OEC Environmental Emergencies & Rescue Techniques 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A cold-water drowning victim is pulseless and apneic after 20 minutes of submersion. The OEC technician should:
- Declare the patient deceased and do not initiate resuscitation
- Begin CPR and treat for hypothermia, transporting immediately (Correct answer)
- Warm the patient to 32°C before initiating CPR
- Give rescue breaths only until the core temp rises
Correct answer: Begin CPR and treat for hypothermia, transporting immediately
Cold-water drowning victims can survive prolonged submersion due to the diving reflex and hypothermia's protective effect; resuscitation should begin and continue during transport.
Question 2: Which of the following is the hallmark early sign of heat stroke, distinguishing it from heat exhaustion?
- Heavy diaphoresis
- Muscle cramps in the legs
- Altered mental status (Correct answer)
- Nausea and vomiting
Correct answer: Altered mental status
Altered mental status (confusion, disorientation, or unconsciousness) is the defining feature of heat stroke and indicates CNS dysfunction.
Question 3: When packaging a patient for a toboggan evacuation on a ski slope, the patient's feet should be positioned:
- Uphill with the head at the rear of the toboggan
- Downhill so the patroller can monitor the airway (Correct answer)
- At whichever end allows for best spinal alignment
- Always at the left side of the toboggan
Correct answer: Downhill so the patroller can monitor the airway
Feet-downhill positioning allows the patroller pushing the toboggan to monitor the patient's face and airway during descent.
Question 4: A climber descends rapidly from 14,000 feet to base camp complaining of severe headache and ataxia. Fundoscopic exam would most likely reveal:
- Papilledema from increased intracranial pressure (Correct answer)
- Normal findings since symptoms are from descent
- Retinal hemorrhages consistent with HAPE
- Cataracts from UV exposure
Correct answer: Papilledema from increased intracranial pressure
High-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) causes increased intracranial pressure, which may produce papilledema on fundoscopic examination.
Question 5: During rope rescue operations, the load-to-haul ratio for a 3:1 mechanical advantage system theoretically reduces the input force required by:
- One-half
- One-third (Correct answer)
- One-quarter
- Two-thirds
Correct answer: One-third
A 3:1 mechanical advantage system means only one-third of the load weight is needed as input force, ignoring friction losses.
Question 6: A patient in a wilderness setting has been bitten by a pit viper. Which field intervention is CONTRAINDICATED?
- Keeping the bitten extremity below heart level
- Immobilizing the extremity with a splint
- Applying a tourniquet proximal to the bite (Correct answer)
- Removing constricting jewelry from the affected limb
Correct answer: Applying a tourniquet proximal to the bite
Tourniquets are contraindicated for pit viper envenomation because they concentrate venom, cause ischemia, and worsen tissue damage.
Question 7: Which sign differentiates immersion foot (trench foot) from frostbite?
- Immersion foot requires temperatures below freezing
- Immersion foot presents with tissue that is frozen solid
- Immersion foot results from prolonged wet-cold exposure above freezing temperatures (Correct answer)
- Immersion foot causes immediate numbness with no recovery potential
Correct answer: Immersion foot results from prolonged wet-cold exposure above freezing temperatures
Trench foot develops from prolonged exposure to cold, wet conditions above 0°C (32°F), unlike frostbite which requires subfreezing temperatures.
OEC Environmental Emergencies & Rescue Techniques 3
A cold-water drowning victim is pulseless and apneic after 20 minutes of submersion.
The OEC technician should: