Nothing. Allow the child to go back to the playground.

You are a volunteer EMR and have placed your name on the schedule to respond for a 12-hour shift. With 10 minutes left in your shift, you are dispatched for a patient with a possible fractured leg. You should:

a. wait until your relief arrives and let him or her respond.
b. wait for paramedics to arrive to determine if you are needed.
c. respond only if it is convenient because you are a volunteer.
d. proceed to the scene and begin providing care to the patient.

Which of the following most accurately describes negligence?

a. Failure to respond to the scene of an emergency when dispatched
b. Performing skills that are beyond your level of EMS certification
c. Desertion of a patient who is still in need of emergency treatment
d. Performance of care that does not meet accepted standards

Which of the following statements regarding a patient’s consent to treatment is correct?

a. Once a patient gives you consent, he or she cannot revoke it.
b. Patients may refuse treatment at any time, even if treatment has begun.
c. A patient must be transported if he or she consents to treatment.
d. Patients can give consent to treat only to an EMT or paramedic.

You and your partner are performing CPR on a 77-year-old man when his wife states that he has terminal cancer and does not want to be resuscitated. She further tells you that he has a DNR Order; however, she is unable to locate it. You should:

a. stop CPR and help look for the DNR documents.
b. honor the wife’s wishes and stop resuscitation efforts.
c. continue CPR and contact medical control for guidance.
d. have the wife sign a release form and then cease CPR.

You are assessing a young woman with abdominal pain while awaiting an incoming paramedic crew. The patient is conscious, alert, and in stable condition. The dispatcher advises you that there is another call involving a patient in cardiac arrest. You should:

a. have the patient sign a refusal of treatment form and then immediately respond to the cardiac arrest call.
b. explain to your patient that the cardiac arrest call clearly has a higher priority and then respond to the other call.
c. ask your patient to drive herself to the closest emergency department as you proceed to the cardiac arrest call.
d. remain with the patient and advise the dispatcher to send another unit to the cardiac arrest call.

True or False: An EMR has a higher level of training than an EMT