AAMA Emergency Procedures and First Aid 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the correct ratio of chest compressions to rescue breaths for single-rescuer adult CPR?
- 15:2
- 30:2 (Correct answer)
- 10:2
- 5:1
Correct answer: 30:2
Current AHA guidelines specify 30 chest compressions to 2 rescue breaths for single-rescuer adult CPR to minimize interruptions in compressions.
Question 2: When a patient presents with signs of anaphylactic shock (urticaria, hypotension, bronchospasm), which medication should be administered first?
- Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
- Methylprednisolone
- Epinephrine (EpiPen) (Correct answer)
- Albuterol inhaler
Correct answer: Epinephrine (EpiPen)
Epinephrine is the first-line treatment for anaphylaxis because it rapidly reverses bronchospasm, vasodilation, and urticaria through alpha and beta receptor stimulation.
Question 3: Which type of shock results from a significant decrease in circulating blood volume due to hemorrhage or severe dehydration?
- Cardiogenic shock
- Neurogenic shock
- Septic shock
- Hypovolemic shock (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Hypovolemic shock
Hypovolemic shock occurs when blood or fluid volume is critically reduced, impairing the body's ability to maintain adequate perfusion to vital organs.
Question 4: What is the very first step a medical assistant should take when a patient in the office collapses and appears unresponsive?
- Call 911 immediately
- Begin chest compressions
- Check for responsiveness by tapping and shouting (Correct answer)
- Retrieve the AED
Correct answer: Check for responsiveness by tapping and shouting
Before initiating any emergency response, you must confirm the patient is unresponsive by tapping their shoulders and shouting to determine the level of consciousness.
Question 5: When managing a patient with a nosebleed (epistaxis), the correct position is to have the patient lean:
- Backward with head tilted up
- Forward with head tilted slightly down (Correct answer)
- Lying flat on their back
- To the unaffected side
Correct answer: Forward with head tilted slightly down
Leaning forward prevents blood from flowing down the throat, which can cause nausea, vomiting, or aspiration of blood.
Question 6: AED stands for which of the following?
- Automated External Defibrillator (Correct answer)
- Automatic Electronic Device
- Advanced Emergency Defibrillator
- Automated Electrical Detector
Correct answer: Automated External Defibrillator
An Automated External Defibrillator analyzes heart rhythm and delivers an electrical shock to restore normal rhythm in cases of ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia.
Question 7: The Heimlich maneuver (abdominal thrusts) is the appropriate first aid technique for which emergency?
- Cardiac arrest in adults
- Complete airway obstruction due to choking (Correct answer)
- Diabetic emergencies with altered consciousness
- Hypertensive crisis
Correct answer: Complete airway obstruction due to choking
The Heimlich maneuver uses inward and upward thrusts below the diaphragm to create pressure that expels a foreign body obstructing the airway.
AAMA Emergency Procedures and First Aid 1
What is the correct ratio of chest compressions to rescue breaths for single-rescuer adult CPR?