CCO First Aid and Emergency Response 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An inmate is having an anaphylactic reaction with throat swelling and difficulty breathing. The facility epinephrine auto-injector should be administered into the:
- Upper arm deltoid muscle
- Outer mid-thigh (Correct answer)
- Abdomen subcutaneously
- Buttock gluteal muscle
Correct answer: Outer mid-thigh
Epinephrine auto-injectors (e.g., EpiPen) are designed for administration into the outer mid-thigh for fastest absorption.
Question 2: A corrections officer responds to a cell where smoke is visible. Before entering to assist an inmate, the officer must first:
- Administer oxygen to the inmate through the door slot
- Ensure personal safety by confirming the scene is safe to enter (Correct answer)
- Begin chest compressions through the open door
- Attempt to extinguish the fire before calling for backup
Correct answer: Ensure personal safety by confirming the scene is safe to enter
Scene safety is always the first priority — entering an unsafe environment endangers both the officer and the inmate.
Question 3: When providing rescue breaths during CPR, each breath should be delivered over approximately:
- 3–4 seconds until the chest rises fully
- 1 second, enough to produce visible chest rise (Correct answer)
- Half a second at maximum pressure
- 2–3 seconds with the head tilted back fully
Correct answer: 1 second, enough to produce visible chest rise
Rescue breaths lasting about 1 second with visible chest rise minimize the risk of gastric inflation.
Question 4: An inmate with type 1 diabetes is found confused, diaphoretic, and trembling. Blood glucose reads 42 mg/dL. If the inmate is conscious and can swallow, the officer should:
- Administer insulin per standing order
- Give oral glucose gel or juice immediately (Correct answer)
- Place the inmate NPO and wait for medical staff
- Position the inmate supine and monitor closely
Correct answer: Give oral glucose gel or juice immediately
Conscious patients with hypoglycemia who can swallow should receive fast-acting oral carbohydrates to raise blood glucose.
Question 5: The chain of survival for cardiac arrest begins with early recognition. What is the SECOND link in the AHA adult chain of survival?
- Early defibrillation
- Activation of the emergency response system (calling for help) (Correct answer)
- Basic life support/CPR
- Advanced life support
Correct answer: Activation of the emergency response system (calling for help)
The AHA chain of survival proceeds: recognition → activation of emergency response → CPR → defibrillation → advanced care.
Question 6: A correctional officer witnesses an inmate collapse and confirms unresponsiveness. No AED is immediately available and the officer is alone. The recommended action is to:
- Go get the AED before starting CPR
- Begin CPR immediately and send another person for the AED (Correct answer)
- Wait 5 minutes to see if the inmate recovers spontaneously
- Perform rescue breaths only until the AED arrives
Correct answer: Begin CPR immediately and send another person for the AED
CPR should begin immediately; if alone, the officer should start CPR and call out for someone else to retrieve the AED.
Question 7: An inmate sustains a penetrating abdominal wound. The bowel is protruding through the wound. The officer should:
- Push the protruding bowel gently back into the abdomen
- Cover the wound with a moist sterile dressing and do not attempt to replace the bowel (Correct answer)
- Apply firm pressure directly on the protruding tissue
- Leave the wound uncovered to prevent infection from dressing materials
Correct answer: Cover the wound with a moist sterile dressing and do not attempt to replace the bowel
Eviscerated bowel must be covered with a moist sterile dressing — never pushed back, as this risks additional contamination and injury.
CCO First Aid and Emergency Response 4
An inmate is having an anaphylactic reaction with throat swelling and difficulty breathing.
The facility epinephrine auto-injector should be administered into the: