Mixed Deck — All AEMT Topics Flashcards

What is criteria on a EKG strip for a STEMI?

Answer: All of the above

The criteria for diagnosing a STEMI on an EKG are multifaceted and include several key indicators. Significant ST elevation (typically >1mm in two or more contiguous leads) is a primary sign. Posterior MIs have specific EKG findings like ST depression in V1-V2. A new Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB) can also obscure typical STEMI findings and is considered a STEMI equivalent in the appropriate clinical context, making 'All of the above' the correct answer.

Which sign is the BEST indicator of correct BVM placement and effective ventilation?

Answer: Visible chest rise

Visible bilateral chest rise is the primary clinical indicator that the bag-valve-mask is correctly positioned and ventilations are effective.

Which tool is used in the field to rapidly estimate a pediatric patient's weight for medication dosing and equipment sizing?

Answer: Broselow tape

The Broselow tape is a length-based, color-coded resuscitation tool that correlates patient length to estimated weight, guiding medication doses and equipment selection.

The START triage system classifies patients into four categories. Which color tag indicates immediate life-threatening injuries that are survivable with rapid intervention?

Answer: Red (Immediate)

Red tags in START triage identify patients with critical but survivable injuries who require immediate treatment to prevent death.

When forming a general impression upon approaching a patient, the AEMT evaluates all of the following EXCEPT:

Answer: Blood glucose level

Blood glucose is measured during the secondary assessment; the general impression relies on immediate visual and verbal observations.

A 7-year-old child (22 kg) needs defibrillation. What is the correct initial energy dose?

Answer: 88 J (2 J/kg)

Pediatric defibrillation starts at 2 J/kg; for a 22 kg child that is 44 J, and subsequent shocks can be increased to 4 J/kg.

When using a bag-valve-mask with two rescuers, the second rescuer's role is to:

Answer: Squeeze the bag while the first rescuer maintains a two-handed mask seal

Two-rescuer BVM technique has one provider maintain a two-handed E-C clamp seal while the second squeezes the bag, improving mask seal and ventilation volume.

To assist with shoulder dystocia in the field, the McRoberts maneuver involves:

Answer: Hyperflexing the mother's thighs onto her abdomen to flatten the lumbar lordosis and widen the pelvis

The McRoberts maneuver hyperflexes the mother's thighs to her abdomen, straightening the lumbosacral curve and effectively widening the pelvic inlet to free the impacted shoulder.

During scene size-up, what is the FIRST action an AEMT should take upon arriving at an emergency scene?

Answer: Ensure scene safety

Scene safety is always the first priority so the AEMT and crew are not harmed before patient care begins.

What describes the action of the body on the drug?

Answer: Pharmacokinetics

Pharmacokinetics is the study of what the body does to the drug. It encompasses the processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME), which collectively describe the movement of a drug through the body and how it is handled by various physiological systems. This field is crucial for understanding drug dosing, timing, and the overall fate of a drug once administered.

Which of the following would be considered a means to overcome pain management barriers?

Answer: Offline protocols

Offline protocols empower AEMTs to administer pain medications based on pre-approved guidelines without needing direct medical control contact for every case. This streamlines care, reduces delays, and allows for more timely pain relief in the field. Such protocols enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of prehospital pain management by providing clear, standing orders.

Which finding in an infant is a late sign of decompensated shock?

Answer: Hypotension

Infants maintain blood pressure through compensatory mechanisms for a long time; hypotension is a late and ominous sign indicating decompensated shock.

A patient is intubated and has bilateral breath sounds but high resistance when squeezing the BVM. The MOST likely cause is:

Answer: Bronchospasm or tension pneumothorax

High ventilation resistance with bilateral breath sounds suggests bronchospasm, severe asthma, or a tension pneumothorax compressing the airways.

What is the normal respiratory rate for a 2-year-old child?

Answer: 22–37 breaths/min

Normal respiratory rate for a toddler (1–3 years) is approximately 22–37 breaths per minute.

When performing a focused exam on a patient with isolated extremity trauma, the AEMT should assess for all of the following EXCEPT:

Answer: Pedal edema bilaterally

Pedal edema is a systemic finding associated with conditions like congestive heart failure, not acute localized extremity trauma; neurovascular status distal to the injury is the focus.

Intraosseous (IO) access delivers medications and fluids to which anatomical structure?

Answer: The medullary cavity of the bone, which connects to the venous circulation

IO needles enter the medullary cavity, which contains a non-collapsible venous network that rapidly delivers fluids and drugs into central circulation.

A child presents with a seal-bark cough, inspiratory stridor, and mild respiratory distress. This presentation is MOST consistent with:

Answer: Croup (laryngotracheobronchitis)

Croup produces the classic seal-bark cough and inspiratory stridor due to viral subglottic inflammation, typically in children aged 6 months to 3 years.

Which of the following physiologic changes in the elderly increases the risk of drug toxicity?

Answer: Decreased renal clearance and reduced hepatic metabolism

Aging reduces both kidney clearance and liver metabolism, causing drugs to accumulate to toxic levels more readily in elderly patients.

The OPQRST mnemonic is used by the AEMT when assessing:

Answer: A patient's pain or chief complaint

OPQRST (Onset, Provocation, Quality, Radiation, Severity, Time) systematically characterizes a patient's pain or presenting complaint.

Which of the following would be considered a contraindication to administering pain medication to a pediatric patient?

Answer: Glascow Coma Score

The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is a critical assessment tool used to evaluate a patient's level of consciousness. A low or declining GCS score indicates altered mental status, which is a significant contraindication for administering pain medications, especially opioids, to pediatric patients. Opioids can depress the central nervous system and respiratory drive, potentially worsening an already compromised neurological state and making it difficult to monitor changes in consciousness.