EMD - Emergency Medical Dispatch Dispatch Life Support Instructions Questions and Answers

Question 1

A caller reports a 3-year-old child is choking on a small toy.
The child is conscious but not making any sounds and appears to be turning blue.
According to Dispatch Life Support (DLS) protocols, which set of instructions is most appropriate for the EMD to provide?

Accepted Answer

Instructions for a combination of back blows and chest thrusts.

Answer

Instructions for adult abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver).

Answer

Advise the caller to perform a blind finger sweep of the child's mouth.

Answer

Tell the caller to lay the child down and begin chest compressions immediately.

Question 2

Which of the following best distinguishes Pre-Arrival Instructions (PAIs) from Post-Dispatch Instructions (PDIs)?

Accepted Answer

PAIs are for life-threatening emergencies like choking or cardiac arrest, while PDIs are general safety instructions for most chief complaints.

Answer

PDIs are given before dispatching units, while PAIs are given after.

Answer

PDIs are always optional for the caller to follow, whereas PAIs are mandatory.

Answer

PAIs focus on gathering patient information, while PDIs focus on providing medical treatment.

Question 3

An EMD is providing CPR instructions to a caller for an adult patient in cardiac arrest. The caller is untrained and hesitant to perform mouth-to-mouth ventilations. What is the EMD's best course of action based on current DLS standards?

Accepted Answer

Instruct the caller to perform chest compressions only.

Answer

Insist that ventilations are essential and refuse to provide further instructions until the caller agrees.

Answer

Terminate the call and wait for responders to arrive on the scene.

Answer

Tell the caller to find a bystander who is willing to perform ventilations.

Question 4

During a call for an imminent childbirth, the caller, who is with the mother, exclaims that the baby's head is crowning. Which of the following is a critical instruction the EMD must provide from the scripted protocol?

Accepted Answer

Instruct the caller to support the baby's head and tell the mother to pant and take short, quick breaths.

Answer

Tell the mother to push as hard as she can to speed up the delivery.

Answer

Instruct the caller to pull on the baby's shoulders as soon as they appear.

Answer

Advise the caller to find a sterile clamp to cut the umbilical cord immediately.

Question 5

The 'Emergency Rule' in emergency medical dispatch allows for the suspension of certain DLS instructions under specific circumstances. However, this rule NEVER applies to which set of critical events?

Accepted Answer

Cardiac/Respiratory Arrest, Choking, and Childbirth.

Answer

Falls, fractures, and minor bleeding.

Answer

Seizures, diabetic problems, and allergic reactions.

Answer

Traffic collisions, assaults, and sick persons.

Question 6

A caller reports a severe arterial bleed from a deep laceration on a person's arm. After dispatching units, what is the MOST critical DLS instruction the EMD should provide?

Accepted Answer

Tell the caller to elevate the arm and apply firm, direct pressure to the wound with a clean cloth.

Answer

Ask the caller to find a cloth and begin cleaning the wound immediately.

Answer

Instruct the caller to apply a tourniquet using a belt just above the wound.

Answer

Advise the caller to give the patient aspirin to prevent clotting.