Medical Emergencies Flashcards
7 cards from real AEMCA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Medical Emergencies flashcards as text
A patient presents with severe hypotension, bradycardia, and bronchospasm after ingesting a large amount of eye drops. What toxidrome is most likely?
Answer: Cholinergic toxidrome
Tetrahydrozoline (found in eye drops) can cause a cholinergic-like toxidrome with bradycardia, hypotension, and bronchospasm in overdose, especially in children.
Which of the following is the hallmark of distributive shock that distinguishes it from other shock types?
Answer: Normal or elevated cardiac output with decreased SVR
Distributive shock (septic, anaphylactic, neurogenic) is characterized by profound vasodilation with decreased SVR and typically a compensatory elevated cardiac output.
A patient with sickle cell disease presents with chest pain, fever, and progressive hypoxia. What is the most likely life-threatening complication?
Answer: Acute chest syndrome
Acute chest syndrome is a leading cause of death in sickle cell disease, characterized by new pulmonary infiltrates with fever, chest pain, and hypoxia.
In a patient with suspected myasthenic crisis, which test can help differentiate it from cholinergic crisis?
Answer: Tensilon (edrophonium) test
The Tensilon test uses edrophonium (an anticholinesterase) — if symptoms improve, it confirms myasthenic crisis; if they worsen, it suggests cholinergic crisis.
A patient presents with confusion, polyuria, and a blood glucose of 920 mg/dL without ketoacidosis. What condition is this?
Answer: Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state (HHS)
Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state features extreme hyperglycemia (>600 mg/dL) with severe dehydration and altered mental status, but without significant ketoacidosis.
Which presentation is MOST consistent with a patient experiencing neurogenic shock?
Answer: Hypotension, bradycardia, warm dry skin
Neurogenic shock from spinal cord injury presents with hypotension and paradoxical bradycardia with warm, dry skin due to loss of sympathetic tone below the injury.
A patient with a known peanut allergy develops urticaria, angioedema, and stridor within minutes of eating. After administering IM epinephrine, the patient does not improve. What is the next action?
Answer: Administer a second dose of IM epinephrine and prepare for airway management
A second dose of epinephrine can be given 5-15 minutes after the first if the patient does not respond; progressive stridor also demands preparation for surgical airway.