26) You respond to the scene of a 14-year-old patient. He is unresponsive and hypothermic.
Emergency Medical Responders have moved the patient inside and secured the airway prior to
your arrival. What is your next action?
A) Vigorously rub the patient to increase the body temperature.
B) Actively rewarm the patient.
C) Passively rewarm the patient.
D) Assess for signs of frostbite and treat immediately.
Objective: 31.6
27) In cases of extreme hypothermia, you will find the patient unconscious, with no discernible
vital signs, and skin cold to your touch with stiff joints as if they appear dead. What is the
emergency care for these patients?
A) Contact medical control for input into the best treatment for this patient.
B) Call the coroner as indications are the patient is cold and deceased, which is a definitive sign
of death.
C) Check distal CSM, apply warming packs to the extremities, and transport the patient.
D) Assess the carotid pulse for 30 to 45 seconds; if there is no pulse, start CPR immediately and
prepare to apply the AED.
Objective: 31.6
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28) In a hypothermic patient the coldest blood is found in what part of the patient’s body?
A) Intestines
B) Heart and lungs
C) Head
D) Extremities
Objective: 31.6
29) You arrive on the scene and find an unresponsive homeless man lying in the alleyway
clutching a wine bottle. He is wearing a long-sleeved shirt, but does not have pants on. His skin
feels cold to the touch. The week’s temperatures have not been above 50°F. Which of the
following should you do immediately after ensuring the patient has an adequate airway?
A) Apply the AED.
B) Provide manual stabilization of the cervical spine.
C) Begin passive rewarming.
D) Check the pulse.
Objective: 31.6
30) Rough handling of a patient with severe hypothermia may result in which of the following?
A) Ventricular fibrillation
B) Seizures
C) Heart attack
D) Rewarming shock
Objective: 31.6
12
31) In a patient with extreme hypothermia who appears to be in cardiac arrest, you should assess
the pulse for how long?
A) 30 to 45 seconds
B) 20 to 30 seconds
C) 5 to 10 seconds
D) 15 to 20 seconds
Objective: 31.6
32) Which of the following is NOT a classification of localized cold injury?
A) Hypothermia
B) Frostbite
C) Frostnip
D) All of the above
Objective: 31.7
33) The term gangrene means tissue:
A) damage.
B) discoloration.
C) infection.
D) death.
Objective: 31.7
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34) Localized cold injury occurs due to vasoconstriction and:
A) chemical imbalance in the tissues.
B) blood clots.
C) ice crystal formation in the tissues.
D) loss of calcium.
Objective: 31.7
35) Which of the following BEST describes a localized cold injury with a clear line of
demarcation of its limits?
A) Early frostnip
B) Late frostbite
C) Immersion foot
D) Deep frostnip
Objective: 31.7
36) The term blanching, used to describe localized cold injury, means the tissue has turned to
which of the following colors?
A) White or lighter
B) Blue or purple
C) Red
D) Black
Objective: 31.7
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37) Which of the following should the EMT do during the treatment of localized cold injury?
A) Encourage the patient to use the affected part.
B) Rub the affected area with snow.
C) Massage the affected area.
D) Gradually warm the affected area.
Objective: 31.7
38) Your patient is a 24-year-old man who smoked a cigarette dipped in formaldehyde and then
went outside with no shoes on and walked in the snow for about an hour. He has deep local cold
injuries to both feet. Which of the following should be included in your management of this
patient?
A) Break blisters before wrapping both feet in sterile dressings.
B) Have the patient sit with his feet lower than the rest of his body.
C) Gradually rewarm both feet.
D) Massage the feet briskly.
Objective: 31.7
39) Which of the following describes the condition of having an abnormally high body
temperature?
A) Hyperthermia
B) Septic shock
C) Hyperdynamic state
D) Heat shock
Objective: 31.8
15
40) Heat cramps occur due to loss of which of the following substances?
A) Water
B) Salt
C) Magnesium
D) Water and potassium
Objective: 31.8
41) You respond to a professional volleyball tournament for a potential heatstroke. Upon arrival
you find a 28-year-old male patient seated inside the air-conditioned first aid trailer. He is alert
and in obvious distress. He is complaining of severe cramping of his arms and legs. His vital
signs are stable. What is the most likely cause of the cramping?
A) Heat exhaustion
B) Drinking too many sports drinks
C) Sweating too much
D) Cooling off too quickly
Objective: 31.8
42) Heat stroke is caused by which of the following mechanisms?
A) Blockage of blood flow to the brain
B) Extreme dilation of all the blood vessels
C) Failure of temperature regulation mechanisms
D) Heat-induced swelling of brain tissue
Objective: 31.8
16
43) Your patient is a 44-year-old female with a history of alcoholism. She has been walking
around at an outdoor fair on a hot, sunny day. She is disoriented to time; has hot, dry skin; and
appears to be generally weak. Which of the following is the appropriate sequence of treatment
for this patient?
A) Have the patient drink an electrolyte solution or sports drink and apply cold packs to her
neck, armpits, and groin.
B) Get as much ice as possible from the food vendors at the fair, place the patient in a large
container of ice, and apply oxygen by nonrebreather mask.
C) Give oxygen by nonrebreather mask, have the patient sip a sports drink or electrolyte
solution, remove heavy clothing, and place cold packs on her neck, armpits, and groin.
D) Give oxygen by nonrebreather mask, remove heavy clothing, and place cold packs on her
neck, armpits, and groin.
Objective: 31.9
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44) You respond to a construction site on a very hot summer day for a person “not acting right.”
You find a 44-year-old male patient seated in a work vehicle with the air conditioner on
maximum. Coworkers state the patient was working for the last 2 hours pouring concrete when
he started “speaking gibberish” and nearly collapsed. The patient is responsive to verbal stimuli.
Your initial vital signs are blood pressure 90/60, pulse 136, and respiratory rate 24. The patient’s
skin is cool to the touch and dry, but his shirt is wet with visible salt rings. You suspect:
A) heat cramps.
B) hypernatremia.
C) heat exhaustion.
D) myocardial infarction.
Objective: 31.9
18
45) You respond to a construction site on a very hot summer day for a person “not acting right.”
You find a 38-year-old male patient seated in a work vehicle with the air conditioner on
maximum. Coworkers state the patient was working for the last 2 hours pouring concrete when
he started “speaking gibberish” and nearly collapsed. The patient is responsive to verbal stimuli.
Your initial vital signs are blood pressure 90/60, pulse 136, and respiratory rate 24. The patient’s
skin is cool to the touch and dry but his shirt is wet with visible salt rings. Which is the best
treatment for the patient?
A) Apply high-concentration oxygen and rapidly transport to the nearest medical facility.
B) Have the patient sip water slowly to replace what he has lost.
C) Cool the patient with tepid water.
D) Have the patient drink at least 1 liter of water to replace what he has lost.
Objective: 31.9
46) When submerged in water, biological death may be delayed if the water temperature is below
________°F.
A) 70
B) 98.6
C) 50
D) 32
Objective: 31.10
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47) Regarding drowning in adults, which of the following statements is true?
A) Colder water improves survival chances in saltwater drowning but not in freshwater
drowning.
B) Water temperature makes no difference in the chances of survival in either saltwater or
freshwater drowning.
C) The colder the water, the better the chances of survival in either saltwater or freshwater
drowning.
D) The warmer the water, the better the chances of survival in saltwater drowning.
Objective: 31.10
48) Which of the following is often associated with water-related emergencies?
A) Hypothermia
B) Cardiac arrest
C) Alcohol use
D) All of the above
Objective: 31.10
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