unitek midterm review exam question s
and answers
Bilateral
both sides
Posterior
back
Anterior
front
Inferior
away from head
Superior
closer to head
Why are EMRs important in EMS
Begin care immediately and can assist EMTs with some skills
What role do Medical Directors play in EMS
Provide oversight and support to EMTs, Limits the scope of practice, In red - authorizes
EMTs to provide care in the field, Responsible for maintaining quality control, Writes
standing orders and protocols
Know about the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Started EMS with highway safety aft of 1966, created EMS Agenda 2050, create
national EMS Scope fo Practice Model
Know the stages of dying and death
Denial, anger/hostility, bargaining, depression, acceptance ; can occur suddenly or after
prolonged illness
know what you should say and what you shouldn't say to the family of a dying patient
Ask how you can help, reinforce reality, be honest, allow the patient and family to
grieve; Words of comfort when responding to grief- "I'm sorry for your loss. It is okay to
be angry. It must be hard to accept. That must be painful for you. Tell me how you are
feeling. If you want to cry, its okay. People really cared for..."
know how to deal with a hysterical patient or family member
***ask about this, Employ active listening, display empathy, build a rapport, and exert
influence
Know what needs to be present for negligence to occur
Duty, breach of duty, damages, causation
Know about refusals
, For calls with refusal, complete assessment, ensure they have decision-making
capacity and have been informed, recommended/proposed care, inform them of
possible effects of not accepting care, encourage individual to allow care, try to get
family and friends to persuade them, talk to med control, tell them about care
alternatives , tell them to call 911 if they change mind, ask them to sign a refusal of care
form, have a witness sign it too, document whatever assessment done and if pt did not
allow full assessment
Know the functions of the FCC, federal communication Commission
Allocate specific radio frequencies for use by EMS providers, license base stations and
assign appropriate radio calls for those stations, establish licensing standards and
operating specifications for radio equipment used by EMS providers, establish
limitations for transmitter power output, monitor radio operations
know what would affect cardiac output
stroke volume and heart rate CO = HR * SV, Contractility of the heart muscle, amount of
blood to pump (preload), resistance to flow in peripheral circulation (afterload)
Know about the epiglottis versus the Vallecula
Epiglottis is the flap that covers larynx to prevent aspiration, Vallecula is a valley in the
airway between epiglottis and beginning of tongue
Know the normal blood pressure range for an adult and child
Adult- 90-130, Child systolic- 80-110
Know about the power grip
Maximum force from hands - palms up, hands 10 in apart, fingers at same angle, fully
support handle on curved palm
know when to use the jaw thrust maneuver versus the head tilt chin lift
jaw thrust maneuver when suspecting c-spine injury
Know what the systolic blood pressure is, Physiology
Systolic blood pressure- maximum pressure generated by left ventricle
Know about strider versus wheezing
Stridor- high pitched crowing sound, indicating partial upper airway occlusion; most
prominent on inspiration, Wheezing- high pitched whistling, more prominent on
expiration; lower airway narrowing (asthma, allergies, sick, bronchitis, anaphylaxis)
Know what could give you a false reading on your pulse oximeter
CO poisoning, nail polish, poor perfusion, cold weather, neuropathy, smoke inhalation,
prosthetic arm
know what could cause gastric distention
ventilations too fast or too forceful
Know about chemoreceptors and how that affects respirations
Chemoreceptors monitor oxygen, CO2, hydrogen ions, pH of CSF; Hypercarbic drive
primarily used, hypoxic drive used secondary in pts with end stage COPD
Know what type of conditions can cause wheezing
Mild airway obstruction, asthma, allergies, sickness, bronchitis, narrowing of airway,
anaphylaxis
Know how about exhalation versus inhalation
Exhalation- passive, relax intercostals and diaphragm, thoracic cavity returns to normal
size, Inhalation- diaphragm and intercostals contract, negative thoracic cavity pressure,
air into lungs, active