Respiratory Emergencies & Oxygen Delivery Flashcards
6 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 6 Respiratory Emergencies & Oxygen Delivery flashcards as text
Tension pneumothorax is differentiated from simple pneumothorax by which additional finding?
Answer: Hemodynamic compromise: tachycardia, hypotension, JVD, and tracheal deviation
Tension pneumothorax adds hemodynamic compromise — tachycardia, hypotension, JVD (jugular vein distention), and tracheal deviation away from the affected side — to the simple pneumothorax findings, because rising pressure collapses the heart and great vessels.
A patient in respiratory failure with SpO2 of 78% is not breathing adequately despite high-flow oxygen. The most appropriate intervention is:
Answer: Positive pressure ventilation with bag-valve-mask
Positive pressure ventilation (PPV) with BVM is indicated for respiratory failure — when passive oxygen delivery is insufficient and the patient cannot maintain adequate oxygenation or ventilation spontaneously.
When ventilating an adult patient with a BVM, the recommended tidal volume is:
Answer: 400-600 mL — just enough to produce visible chest rise
BVM tidal volume should be 400-600 mL for adults — just enough to cause visible chest rise. Over-ventilation (large volumes or excessive rate) causes gastric inflation and is associated with worse outcomes.
A patient is breathing at 8 breaths per minute with shallow, inadequate tidal volume. The EMT should:
Answer: Assist ventilations with BVM synchronized to the patient's breaths
A respiratory rate of 8 with shallow breathing constitutes inadequate ventilation. Assisted BVM ventilation (synchronized with the patient's own efforts) is appropriate to augment tidal volume and improve oxygenation.
Which of the following patients is the BEST candidate for a nasal cannula rather than a non-rebreather mask?
Answer: A patient with mild shortness of breath and SpO2 of 94% on room air
A patient with mild symptoms and near-normal SpO2 (94%) needs only low-flow supplemental oxygen via nasal cannula. Higher-FiO2 devices are reserved for patients with more significant hypoxemia.
Which of the following is a contraindication to using a nasopharyngeal airway (NPA)?
Answer: Suspected basilar skull fracture
A suspected basilar skull fracture is a contraindication to NPA insertion because the NPA could pass through the fracture into the cranial vault, causing severe brain injury. A mild gag reflex actually suggests NPA over OPA.