Emergency Response & Transport Flashcards
7 cards from real EMS 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 Response & Transport flashcards as text
Which factor has the GREATEST impact on ambulance response time outcomes for cardiac arrest survival?
Answer: Time from call receipt to first defibrillation
Early defibrillation is the single most time-sensitive intervention in cardiac arrest, with survival rates dropping approximately 10% per minute without it.
A patient transported by air medical helicopter should be moved how far from the landing zone before the helicopter lands?
Answer: 100 feet or more
Personnel and bystanders should be at least 100 feet from the landing zone to avoid rotor wash debris and tail rotor hazards.
During a call, your partner begins exhibiting signs of acute stress reaction. Your BEST action is to:
Answer: Immediately remove them from patient care duties if safe to do so and request backup
An impaired crew member must be relieved of duties as soon as safely possible to protect the patient and prevent further harm to the provider.
The 'load and go' vs. 'stay and play' transport decision for a trauma patient is PRIMARILY based on:
Answer: Mechanism of injury and time sensitivity of needed interventions
Time-critical injuries such as internal hemorrhage, tension pneumothorax, and traumatic brain injury require rapid transport over on-scene ALS interventions.
What is the recommended safe following distance for an ambulance traveling at highway speeds in good weather?
Answer: 4 seconds of travel time behind the vehicle ahead
A minimum 4-second following distance at speed gives the driver adequate reaction and braking time to avoid rear-end collisions.
When documenting a refusal of care, which element is MOST critical to include in the PCR?
Answer: Confirmation that the patient was informed of the risks of refusal and demonstrated decision-making capacity
A valid refusal requires that the patient understood the potential consequences and had the mental capacity to make an informed decision — both must be documented.
Which action by the EMS crew BEST reduces the risk of ambulance collisions during emergency response?
Answer: Slowing at all intersections and verifying clearance before proceeding
Intersection crashes represent the majority of fatal ambulance accidents, making controlled intersection crossing the highest-impact collision prevention behavior.