CED CED Medical Dispatch Protocols 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What are Pre-Arrival Instructions (PAIs) in emergency dispatch?
- Instructions given to callers to assist a patient before responders arrive (Correct answer)
- Internal shift briefing notes for incoming dispatchers
- Post-call documentation forms
- Protocols for routing calls to the correct agency
Correct answer: Instructions given to callers to assist a patient before responders arrive
PAIs are life-safety instructions provided by the dispatcher to the caller so they can render immediate assistance while emergency units are en route.
Question 2: When guiding a caller through CPR, what compression rate should the dispatcher instruct?
- 100 to 120 compressions per minute (Correct answer)
- 60 to 80 compressions per minute
- 140 to 160 compressions per minute
- 50 compressions per minute
Correct answer: 100 to 120 compressions per minute
Current AHA and EMD guidelines recommend chest compressions at a rate of 100–120 per minute for effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Question 3: For a conscious adult choking victim, what pre-arrival instruction should a dispatcher provide?
- Instruct a bystander to perform abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver) (Correct answer)
- Tell the caller to lay the victim flat on the floor
- Advise the caller to give the victim water to drink
- Instruct the caller to perform rescue breathing
Correct answer: Instruct a bystander to perform abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver)
Abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver) are the recommended intervention for a conscious adult or child with a severe airway obstruction.
Question 4: Why is it important for a dispatcher to remain on the line with a caller during a medical emergency?
- To monitor patient status and provide ongoing instructions until responders arrive (Correct answer)
- To prevent the caller from contacting another agency
- To record the call for billing purposes
- To transfer the call directly to the hospital
Correct answer: To monitor patient status and provide ongoing instructions until responders arrive
Staying on the line allows the dispatcher to continuously assess patient condition, update responders, and guide the caller through any changing circumstances.
Question 5: Which stroke assessment tool guides pre-arrival instructions when a dispatcher suspects a caller's loved one is having a stroke?
- FAST (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) (Correct answer)
- SAMPLE (Signs, Allergies, Medications, Pertinent history, Last oral intake, Events)
- AVPU (Alert, Voice, Pain, Unresponsive)
- APGAR (Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration)
Correct answer: FAST (Face, Arms, Speech, Time)
The FAST acronym helps dispatchers and callers quickly identify stroke symptoms: facial drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty, and time of onset.
Question 6: Under which circumstance should a dispatcher generally NOT initiate CPR pre-arrival instructions?
- The patient is breathing normally and has a confirmed Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order (Correct answer)
- The patient is unconscious and not breathing
- The caller is uncertain whether the patient is breathing
- The patient's skin color has changed and they are unresponsive
Correct answer: The patient is breathing normally and has a confirmed Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order
A valid DNR order legally and ethically directs that resuscitation should not be attempted; a patient who is breathing normally also does not require CPR.
CED CED Medical Dispatch Protocols 2
What are Pre-Arrival Instructions (PAIs) in emergency dispatch?