Emergency Procedures & Response Flashcards
7 cards from real AP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Emergency Procedures & Response flashcards as text
A pregnant patient in her third trimester develops sudden severe headache, blurred vision, and right upper quadrant pain during an acupuncture session. Which emergency condition must be considered?
Answer: Preeclampsia or HELLP syndrome requiring immediate emergency referral
Severe headache, visual disturbances, and right upper quadrant pain in a third-trimester patient are classic warning signs of severe preeclampsia or HELLP syndrome, both obstetric emergencies.
A patient inadvertently receives a needle near the carotid artery at ST 9 and develops rapidly expanding neck swelling with stridor. The priority action is:
Answer: Call 911 immediately — the expanding hematoma may obstruct the airway
An expanding cervical hematoma can rapidly compress and obstruct the airway; this is an immediate life-threatening emergency requiring EMS activation.
What is the correct protocol when a patient with an implanted spinal cord stimulator presents for acupuncture?
Answer: Avoid electrical stimulation and needling near the device; consult with the patient's physician
Electrical stimulation near a spinal cord stimulator can cause device malfunction or patient harm; physician consultation and avoidance of e-stim is required.
A child accidentally ingests moxa herb from the treatment room. Which action is most appropriate?
Answer: Contact Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) and follow their guidance
Poison Control should always be contacted first for pediatric ingestions; they provide current, evidence-based guidance on whether intervention is needed.
A patient with known epilepsy has a grand mal seizure lasting more than 5 minutes in the clinic. This is termed:
Answer: Status epilepticus — an emergency requiring 911 activation
A tonic-clonic seizure lasting more than 5 minutes constitutes status epilepticus, a neurological emergency with significant morbidity requiring immediate EMS.
When documenting an adverse event after an acupuncture emergency, which detail is LEAST critical in the incident report?
Answer: Whether the patient paid for the session
Billing information is irrelevant to clinical incident documentation; needle specifics, timeline, and clinical responses are all essential for medicolegal and quality improvement purposes.
A new practitioner is treating a patient and accidentally breaks a glass cupping jar near the patient's face. Small glass fragments may have contacted the eye. The FIRST action should be:
Answer: Irrigate the eye continuously with clean water or saline and seek emergency ophthalmology evaluation
Copious irrigation is the immediate first aid for eye exposure to foreign material; embedded glass fragments require urgent ophthalmological evaluation.