22) How does aspirin actually reduce the chances that a patient suffering a heart attack will die?
A) It reduces the amount of pain in the heart.
B) It prevents a deadly fever from developing.
C) It reduces the inflammation in the heart.
D) It reduces the ability of the blood to form clots.
Objective: 16.3
23) You are on the scene of a 44-year-old female patient who has attempted suicide by taking all
30 pills of her antidepressant medication at once. You are ordered by medical control to
administer activated charcoal. How will activated charcoal reduce the effects of the medication?
A) Activated charcoal will cause the patient to vomit the medication.
B) Activated charcoal will inactivate the patient’s stomach acid.
C) Activated charcoal will coat the intestines, preventing absorption.
D) Activated charcoal will bind to the medication, reducing absorption.
Objective: 16.3
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24) A serious negative interaction for giving Nitrostat is a drug interaction with what
medications?
A) Nitroglycerin, Ventolin, and epinephrine
B) Sildenafil, vardenafil, and epinephrine
C) Viagra, Levitra, or medication for erectile dysfunction
D) Oral glucose, Viagra, and aspirin
Objective: 16.3
25) Which of the following is a potential side effect of nitroglycerin?
A) Decreased blood pressure
B) Sudden increase in heart rate
C) Difficulty breathing
D) All of the above
Objective: 16.3
12
26) You have just administered nitroglycerin to a 68-year-old patient. Within a few minutes, she
complains of feeling faint and lightheaded, but states that she is still having some chest pain.
Which of the following would be the BEST sequence of actions?
A) Lower the head of the stretcher and take the patient’s blood pressure.
B) Administer activated charcoal to prevent further absorption of the nitroglycerin and closely
monitor the patient’s blood pressure.
C) Advise the patient that this is a normal occurrence and administer a second dose of
nitroglycerin.
D) Increase the amount of oxygen you are giving to the patient before administering a second
dose of nitroglycerin.
Objective: 16.3
27) You are on the scene of a 48-year-old male patient complaining of chest pain. He has
nitroglycerin prescribed and available. After performing your physical examination, you contact
medical control and are ordered to assist the patient in taking his nitroglycerin. Five minutes after
taking his nitroglycerin, the patient complains of being dizzy and having a headache. You lie the
patient down on the stretcher and reassess his vital signs. He is now hypotensive. The patient is
suffering from:
A) an allergic reaction to nitroglycerin.
B) an anaphylactic reaction to nitroglycerin.
C) an untoward reaction to nitroglycerin.
D) the side effects of nitroglycerin.
Objective: 16.3
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28) Bronchodilator inhalers have several common side effects, which include:
A) decreased blood pressure and increased heart rate.
B) bronchodilation and decreased heart rate.
C) vasoconstriction and increased heart rate.
D) jitteriness and increased heart rate.
Objective: 16.3
29) A drug’s form refers to which of the following?
A) Its physical state, such as powder, liquid, or gas
B) The mandatory paperwork that must be completed when giving any drug
C) The type of container it comes in
D) The way in which it is administered
Objective: 16.3
30) How is activated charcoal, which is carried by some EMS systems, supplied for use in
emergency situations?
A) As a powder, which is mixed with water before administration
B) As a gel or paste
C) As tablets
D) As a fine liquid spray for inhalation
Objective: 16.3
14
31) Nitroglycerin (Nitro) is used for patients with recurrent chest pain or a history of heart attack.
Nitro is most commonly supplied in what two forms?
A) Pills and injectable
B) Aerosol and spray
C) Pills and spray
D) Ointment and pills
Objective: 16.3
32) Which of the following instructions should you give to a patient whom you are about to
assist with administering epinephrine?
A) Insert the mouthpiece and inhale deeply as you depress the canister.
B) I am going to inject medication into your thigh.
C) Open your mouth and lift your tongue so I can spray this medication under your tongue.
D) This is not pleasant tasting, but it is important that you drink all of it.
Objective: 16.3
15
33) An EMT is on the scene of a 48-year-old male patient complaining of chest pain. He has
nitroglycerin prescribed and available. After performing the primary and secondary assessments,
the EMT contacts medical control and is ordered to assist the patient in taking his nitroglycerin.
Carefully, the EMT performs the “five rights” and checks the expiration before administering the
medication. The patient states the medicine is not helping his pain. The patient also states he
does not have a headache. Reassessment of the patient’s vital signs shows no change in blood
pressure. The EMT suspects the nitro is not working because the:
A) medication is expired.
B) medication is not nitroglycerin.
C) EMT only gave one tablet instead of two.
D) medication was somehow rendered inert.
Objective: 16.4
34) What is the first step in giving aerosol medications?
A) Contact medical control to receive permission to give the medication.
B) Determine that the inhaler actually belongs to the patient.
C) Make sure the patient is suffering from asthma, emphysema, or bronchitis.
D) Complete the primary assessment and take vital signs.
Objective: 16.4
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