EMT Diagnostic Practice Test

The anatomy of the airway consists of the upper and lower airways. The upper airway starts at the mouth and nares and ends at the _________?

The tongue is often a source of airway obstruction; it falls back and occludes the _________?

To create negative pressure in the thorax (chest cavity) the diaphragm contracts and moves _____________. This action expands the volume of the thorax, allowing air to rush into the lungs.

Which of the following ventilatory techniques is likely to yield the LOWEST tidal volumes?

You are transporting a 48-year-old male patient between medical facilities…

While obtaining the patient’s history, you learn that the patient was involved in a fall at work and suffered a hip fracture and a head injury.

The patient is now presenting with labored breathing at 30/min that has progressively worsened over the last 24 hours, a heart rate of 104, and a blood pressure of 98/70. On auscultation, you hear diffuse rales.

The patient denies any complaints of pain other than those related to his recent fall.

What is the most likely cause of the patient’s respiratory distress?

Your patient is a 52-year old male complaining of dull, achy chest pain. He is alert & oriented with pale, cool, and clammy skin. What is your next step?

You are dispatched to a residence of a 46-year-old female patient complaining of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramping.

She states that the onset occurred shortly after eating some cheesecake.

Her only medical history is lactose intolerance. Her blood pressure is 136/88 mm Hg. Her radial pulse is 94 beats per minute and her respiratory rate is 18 breaths per minute.

She vomited two times prior to your arrival.

From what condition is this patient most likely suffering?

Your patient is a 32-year-old male who was complaining of a severe, crushing feeling in the center of his chest and shortness of breath that began while he was mowing his lawn 45 minutes prior to your arrival.

He is now only responding to painful stimuli. Presently, his minute ventilation is still adequate, his pulse oximeter reads 95% on room air, and you find his skin to be pale, cool, and diaphoretic.

What would be your initial action?

The single most significant cause of death for Americans is/are:

What increases to compensate for a decrease in stroke volume?

Your patient has a laceration to the right leg, intersecting the femoral artery. You have applied direct pressure to the wound, but it continues to soak through the bandages.

What should you do next?

The way a patient is injured is often referred to as the _______________?

What is a large collection of blood under the skin?

Your trauma patient has her left hand caught between rollers on a conveyor belt. Extrication takes 30 minutes. Evaluation of the injury during extrication showed delayed capillary refill distal to the injury.

Post extrication shows rapid capillary refill distal to the injury deformity mid-palm. There are no obvious fractures, lacerations, or minor swelling.

Knowing that crush injuries can cause many other problems, which is not considered a complication of crush injury?

Your 16-year-old trauma patient has what appears to be a mid-shaft femur fracture. You notice a laceration directly over the suspected fracture, and bleeding is controlled.

What type of fracture would this be?

Food poisoning may be difficult to diagnose in the field due to its broad range of symptoms and the time it takes to make the patient ill. All of the following are types of food-borne illnesses except which one?

You arrive on the scene at a private residence to find a patient with an altered mental status. You quickly scan the home. Which of the following items will help point you in the right direction to find the cause of the altered mental status?

Your patient is not responding to loud verbal stimuli. You find the following medications: Glucophage and Lipitor. What is the likely cause of the patient’s unresponsiveness?

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) has the following signs and symptoms:

Acetone on breath, dry skin, poor skin turgor, altered mental status, confusion, thirst, and frequent urination.

What other symptoms are associated with DKA?

Stroke symptoms often present the same as other medical problems. Working through the differentials is a must to prevent improper treatment for the signs and symptoms.

Hypoglycemia is often mistaken for a CVA.

How can an EMT rule in or out this differential?

You are dispatched to the scene of a 9-year-old female who has been struck by a car. Police are unable to reach her parents. What gives you the ability to treat the patient?

You are dispatched to 123 Somewhere Rd. to a call for an injured woman. As you approach the home, a man opens the door and tells you, “This is none of your business. Get out of here.”

What is the best course of action in this case?

While responding to a hazardous materials incident, the EMT should approach the scene from _________?

Which of the following patients would be appropriate for air medical transport from your scene?

How should an EMT position their vehicle upon arrival at the scene?