Environmental Emergencies Flashcards
7 cards from real NREMT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Environmental Emergencies flashcards as text
An avalanche victim found buried for 45 minutes presents in cardiac arrest. According to avalanche rescue guidelines, which factor is MOST important in determining whether to initiate CPR?
Answer: Whether the airway is patent or packed with ice and snow
In avalanche burial, an airway packed with ice indicates asphyxiation as the cause of death, making survival unlikely; a clear or clearable airway suggests hypothermic cardiac arrest, warranting aggressive resuscitation.
A patient has multiple jellyfish stings to the legs with tentacles still visible on the skin. What is the correct initial treatment sequence?
Answer: Apply vinegar to deactivate unfired nematocysts, then scrape off tentacles without rubbing
Vinegar (acetic acid) deactivates unfired nematocysts before tentacle removal; tentacles are then scraped rather than rubbed off to prevent further discharge; fresh water and rubbing cause nematocysts to fire, worsening envenomation.
A lightning strike victim is unconscious and apneic but has a strong palpable carotid pulse. What is the correct immediate intervention?
Answer: Open the airway and provide rescue breathing
A lightning victim with a pulse but no respirations has respiratory arrest, not cardiac arrest; rescue breathing addresses the presenting deficit without unnecessary chest compressions.
Which set of findings is most consistent with severe (profound) hypothermia?
Answer: Absence of shivering, muscle rigidity, fixed and dilated pupils, and undetectable vital signs
Severe hypothermia is characterized by cessation of shivering, muscle rigidity, fixed dilated pupils, and absent vital signs; the patient may appear dead but remains potentially resuscitable.
An EMT is treating a patient bitten by a rattlesnake on the lower leg 30 minutes ago. Which intervention is CONTRAINDICATED in prehospital snakebite management?
Answer: Incising the wound and applying suction to extract venom
Incision and suction is contraindicated as it removes negligible venom, risks infection, causes additional tissue damage, and delays transport to definitive antivenom therapy.
After rescuing an unconscious cold water submersion victim who is now breathing spontaneously, in which position should the patient be placed during transport?
Answer: Left lateral recumbent (recovery position)
The recovery (left lateral recumbent) position maintains airway patency and facilitates drainage of water or vomitus in an unconscious patient who is breathing spontaneously.
A patient is found unresponsive in a closed garage with a running vehicle. After confirming scene safety, what is the FIRST action for the responding EMT?
Answer: Remove the patient from the toxic environment immediately
Removing the patient from the carbon monoxide-filled environment is the immediate priority; continued exposure is life-threatening to both the patient and rescuers who remain inside.