West Coast EMT Block 2 Exam Questions and Answers
A 30-year-old male was rescued after being lost in the woods for approximately 18 hours. The outside temperature is 30°F (-1°C). He is immediately placed in the warmed ambulance, where you perform a primary assessment. He is unresponsive, pale, a...
West Coast EMT Block 2 Exam Questions and
Answers
A 30-year-old male was rescued after being lost in the woods for approximately 18 hours. The outside
temperature is 30°F (-1°C). He is immediately placed in the warmed ambulance, where you perform a
primary assessment. He is unresponsive, pale, and apneic. You should:
Select one:
A. assess for a carotid pulse for up to 60 seconds.
B. apply chemical heat packs to his groin and axillae.
C. apply an AED and assess his cardiac rhythm.
D. open his airway and give two rescue breaths.
A. assess for a carotid pulse for up to 60 seconds.
A 31-year-old male was bitten on the leg by an unidentified snake. The patient is conscious and alert
and in no apparent distress. Your assessment of his leg reveals two small puncture marks with
minimal pain and swelling. In addition to administering oxygen and providing reassurance, further
care for this patient should include:
Select one:
A. elevating the lower extremities and giving antivenin.
B. supine positioning, splinting the leg, and transporting.
C. applying ice to the wound and transporting quickly.
D. transporting only with close, continuous monitoring.
B. supine positioning, splinting the leg, and transporting.
All of the following terms refer to a body part that is cold but not frozen, EXCEPT:
Select one:
A. trench foot.
B. frostnip.
C. frostbite.
D. immersion foot.
C. frostbite.
Burns associated with lightning strikes are typically:
Select one:
A. full-thickness.
B. superficial.
C. partial-thickness.
D. third-degree.
B. superficial.
Common signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion include all of the following, EXCEPT:
Select one:
A. headache.
B. hot, dry skin.
C. nausea.
D. tachycardia.
Drowning is MOST accurately defined as:
Select one:
A. water in the lungs following submersion in water.
B. death beyond 24 hours after submersion in water.
C. temporary survival after submersion in water.
,D. death from suffocation after submersion in water.
D. death from suffocation after submersion in water.
Hypothermia occurs when the core body temperature falls below:
Select one:
A. 88°F (31°C).
B. 98°F (37°C).
C. 95°F (35°C).
D. 90°F (32°C).
C. 95°F (35°C).
In contrast to Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever:
Select one:
A. causes painful joint swelling after a few days or weeks.
C. may be confused with rheumatoid arthritis.
D. presents with flu-like symptoms and a bull's-eye rash.
B. can cause paralysis and cardiorespiratory collapse.
Most of the serious injuries associated with scuba diving are caused by:
Select one:
A. alcohol consumption.
B. cold water temperature.
C. too rapid of an ascent.
D. too rapid of a descent.
C. too rapid of an ascent.
The body's natural cooling mechanism, in which sweat is converted to a gas, is called:
Select one:
A. convection.
B. radiation.
C. evaporation.
D. conduction.
C. evaporation.
The EMT must assume that any unwitnessed water-related incident is accompanied by:
Select one:
A. cold-water immersion.
B. an air embolism.
C. alcohol intoxication.
D. possible spinal injury.
D. possible spinal injury.
The MOST prominent symptom of decompression sickness is:
Select one:
A. abdominal or joint pain.
B. difficulty with vision.
C. tightness in the chest.
D. dizziness and nausea.
A. abdominal or joint pain.
,The venom of a black widow spider is toxic to the:
Select one:
A. cardiovascular system.
B. renal system.
C. respiratory system.
D. nervous system.
D. nervous system.
When a warm hand is immersed in water that is 70°F (21°C), heat is transferred from the hand to the
water through a process called:
Select one:
A. evaporation.
B. conduction.
C. radiation.
D. convection.
B. conduction.
Which of the following is an early sign of pit viper envenomation?
Select one:
A. Signs and symptoms of hypoperfusion
B. Syncope and bleeding at distal sites
C. General weakness and diaphoresis
D. Local swelling and ecchymosis
D. Local swelling and ecchymosis
Which of the following MOST accurately describes hyperthermia?
Select one:
A. Heat evaporates a significant amount of body water.
B. The body eliminates more heat than it can generate.
C. The core body temperature exceeds 99.5°F (37°C).
D. The body is exposed to more heat than it can lose.
D. The body is exposed to more heat than it can lose.
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You and your partner respond to a park where several people were reportedly struck by lightning.
When you arrive, you find three patients. The first patient is lying supine on the ground; he is
unresponsive and does not appear to be breathing. The second patient is ambulatory, appears
confused, and is holding his arm against his chest. The third patient is sitting on the ground holding
the sides of his head. After calling for backup, you should:
Select one:
A. assess the unresponsive patient's pulse, begin CPR starting with chest compressions if he is
pulseless, and attach the AED as soon as possible.
B. immediately begin CPR on the unresponsive patient, but cease resuscitation efforts if there is no
response after 5 minutes of treatment.
C. focus your initial treatment efforts on the patients who are conscious because the unresponsive
patient is likely in irreversible cardiac arrest.
D. recognize that the patients who are conscious are at high risk for developing cardiac arrest and
quickly assess them for potentially life-threatening injuries.
A. assess the unresponsive patient's pulse, begin CPR starting with chest compressions if he is
pulseless, and attach the AED as soon as possible.
, You are transporting a 28-year-old man with a frostbitten foot. The patient's vital signs are stable and
he denies any other injuries or symptoms. The weather is treacherous and your transport time to the
hospital is approximately 45 minutes. During transport, you should:
Select one:
A. administer oxygen via a nonrebreathing mask.
B. cover his foot with chemical heat compresses.
C. protect the affected part from further injury.
D. rewarm his foot in 102°F to 104°F (38.9°C to 40°C) water.
C. protect the affected part from further injury.
You receive a call to a residence for a sick patient. Upon your arrival, you find the patient, a 53-year-
old diabetic male, lying down on his front porch. His wife tells you that he had been mowing the lawn
in the heat for the past 3 hours. The patient is confused and has hot, moist skin. His pulse is weak and
thready, and his blood pressure is 90/50 mm Hg. You should:
Select one:
A. administer one tube of oral glucose and reassess his mental status.
B. perform a head-to-toe assessment and look for signs of trauma.
C. place him in a sitting position and have him drink 1 L of water.
D. load him into the ambulance and begin rapid cooling interventions.
D. load him into the ambulance and begin rapid cooling interventions.
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You respond to a local lake where a diver complains of difficulty breathing that occurred immediately
after rapidly ascending from a depth of approximately 30 feet. On assessment, you note that he has
cyanosis around his lips and has pink froth coming from his nose and mouth. You should:
Select one:
A. suction his mouth and nose, keep him supine and elevate his legs to prevent air bubbles from
entering his brain, administer high-flow oxygen, and transport to a hyperbaric chamber.
B. place him in a semi-sitting position, suction his mouth and nose, apply a continuous positive airway
pressure (CPAP) device, and transport to the closest emergency department.
C. suction his mouth and nose, apply high-flow oxygen, monitor the patient's breath sounds for a
pneumothorax, and contact medical control regarding transport to a recompression facility.
D. position him supine with his head elevated 30°, suction his mouth and nose, hyperventilate him
with a bag-valve mask, and contact medical control for further guidance.
C. suction his mouth and nose, apply high-flow oxygen, monitor the patient's breath sounds for a
pneumothorax, and contact medical control regarding transport to a recompression facility.
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:
Select one:
A. the disease is dormant in your body, but will probably never cause symptoms.
B. you are actively infected with tuberculosis and should be treated immediately.
C. you were exposed to another infected person prior to treating the 34-year-old patient.
D. you contracted the disease by casual contact instead of exposure to secretions.
C. you were exposed to another infected person prior to treating the 34-year-old patient.
After sizing up the scene of a patient with a possible infectious disease, your next priority should be
to:
Select one:
A. contact medical control.
B. notify law enforcement.
C. quickly access the patient.
D. take standard precautions.
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