Medical Patient Assessment Principles

Medical Overview Question In contrast to the assessment of a trauma pt, assessment of a medical pt Which of the following conditions is NOT categorized as a psychiatric condition? The greatest danger in displaying a personal bias or “labeling” a pt who frequently calls EMS is An index of suspicion is MOST accurately defined as You and your EMT partner arrive at the residence of a 50-year-old man who c/o weakness. Your primary assessment reveals that he is critically ill and will require aggressive treatment. The closest hospital is 25 miles away. You should When forming your general impression of a pt c‾ a medical complaint, it is important to remember that Upon initial contact c‾ a pt who appears to be unconscious, you should Answer is focused on the NOI, the pt's c/c, and his or her symptoms. Substance abuse overlooking a potentially serious medical condition. your awareness and concern for potentially serious underlying and unseen injuries or illness. manage all threats to airway, breathing, and circulation and consider requesting an ALS unit. the conditions of many medical pts may not appear serious at first. attempt to elicit a verbal response by talking to the pt. Your primary assessment of an elderly woman reveals she is experiencing difficulty breathing. She has a history of emphysema, hypertension, and administer oxygen c‾ the appropriate congestive heart failure. As you assess the pt's circulatory status, you device. should direct your partner to the radial pulse and noting In addition to looking for severe bleeding, assessment of circulation in the checking the color, temperature, and condition conscious pt should involve of his or her skin. When assessing a pt c‾ a medical complaint, which of the following would History taking MOST likely reveal the cause of his or her problem? Which of the following will MOST reliably allow you to determine the Asking questions related to the c/c nature of a pt's illness? take all of the pt's medications c‾ you to When caring for a pt who takes numerous medications, it is best to the hospital and document them on your pt care report. is not practical if the pt is critically ill or The secondary assessment of a medical pt your transport time is short. Primary assessment of a man c‾ crushing chest pain. The pt has been given 324 mg of aspirin and is receiving high-flow oxygen via NRB. As you You should prepare the pt for begin your secondary assessment, you note that his mental status has immediate transport. deteriorated and he is now bradycardic. When performing a secondary assessment on a conscious pt c‾ focus on his or her c/c. nontraumatic abdominal pain and stable vital signs, you should It is especially important to assess pulse, sensation, and movement in all extremities as well as pupillary reactions in pts c‾ a suspected ___________ Neurologic problem Which of the following assessment findings is MOST indicative of a Jugular venous distention cardiovascular problem? A 33-year-old female presents c‾ lower abdominal quadrant pain. She is in moderate pain. While your partner is asking her questions about her You should assess the rate, regularity, medical history, you take her vital signs. When you assess her radial pulse, and quality of her carotid pulse. you are unable to locate it. End-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) monitoring is clearly indicated for pts respiratory distress. who present c‾ Reassessment of a pt c‾ a medical complaint should begin by repeating the primary assessment. addresses the pt's symptoms more The primary prehospital treatment for most medical emergencies than the actual disease process. Which of the following medications would the EMT LEAST likely Naloxone (Narcan) administer to a pt c‾ a medical complaint? When caring for a pt c‾ an altered mental status and signs of circulatory compromise, you should The determination of whether a medical pt is a high-priority or lowpriority transport is typically made In which of the following situations would it be MOST appropriate to utilize an air medical transportation service? limit your time at the scene to 10 minutes or less, if possible. p‾ the primary assessment has been completed. 61-year-old man c‾ signs and symptoms of a stroke and your ground transport time is 50 minutes Which of the following conditions often requires transport to a hospital c‾ Stroke and heart attack specialized capabilities that may not be available at the closest hospital? P‾ sizing up the scene of a pt c‾ a possible infectious disease, your next take standard precautions. priority should be to fever, rash, nausea, and difficulty Typical c/cs in pts c‾ an infectious disease include breathing. In addition to obtaining a SAMPLE history and asking questions related to the c/c, what else should you inquire about when assessing a pt c‾ a Recent travel potentially infectious disease? a medical condition caused by the An infectious disease is MOST accurately defined as growth and spread of small harmful organisms c‾ in the body. The risk of HIV infection is greatest Which of the following statements regarding the human when deposited on a mucous immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is correct? membrane or directly into the bloodstream. bloodborne disease that can Syphilis is a successfully be treated c‾ penicillin. Early signs and symptoms of viral hepatitis include all of the following, jaundice and abdominal pain. EXCEPT Hepatitis A can only be transmitted by Which of the following statements regarding hepatitis A is correct? a pt who has an acute infection. has a greater ability to produce Hepatitis B is more virulent than hepatitis C, which means that it disease. A pt who presents c‾ a headache, fever, confusion, and red blotches on his meningitis. or her skin should be suspected of having Pts c‾ tuberculosis pose the greatest risk for transmitting the disease cough when they In contrast to viral hepatitis, toxin-induced hepatitis is not a communicable disease. Ten days p‾ treating a 34-year-old pt c‾ tuberculosis, you are given a you were exposed to another infected tuberculin skin test, which yields a positive result. This MOST likely person prior to treating the 34-yearindicates that old pt. MRSA is a bacterium that causes Which of the following statements regarding methicillin-resistant infections and is resistant to most Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is correct? antibiotics. Factors that increase the risk for developing methicillin-resistant prolonged hospitalization, especially in Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) include an intensive care unit. A pt who was bitten by a mosquito and presents c‾ signs and symptoms of West Nile Virus illness should be suspected of having SARS is caused by a virus and usually Which of the following statements regarding severe acute respiratory starts c‾ flulike symptoms that syndrome (SARS) is correct? deteriorate to pneumonia and respiratory failure. It is only one type of influenza among Which of the following statements regarding the H1N1 virus is correct? the many other strains of influenza that exist and infect humans.