EMT Basic - AAOS - Chapter 1-28 Exam
Questions and Answers
advanced EMT (AEMT) - Answer -An individual who has training in specific aspects of
advanced life support, such as intravenous therapy, and the administration of certain
emergency medications
advanced life support (ALS) - Answer -Advanced lifesaving procedures, some of which
are now being provided by the EMT
Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) - Answer -Comprehensive legislation that is
designed to protect individuals with disabilities against discrimination
automated external defibrillator (AED) - Answer -A device that detects treatable life-
threatening cardiac arrhythmias (ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia) and
delivers the appropriate electrical shock to the patient
certification - Answer -A process in which a person, an institution, or a program is
evaluated and recognized as meeting certain predetermined standards to provide safe
and ethical care
continuous quality improvement (CQI) - Answer -A system of internal and external
reviews and audits of all aspects of an EMS system
emergency medical dispatch (EMD) - Answer -A system that assists dispatchers in
selecting appropriate units to respond to a particular call for assistance and in providing
callers with vital instructions until the arrival of EMS crews
emergency medical responder (EMR) - Answer -The first trained individual, such as a
police officer, fire fighter, lifeguard, or other rescuer, to arrive at the scene of an
emergency to provide initial medical assistance
emergency medical services (EMS) - Answer -A multidisciplinary system that represents
the combined efforts of several professionals and agencies to provide prehospital
emergency care to the sick and injured
emergency medical technician (EMT) - Answer -An individual who has training in basic
life support, including automated external defibrillation, use of a definitive airway
adjunct, and assisting patients with certain medications
,Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) - Answer -Federal
legislation passed in 1996, Its main effect in EMS is in limiting availability of patients'
health care information and penalizing violations of patient privacy
intravenous (IV) therapy - Answer -The delivery of medication directly into a vein
licensure - Answer -The process whereby a competent authority, usually the state,
allows individuals to perform a regulated act
medical control - Answer -Physician instructions that are given directly by radio or cell
phone (online/direct) or indirectly by protocol/guidelines (off-line/indirect), as authorized
by the medical director of the service program
medical director - Answer -The physician who authorizes or delegates to the EMT the
authority to provide medical care in the field
National EMS Scope of Practice Model - Answer -A document created by the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that outlines the skills performed by
various EMS providers
paramedic - Answer -An individual who has extensive training in advanced life support,
including endotracheal intubation, emergency pharmacology, cardiac monitoring, and
other advanced assessment and treatment skills
primary prevention - Answer -Efforts to prevent an injury or illness from ever occurring
primary service area (PSA) - Answer -The designated area in which the EMS service is
responsible for the provision of prehospital emergency care and transportation to the
hospital
public health - Answer -Focused on examining the health needs of entire populations
with the goal of preventing health problems
public safety access point - Answer -A call center, staffed by trained personnel who are
responsible for managing requests for police, firefighting, and ambulance services
quality control - Answer -The responsibility of the medical director to ensure that the
appropriate medical care standards are met by EMTs on each call
secondary prevention - Answer -Efforts to limit the effects of an injury or illness that you
cannot completely prevent
acute stress reactions - Answer -Reaction to stress that occurs during a stressful
situation.
,airborne transmission - Answer -The spread of an organism in aerosol form.
bloodborne pathogens - Answer -Pathogenic microorganisms that are present in human
blood and can cause disease in humans. These pathogens include, but are not limited
to, hepatitis B virus and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - Answer -The primary federal
agency that conducts and supports public health activities in the United States. The
CDC is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services.
communicable disease - Answer -A disease that can be spread from one person or
species to another.
contamination - Answer -The presence of infectious organisms or foreign bodies on or
in objects such as dressings, water, food, needles, wounds, or a patient's body.
cover and concealment - Answer -The tactical use of an impenetrable barrier for
protection.
critical incident stress management (CISM) - Answer -A process that confronts the
responses to critical incidents and defuses them, directing the emergency services
personnel toward physical and emotional equilibrium.
cumulative stress reactions - Answer -Prolonged or excessive stress.
delayed stress reaction - Answer -Reaction to stress that occurs after a stressful
situation.
designated officer - Answer -The individual in the department who is charged with the
responsibility of managing exposures and infection control issues.
direct contact - Answer -Exposure or transmission of a communicable disease from one
person to another by physical contact.
exposure - Answer -A situation in which a person has had contact with blood, body
fluids, tissues, or airborne particles in a manner that suggests disease transmission may
occur.
foodborne transmission - Answer -The contamination of food or water with an organism
than can cause disease.
general adaptation syndrome - Answer -The body's response to stress that begins with
an alarm response, followed by a stage of reaction and resistance, and then recovery
or, if the stress is prolonged, exhaustion.
, hepatitis - Answer -Inflammation of the liver, usually caused by a viral infection, that
causes fever, loss of appetite, jaundice, fatigue, and altered liver function.
host - Answer -The organism or individual that is attacked by the infecting agent.
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) - Answer -Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
(AIDS) is caused by HIV, which damages the cells in the body's immune system so that
the body is unable to fight infection or certain cancers.
immune - Answer -The body's ability to protect itself from acquiring a disease.
indirect contact - Answer -Exposure or transmission of disease from one person to
another by contact with a contaminated object.
infection - Answer -The abnormal invasion of a host or host tissues by organisms such
as bacteria, viruses, or parasites, with or without signs or symptoms of disease.
infection control - Answer -Procedures to reduce transmission of infection among
patients and health care personnel.
infectious disease - Answer -a medical condition caused by the growth and spread of
small, harmful organisms within the body.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) - Answer -The federal
regulatory compliance agency that develops, publishes, and enforces guidelines
concerning safety in the workplace.
pathogen - Answer -A microorganism that is capable of causing disease in a susceptible
host.
personal protective equipment (PPE) - Answer -Clothing or specialized equipment that
provides protection to the wearer.
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - Answer -A delayed stress reaction to a prior
incident. This delayed reaction is often the result of one or more unresolved issues
concerning the incident.
standard precautions - Answer -Protective measures that have traditionally been
developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for use in dealing with
objects, blood, body fluids, and other potential exposure risks of communicable disease.
transmission - Answer -The way in which an infectious disease is spread: contact,
airborne, by vehicles, or by vectors.
vector-borne transmission - Answer -The use of an animal to spread an organism from
one person, species or place to another.