EMT Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. Under the START triage system, which category generally applies to patients who can walk when directed to a designated area?
Immediate, commonly marked red
Delayed, commonly marked yellow
Expectant or deceased, commonly marked black
Minor, commonly marked green
2. After severe external bleeding has been controlled, a trauma patient is pale, cool, restless, and tachycardic. There is no respiratory distress or positioning contraindication. Which care is most appropriate?
Keep the patient supine, limit heat loss, reassess frequently, and transport promptly
Sit the patient upright and offer small amounts of water
Place the patient prone to improve circulation to the brain
Delay transport until the skin becomes warm and the pulse slows
3. A helmeted motorcyclist is alert after a crash and reports neck pain. The airway is open and breathing is adequate. What should the EMT do first?
Immediately remove the helmet by pulling it straight upward
Manually stabilize the head and continue the primary assessment
Ask the patient to rotate the neck to check range of motion
Allow the patient to sit up before assessing circulation
4. During childbirth, the EMT sees the baby's head at the vaginal opening and the patient reports a strong urge to push. What is the best next step?
Prepare for delivery at the scene while supporting the patient and requesting appropriate assistance
Apply firm pressure to push the baby's head back into the birth canal
Have the patient walk to the stretcher before contractions intensify
Immediately transport at high speed without preparing for delivery
5. An EMT crew arrives at a vehicle collision and sees a power line lying across the car. The occupant is conscious and calling for help. What should the crew do first?
Approach from the side opposite the power line and assess the occupant
Ask the occupant to leave the vehicle without touching its metal frame
Move the line with a dry wooden object before beginning care
Keep everyone away and request the utility or fire service to make the scene safe
6. A patient develops facial droop and slurred speech 20 minutes before the EMT arrives. Which action is especially important for destination and treatment decisions?
Have the patient walk to determine whether balance is affected
Wait to see whether the symptoms resolve before notifying the hospital
Give oral glucose without checking whether it can be swallowed safely
Establish the last-known-well time and arrange prompt transport according to stroke protocol
7. In the SAMPLE history mnemonic, what does the letter “A” represent?
Age
Airway
Allergies
Assessment
8. After scene safety is confirmed, an adult is unresponsive, has only occasional gasps, and has no pulse. What is the appropriate immediate action?
Provide oxygen by nonrebreather mask and reassess in two minutes
Deliver rescue breaths without chest compressions until the AED arrives
Place the patient in the recovery position while obtaining a history
Begin high-quality CPR and apply an AED as soon as it is available
9. A patient with suspected opioid poisoning is apneic but has a pulse. What is the immediate priority?
Begin chest compressions even though a pulse is present
Administer naloxone and wait for a response before supporting breathing
Provide effective ventilation with a bag-mask device, add oxygen as available, and use naloxone per protocol
Place the patient upright and apply oxygen by nasal cannula
10. A patient with diabetes is confused and sweaty. A glucose check is low, but the patient can follow commands and swallow normally. Within local protocol, which intervention is most appropriate?
Administer IV dextrose through a newly established central line
Withhold treatment because the patient is still able to speak
Administer oral glucose and reassess the patient
Give insulin to stabilize the glucose level
11. Which patient-care narrative is the most objective?
The patient seemed intoxicated and was probably exaggerating the pain
A 2-centimeter laceration was noted on the left palm; bleeding was controlled with direct pressure
The patient was doing fine after a minor accident
The patient's chest discomfort was most likely caused by anxiety
12. Following blunt chest trauma, part of a patient's chest wall moves inward during inspiration and outward during expiration. What does this finding suggest?
A flail chest segment
Simple pneumothorax
Diaphragmatic irritation
Cardiac tamponade
13. A worker spills a dry, powdered chemical on the forearm. The product information does not identify it as water-reactive. What is the appropriate initial decontamination approach?
Rub the powder into a wet dressing so it cannot become airborne
Avoid self-contamination, brush away the dry material, remove contaminated clothing, and then irrigate as indicated
Neutralize the powder with an acidic or alkaline household product
Cover the powder with an occlusive dressing and transport without removing it
14. An oxygen cylinder is found lying unsecured on the ambulance bench. What should the EMT do before the vehicle moves?
Leave it in place if the valve is closed and the cylinder feels empty
Secure it in an approved bracket or carrier to prevent movement and valve damage
Place it beneath a folded blanket so it cannot roll
Open the valve slightly to reduce pressure during transport
15. A patient has widespread hives, wheezing, and dizziness after a bee sting and has a prescribed epinephrine auto-injector. What should the EMT prioritize within protocol?
Apply a cold pack to the sting and wait for the hives to fade
Give an oral antihistamine before addressing breathing or circulation
Assist with or administer epinephrine promptly, support airway and breathing, and transport
Transport without treatment because epinephrine can only be given at a hospital
16. A conscious, nonpregnant adult suddenly cannot speak or cough after eating and is clutching the throat. What should the EMT do?
Perform abdominal thrusts until the obstruction clears or the patient becomes unresponsive
Encourage the patient to drink water and attempt another cough
Begin chest compressions while the patient remains standing
Perform a blind finger sweep to remove the object