EMD Chief Complaint Protocol Usage 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A caller reports a patient with chest pain that started two hours ago. Before any other questions, the EMD should:
- Confirm the patient's age and gender
- Determine if the patient is conscious and breathing (Correct answer)
- Ask whether the pain radiates to the arm
- Ask if the patient takes nitroglycerin
Correct answer: Determine if the patient is conscious and breathing
Consciousness and breathing status must be confirmed immediately to determine if the case requires a life-threat response.
Question 2: The caller reports 'my neighbor is acting violent and threatening people.' Which protocol should the EMD select?
- Sick Person
- Behavioral/Psychiatric Disorder (Correct answer)
- Assault/Sexual Assault
- Unknown Problem
Correct answer: Behavioral/Psychiatric Disorder
Violent or threatening behavior is addressed by the Behavioral/Psychiatric Disorder protocol.
Question 3: Which scenario would lead an EMD to use the Choking protocol rather than the Breathing Problems protocol?
- Patient has a history of asthma and is wheezing
- Patient inhaled a foreign object and cannot speak (Correct answer)
- Patient has shortness of breath after climbing stairs
- Patient reports a tight feeling in the chest
Correct answer: Patient inhaled a foreign object and cannot speak
Airway obstruction from a foreign object with inability to speak indicates choking, which has its own specific protocol.
Question 4: A caller says her son 'took too many pills on purpose.' The primary protocol to use is:
- Overdose/Poisoning (Correct answer)
- Behavioral/Psychiatric Disorder
- Sick Person
- Unconscious/Fainting
Correct answer: Overdose/Poisoning
Intentional ingestion of medications is handled under the Overdose/Poisoning protocol, which covers both intentional and accidental exposures.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes 'Protocol Compliance' in EMD?
- Following legal regulations for EMS documentation
- Adhering strictly to the approved scripted questions and determinant codes (Correct answer)
- Matching dispatch units to call volume
- Updating protocols annually
Correct answer: Adhering strictly to the approved scripted questions and determinant codes
Protocol compliance means using the approved scripted questions and coding system without deviation to ensure consistent, safe call processing.
Question 6: A caller reports a 70-year-old woman who is confused, has a fever, and is not acting like herself. The MOST appropriate protocol is:
- Sick Person (Correct answer)
- Stroke (CVA)
- Fever
- Unconscious/Fainting
Correct answer: Sick Person
When no single dominant chief complaint emerges and the patient is conscious with general illness symptoms, the Sick Person protocol is most appropriate.
Question 7: A caller says 'there's a car crash and someone is trapped.' The EMD should immediately select which protocol?
- Traumatic Injury
- Vehicle Accident/MVC (Correct answer)
- Burns/Explosion
- Falls
Correct answer: Vehicle Accident/MVC
Motor Vehicle Crash (MVC) involving entrapment is handled under the Vehicle Accident protocol, which includes specific questions about entrapment and hazards.
EMD Chief Complaint Protocol Usage 3
A caller reports a patient with chest pain that started two hours ago.
Before any other questions, the EMD should: