Patient Assessment and Triage 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 Patient Assessment and Triage flashcards as text
During the START triage system, a patient who is breathing at a rate of 28 breaths per minute should be tagged:
Answer: Immediate (Red)
In START triage, a respiratory rate above 30 breaths per minute tags the patient as Immediate; 28 is borderline but combined with other findings often yields Immediate.
When assessing a responsive patient, the SAMPLE history mnemonic includes which of the following elements?
Answer: Signs/symptoms, Allergies, Medications, Pertinent history, Last oral intake, Events
SAMPLE stands for Signs/Symptoms, Allergies, Medications, Pertinent past history, Last oral intake, and Events leading to the emergency.
Which triage category in the JumpSTART pediatric triage system is used for children who are not breathing and have no palpable pulse?
Answer: Expectant (Black)
Children with no respirations and no palpable pulse are tagged Expectant (Black) in JumpSTART, as resuscitation is unlikely to be successful in a mass casualty event.
A patient involved in a motor vehicle collision is found unresponsive. The AEMCA's first priority during the primary assessment is to:
Answer: Ensure a patent airway
Airway patency is always the first priority (A in the ABCs) during the primary assessment of an unresponsive trauma patient.
When performing a rapid trauma assessment on an unconscious patient, the AEMCA should assess the head for:
Answer: Deformities, contusions, abrasions, punctures, burns, tenderness, lacerations, and swelling (DCAP-BTLS)
DCAP-BTLS is the systematic mnemonic used during the rapid trauma assessment to evaluate each body region for Deformities, Contusions, Abrasions, Punctures/Penetrations, Burns, Tenderness, Lacerations, and Swelling.
A patient's Glasgow Coma Scale score is calculated at 3. This indicates:
Answer: No meaningful response — deep coma
A GCS of 3 is the minimum possible score, indicating no eye opening, no verbal response, and no motor response, consistent with deep coma.
During secondary assessment of a conscious medical patient, auscultation of lung sounds revealing absent breath sounds on one side suggests:
Answer: Possible pneumothorax or hemothorax
Absent breath sounds unilaterally suggest a pneumothorax or hemothorax, requiring immediate intervention.