Emergency Procedures & Response Flashcards
7 cards from real CHS 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
When a patient requires emergency treatment for arterial gas embolism following scuba diving, the preferred initial treatment table is:
Answer: USN Treatment Table 6
USN Treatment Table 6 is the standard first-line treatment for arterial gas embolism and serious decompression sickness, providing oxygen at 60 fsw with extensions as needed.
Which physiological response is most dangerous if it occurs during rapid chamber decompression in an emergency?
Answer: Pulmonary overinflation injury
Rapid decompression can cause pulmonary overinflation injury (pulmonary barotrauma) if expanding gas cannot escape the lungs fast enough, leading to pneumothorax or arterial gas embolism.
A hyperbaric oxygen patient on a ventilator requires volume-controlled ventilation. As the chamber is compressed, tidal volume delivery from the ventilator will:
Answer: Decrease proportionally with absolute pressure
In volume-controlled mode, the ventilator delivers a set volume at ambient conditions, but the actual volume delivered to the lungs decreases as pressure increases due to gas compression.
What is the appropriate response when a patient on continuous oxygen therapy exhibits lip twitching and facial muscle fasciculations during treatment?
Answer: Switch to air breathing immediately and notify the physician
Facial twitching and fasciculations are prodromal signs of CNS oxygen toxicity (Paul Bert effect); switching to air immediately can abort progression to a full seizure.
During a hyperbaric treatment for a diabetic foot wound, a patient's blood glucose drops to 45 mg/dL. The safest immediate intervention is:
Answer: Continue treatment and administer IV dextrose through the pass-through port
Mild to moderate hypoglycemia during HBO can be managed by passing dextrose through the IV port while maintaining treatment, provided the patient is conscious and stable.
The NOAA oxygen toxicity unit limit (OTU) for a single hyperbaric treatment session should not exceed:
Answer: 615 OTU
The single-session OTU limit is 615, with a daily limit of 850 OTU, to protect against pulmonary oxygen toxicity (the Lorrain Smith effect).
A chamber operator discovers that the intercom system has failed during a treatment. The most appropriate action is:
Answer: Use a backup communication method and notify supervision
A backup communication system should be activated and the situation reported to supervisory staff; loss of intercom alone does not automatically require emergency decompression.