NSC Clinical Knowledge 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A 3-year-old child is found unresponsive and not breathing. You are alone. What should you do first?
- Call 911 immediately before doing anything else
- Give 2 minutes of CPR, then call 911 (Correct answer)
- Start an AED immediately
- Give 5 back blows in case of choking
Correct answer: Give 2 minutes of CPR, then call 911
For children, provide 2 minutes of CPR before leaving to call 911, as cardiac arrest in children is often respiratory in origin.
Question 2: Which sign indicates a tension pneumothorax in a trauma patient?
- Bilateral wheezing with equal breath sounds
- Tracheal deviation away from the injured side (Correct answer)
- Bradycardia with elevated blood pressure
- Pinpoint pupils and slow respirations
Correct answer: Tracheal deviation away from the injured side
Tension pneumothorax causes tracheal deviation away from the affected side due to air pressure pushing mediastinal structures.
Question 3: When using an AED on a victim with a pacemaker, what should you do?
- Do not use an AED on anyone with a pacemaker
- Place pads directly over the pacemaker for best conductivity
- Avoid placing pads directly over the pacemaker device (Correct answer)
- Use half the normal energy setting on the AED
Correct answer: Avoid placing pads directly over the pacemaker device
AED pads should be placed at least 1 inch away from an implanted pacemaker or defibrillator to avoid interference.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of applying a tourniquet to an extremity?
- To reduce swelling and inflammation after injury
- To stop life-threatening bleeding that cannot be controlled by direct pressure (Correct answer)
- To immobilize a fractured limb during transport
- To prevent infection in an open wound
Correct answer: To stop life-threatening bleeding that cannot be controlled by direct pressure
A tourniquet is applied to control severe, life-threatening arterial bleeding from an extremity when direct pressure is insufficient.
Question 5: A patient has burns covering both arms and the front of their torso. Using the Rule of Nines, what percentage of BSA is burned?
- 27%
- 36% (Correct answer)
- 45%
- 18%
Correct answer: 36%
Each arm = 9% (18% total) + front torso = 18%, totaling 36% BSA using the Rule of Nines.
Question 6: Which of the following is a classic sign of hypoglycemia?
- Slow onset with frequent urination and fruity breath
- Rapid onset with confusion, sweating, and shakiness (Correct answer)
- Gradual onset with excessive thirst and blurred vision
- Sudden onset with hypertension and flushed skin
Correct answer: Rapid onset with confusion, sweating, and shakiness
Hypoglycemia presents rapidly with altered mental status, diaphoresis, shakiness, and pallor due to low blood sugar.
Question 7: What is the most reliable way to confirm correct endotracheal tube placement?
- Listening for breath sounds bilaterally over the lungs
- Observing chest rise during ventilation
- Waveform capnography showing continuous CO2 detection (Correct answer)
- Checking the tube depth marking at the teeth
Correct answer: Waveform capnography showing continuous CO2 detection
Waveform capnography is the gold standard for confirming ET tube placement because it continuously detects exhaled CO2 from the lungs.
NSC Clinical Knowledge 3
A 3-year-old child is found unresponsive and not breathing.
You are alone.
What should you do first?