ACE Health Assessment & First Aid 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A pest control technician is stung multiple times by yellow jackets and develops hives, throat tightness, and dizziness within minutes. What is the FIRST priority action?
- Apply ice packs to the sting sites
- Administer epinephrine auto-injector if available and call 911 (Correct answer)
- Give the victim an oral antihistamine and observe
- Remove the stingers with tweezers before treating
Correct answer: Administer epinephrine auto-injector if available and call 911
Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening emergency requiring immediate epinephrine injection and activation of emergency medical services.
Question 2: Which of the following is the correct first aid procedure for a brown recluse spider bite in the field?
- Apply a tourniquet above the bite site to stop venom spread
- Cut and suck the venom from the wound
- Clean the wound, apply a cool compress, and seek medical evaluation (Correct answer)
- Apply heat to accelerate venom breakdown
Correct answer: Clean the wound, apply a cool compress, and seek medical evaluation
Brown recluse bites should be cleaned, kept cool to slow necrosis, and evaluated by a physician since no antivenom is commercially available in the US.
Question 3: An entomologist working in a fire ant-infested area sustains over 100 stings on both legs. The MOST serious immediate health concern is:
- Secondary bacterial infection from scratching
- Systemic toxic reaction or anaphylaxis (Correct answer)
- Permanent scarring at sting sites
- Transmission of vector-borne disease
Correct answer: Systemic toxic reaction or anaphylaxis
Mass envenomation from hundreds of fire ant stings can cause a toxic systemic reaction independent of allergy, and sensitized individuals face anaphylaxis risk.
Question 4: A worker reports accidental pesticide splash into both eyes. The correct first aid is to flush the eyes with clean water for a minimum of:
- 2 minutes
- 5 minutes
- 15 minutes (Correct answer)
- 30 minutes
Correct answer: 15 minutes
OSHA and pesticide label standards recommend a minimum of 15 minutes of continuous eye flushing following pesticide eye exposure.
Question 5: Which symptom pattern is MOST consistent with organophosphate pesticide poisoning?
- Dry mouth, dilated pupils, rapid heart rate, flushed skin
- Excessive salivation, pinpoint pupils, muscle twitching, bradycardia (Correct answer)
- Skin rash, joint pain, fever, and lymphadenopathy
- Confusion, elevated temperature, and absence of sweating
Correct answer: Excessive salivation, pinpoint pupils, muscle twitching, bradycardia
Organophosphates inhibit acetylcholinesterase, producing cholinergic symptoms summarized by the SLUDGE mnemonic: salivation, lacrimation, urination, defecation, GI distress, emesis, plus miosis and bradycardia.
Question 6: When a scorpion sting victim presents with uncontrolled eye and neck muscle movements, difficulty swallowing, and drooling, the MOST likely species involved in the US is:
- Centruroides sculpturatus (bark scorpion) (Correct answer)
- Hadrurus arizonensis (desert hairy scorpion)
- Vaejovis carolinianus (striped bark scorpion)
- Pandinus imperator (emperor scorpion)
Correct answer: Centruroides sculpturatus (bark scorpion)
Centruroides sculpturatus is the only US scorpion with venom potent enough to cause neurotoxic symptoms including cranial nerve dysfunction.
Question 7: Heat exhaustion during summer fieldwork is BEST distinguished from heat stroke by:
- Presence of profuse sweating and near-normal mental status (Correct answer)
- Core body temperature above 104°F (40°C)
- Absence of any skin moisture
- Loss of consciousness and seizures
Correct answer: Presence of profuse sweating and near-normal mental status
Heat exhaustion typically involves heavy sweating with preserved or mildly altered consciousness, while heat stroke involves hyperthermia above 104°F with severe CNS dysfunction.
ACE Health Assessment & First Aid 2
A pest control technician is stung multiple times by yellow jackets and develops hives, throat tightness, and dizziness within minutes.
What is the FIRST priority action?