EMD Trauma and Injury Scenarios 2

Question 1

A caller reports a motorcyclist struck a guardrail at highway speed. The patient is unresponsive but breathing. What is the FIRST priority instruction for bystanders?

Accepted Answer

Do not move the patient unless there is immediate danger

Answer

Spinal precautions require keeping the patient still unless there is an immediate life threat such as fire or traffic.

Question 2

During a call about a construction worker who fell 20 feet, the caller says the patient is conscious but cannot feel his legs. What should the EMD do?

Accepted Answer

Dispatch and instruct callers to keep the patient completely still

Answer

Loss of sensation below the injury level signals possible spinal cord damage, requiring strict immobilization.

Question 3

A caller describes a patient with a large laceration that is 'spurting bright red blood' from the upper thigh. Which pre-arrival instruction is MOST appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Instruct caller to apply a tourniquet 2 inches above the wound

Answer

Spurting bright red blood from the thigh indicates arterial hemorrhage; a tourniquet is the recommended intervention for extremity arterial bleeding.

Question 4

A child is reported to have been struck by a vehicle while riding a bicycle. The caller says the child is crying and holding her arm. What additional information is MOST critical for dispatch?

Accepted Answer

Whether the child lost consciousness at any point

Answer

Loss of consciousness following a vehicle impact indicates potential traumatic brain injury and escalates the response priority.

Question 5

A caller reports a stabbing victim with a knife still embedded in the abdomen. What pre-arrival instruction should the EMD give?

Accepted Answer

Instruct the caller NOT to remove the knife

Answer

Impaled objects should never be removed in the field because they may be tamponading a major vessel.

(EMD) Emergency Medical Dispatch Practice Test

(EMD) Emergency Medical Dispatch Practice Test

EMD Trauma and Injury Scenarios 2