EMT Airway Test Questions with Answers Rated A
1. Which of the following is the pre- B: Mouth-to-mask technique with supplemental oxy-
ferred initial method for providing gen
artificial ventilations to an apneic Reason:The preferred initial method for providing arti-
adult? ficial ventilations is the mouth-to-mask technique with
A: Two-person bag-valve-mask one-way valve and supplemental oxygen attached. Evi-
technique with 100% oxygen dence has shown that rescuers who ventilate patients in-
B: Mouth-to-mask technique with frequently have diflculty maintaining an adequate seal
supplemental oxygen with a bag-mask device. Because both of the rescuer's
C: One-person bag-valve-mask hands are freed up when using a pocket face mask,
technique with 100% oxygen it is easier to maintain an adequate seal, thus provid-
D: Flow-restricted, oxygen-pow- ing more ettective ventilations. Of course, if two res-
ered ventilation device cuers are available to manage the airway, the two-per-
son bag-mask device technique should be used. The
flow-restricted, oxygen-powered ventilation device, also
referred to as the manually-triggered ventilator or de-
mand valve, requires an oxygen source to function and
would thus not be practical as an initial device for pro-
viding artificial ventilations.
2. The MOST effective way to de- D:assessing the chest for adequate rise.
termine if you are providing ade- Reason:The goal of providing artificial ventilation is to
quate volume during artificial ven- provide adequate tidal volume to the patient so that
tilation is: enough oxygen is delivered to the lungs, and ultimately,
A:assessing the pulse for an im- the cells of the body. The most ettective way to determine
proving heart rate. if adequate tidal volume is being delivered is to watch
B:checking the skin for improve- for the chest to rise during each ventilation. Other signs
ment of cyanosis. of adequate artificial ventilation include improvement in
C:checking the pupils for in- skin color, the return of the heart rate to a normal range,
creased reactivity. and ensuring that you are ventilating the patient at the
D:assessing the chest for ade- appropriate rate. If the adult is apneic but has a pulse,
quate rise. provide 10 to 12 breaths/min. If the adult is apneic
and pulseless, provide 8 to 10 breaths/min after an
, EMT Airway Test Questions with Answers Rated A
advanced airway device (ie, ET tube, multilumen airway,
supraglottic airway) has been inserted.
3. Which of the following injuries B: Bleeding within the oral cavity
or conditions should be managed Reason: Any injury or condition that jeopardizes the air-
FIRST? way has priority over all else. If blood or other secre-
A:Fluid drainage from both ears tions within the mouth are not suctioned immediately,
B:Bleeding within the oral cavity aspiration may occur; this significantly increases mortal-
C:Bilateral fractures of the fe- ity. After securing a patent airway, control any external
murs bleeding. Ideally, you and your partner should treat air-
D:A large open abdominal wound way problems and external bleeding at the same time.
4. You are assessing a middle-aged B: assist his ventilations with a bag-mask device.
male who is experiencing respi- Reason:Your patient is NOT breathing adequately. He
ratory distress. The patient has is fatigued; has weak retractions; and labored, shallow
a history of emphysema and hy- breathing. If you do not treat him immediately, he may
pertension. He appears fatigued; stop breathing altogether. You should begin assisting
has weak retractions; and labored, his ventilations with a bag-mask device and high-flow
shallow breathing. Your MOST im- oxygen. After initiating ventilatory assistance, attach the
mediate action should be to: pulse oximeter to assess his oxygen saturation and aus-
A: administer oxygen with a non- cultate his breath sounds. A nonrebreathing mask is
rebreathing mask. appropriate for patients with diflculty breathing who are
B: assist his ventilations with a moving air adequately; this patient is not!
bag-mask device.
C: assess his oxygen saturation
with a pulse oximeter.
D: auscultate his breath sounds to
detect wheezing.
5. When ventilating an apneic pa- B: the lungs are diflcult to ventilate.
tient, you note decreased ventila- Reason: As it applies to artificial ventilation, compliance
tory compliance. This means that: is the ability of the lungs to expand during ventila-
, EMT Airway Test Questions with Answers Rated A
A: the upper airway is blocked. tion. Increased ventilatory compliance means that no
B: the lungs are difficult to venti- resistance is met when you ventilate the patient; you
late. can ventilate the lungs with ease. Decreased ventilato-
C: fluid is occupying the alveoli. ry compliance means that significant resistance is met
D: you meet no resistance when when you ventilate the patient; the lungs are diflcult
ventilating. to ventilate. Conditions such as upper airway obstruc-
tion, widespread bronchospasm, fluid in the alveoli (eg,
pulmonary edema), and COPD can all cause decreased
ventilatory compliance.
6. You are dispatched to a residence A: manually open her airway and suction her orophar-
for an elderly female who has pos- ynx.
sibly suffered a stroke. You find Reason: This patient's airway is in immediate jeopardy!
her lying supine in her bed. She is The first step in caring for any semi- or unconscious
semiconscious; has vomited; and patient is to manually open the airway (eg, head tilt-chin
has slow, irregular breathing. You lift, jaw-thrust) and ensure it is clear of obstructions or
should: secretions. Because the patient has vomited, she likely
A: manually open her airway and has vomitus in her mouth, which must be removed with
suction her oropharynx. suction before she aspirates it into her lungs. Mortality
B: Insert a nasal airway and begin increases significantly if aspiration occurs. After opening
assisting her breathing. her airway and removing any vomitus or secretions from
C: perform a head tilt-chin lift and her oropharynx with suction, you should insert an airway
insert an oral airway. adjunct (a nasal airway in this case; the patient is semi-
D: administer high-flow oxygen conscious and likely has an intact gag reflex) and begin
and place her on her side. assisting her breathing with a bag-mask device. Her
respiratory ettort is inadequate and should be treated
with some form of positive-pressure ventilation, not a
nonrebreathing mask. Placing a semi- or unconscious
patient on his or her side (recovery position) is only
appropriate if he or she is breathing adequately; this
patient is not.
, EMT Airway Test Questions with Answers Rated A
7. Which of the following processes B: The intercostal muscles and diaphragm both con-
occurs during inhalation? tract.
A: The diaphragm descends and Reason: During the active process of inhalation, the di-
the intercostal muscles relax. aphragm contracts, causing it to descend. This increases
B: The intercostal muscles and di- the vertical dimensions of the chest. At the same time,
aphragm both contract. the intercostal muscles (muscles between the ribs) con-
C: The diaphragm contracts and tract, increasing the horizontal dimensions of the chest.
the intercostal muscles relax. These two processes cause intrathoracic pressure to fall,
D: The intercostal muscles relax and air rushes in to fill the lungs. The drawing of air
and the diaphragm descends. into the lungs by the actions of these muscles is called
negative-pressure ventilation.
8. A 22-year-old man crashed his D: Carefully tilt his head back and lift up on his chin.
motorcycle into a tree. He is found Reason: Regardless of the situation, you MUST be able
approximately 20 feet away from to establish and maintain a patent airway. Without a
his bike and is responsive to pain patent airway, the patient will die. If you are unable
only. He is not wearing a helmet. to ettectively open a trauma patient's airway with the
You are unable to effectively open jaw-thrust maneuver, you should carefully perform the
his airway with the jaw-thrust ma- head tilt-chin lift maneuver. You cannot assess, not to
neuver. What should you do? mention treat, a patient's airway if it is not open and clear
A: Insert an oral airway and assess of secretions or foreign bodies.
his breathing.
B: Apply high-flow oxygen and as-
sess his carotid pulse.
C: Suction his oropharynx and
reattempt the jaw-thrust.
D: Carefully tilt his head back and
lift up on his chin.
9. If the level of CO2 in the arterial D: the respiratory rate and depth increase.
blood increases: Reason: Special receptors, called chemoreceptors,
A: the respiratory rate slows signif- sense the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the
1. Which of the following is the pre- B: Mouth-to-mask technique with supplemental oxy-
ferred initial method for providing gen
artificial ventilations to an apneic Reason:The preferred initial method for providing arti-
adult? ficial ventilations is the mouth-to-mask technique with
A: Two-person bag-valve-mask one-way valve and supplemental oxygen attached. Evi-
technique with 100% oxygen dence has shown that rescuers who ventilate patients in-
B: Mouth-to-mask technique with frequently have diflculty maintaining an adequate seal
supplemental oxygen with a bag-mask device. Because both of the rescuer's
C: One-person bag-valve-mask hands are freed up when using a pocket face mask,
technique with 100% oxygen it is easier to maintain an adequate seal, thus provid-
D: Flow-restricted, oxygen-pow- ing more ettective ventilations. Of course, if two res-
ered ventilation device cuers are available to manage the airway, the two-per-
son bag-mask device technique should be used. The
flow-restricted, oxygen-powered ventilation device, also
referred to as the manually-triggered ventilator or de-
mand valve, requires an oxygen source to function and
would thus not be practical as an initial device for pro-
viding artificial ventilations.
2. The MOST effective way to de- D:assessing the chest for adequate rise.
termine if you are providing ade- Reason:The goal of providing artificial ventilation is to
quate volume during artificial ven- provide adequate tidal volume to the patient so that
tilation is: enough oxygen is delivered to the lungs, and ultimately,
A:assessing the pulse for an im- the cells of the body. The most ettective way to determine
proving heart rate. if adequate tidal volume is being delivered is to watch
B:checking the skin for improve- for the chest to rise during each ventilation. Other signs
ment of cyanosis. of adequate artificial ventilation include improvement in
C:checking the pupils for in- skin color, the return of the heart rate to a normal range,
creased reactivity. and ensuring that you are ventilating the patient at the
D:assessing the chest for ade- appropriate rate. If the adult is apneic but has a pulse,
quate rise. provide 10 to 12 breaths/min. If the adult is apneic
and pulseless, provide 8 to 10 breaths/min after an
, EMT Airway Test Questions with Answers Rated A
advanced airway device (ie, ET tube, multilumen airway,
supraglottic airway) has been inserted.
3. Which of the following injuries B: Bleeding within the oral cavity
or conditions should be managed Reason: Any injury or condition that jeopardizes the air-
FIRST? way has priority over all else. If blood or other secre-
A:Fluid drainage from both ears tions within the mouth are not suctioned immediately,
B:Bleeding within the oral cavity aspiration may occur; this significantly increases mortal-
C:Bilateral fractures of the fe- ity. After securing a patent airway, control any external
murs bleeding. Ideally, you and your partner should treat air-
D:A large open abdominal wound way problems and external bleeding at the same time.
4. You are assessing a middle-aged B: assist his ventilations with a bag-mask device.
male who is experiencing respi- Reason:Your patient is NOT breathing adequately. He
ratory distress. The patient has is fatigued; has weak retractions; and labored, shallow
a history of emphysema and hy- breathing. If you do not treat him immediately, he may
pertension. He appears fatigued; stop breathing altogether. You should begin assisting
has weak retractions; and labored, his ventilations with a bag-mask device and high-flow
shallow breathing. Your MOST im- oxygen. After initiating ventilatory assistance, attach the
mediate action should be to: pulse oximeter to assess his oxygen saturation and aus-
A: administer oxygen with a non- cultate his breath sounds. A nonrebreathing mask is
rebreathing mask. appropriate for patients with diflculty breathing who are
B: assist his ventilations with a moving air adequately; this patient is not!
bag-mask device.
C: assess his oxygen saturation
with a pulse oximeter.
D: auscultate his breath sounds to
detect wheezing.
5. When ventilating an apneic pa- B: the lungs are diflcult to ventilate.
tient, you note decreased ventila- Reason: As it applies to artificial ventilation, compliance
tory compliance. This means that: is the ability of the lungs to expand during ventila-
, EMT Airway Test Questions with Answers Rated A
A: the upper airway is blocked. tion. Increased ventilatory compliance means that no
B: the lungs are difficult to venti- resistance is met when you ventilate the patient; you
late. can ventilate the lungs with ease. Decreased ventilato-
C: fluid is occupying the alveoli. ry compliance means that significant resistance is met
D: you meet no resistance when when you ventilate the patient; the lungs are diflcult
ventilating. to ventilate. Conditions such as upper airway obstruc-
tion, widespread bronchospasm, fluid in the alveoli (eg,
pulmonary edema), and COPD can all cause decreased
ventilatory compliance.
6. You are dispatched to a residence A: manually open her airway and suction her orophar-
for an elderly female who has pos- ynx.
sibly suffered a stroke. You find Reason: This patient's airway is in immediate jeopardy!
her lying supine in her bed. She is The first step in caring for any semi- or unconscious
semiconscious; has vomited; and patient is to manually open the airway (eg, head tilt-chin
has slow, irregular breathing. You lift, jaw-thrust) and ensure it is clear of obstructions or
should: secretions. Because the patient has vomited, she likely
A: manually open her airway and has vomitus in her mouth, which must be removed with
suction her oropharynx. suction before she aspirates it into her lungs. Mortality
B: Insert a nasal airway and begin increases significantly if aspiration occurs. After opening
assisting her breathing. her airway and removing any vomitus or secretions from
C: perform a head tilt-chin lift and her oropharynx with suction, you should insert an airway
insert an oral airway. adjunct (a nasal airway in this case; the patient is semi-
D: administer high-flow oxygen conscious and likely has an intact gag reflex) and begin
and place her on her side. assisting her breathing with a bag-mask device. Her
respiratory ettort is inadequate and should be treated
with some form of positive-pressure ventilation, not a
nonrebreathing mask. Placing a semi- or unconscious
patient on his or her side (recovery position) is only
appropriate if he or she is breathing adequately; this
patient is not.
, EMT Airway Test Questions with Answers Rated A
7. Which of the following processes B: The intercostal muscles and diaphragm both con-
occurs during inhalation? tract.
A: The diaphragm descends and Reason: During the active process of inhalation, the di-
the intercostal muscles relax. aphragm contracts, causing it to descend. This increases
B: The intercostal muscles and di- the vertical dimensions of the chest. At the same time,
aphragm both contract. the intercostal muscles (muscles between the ribs) con-
C: The diaphragm contracts and tract, increasing the horizontal dimensions of the chest.
the intercostal muscles relax. These two processes cause intrathoracic pressure to fall,
D: The intercostal muscles relax and air rushes in to fill the lungs. The drawing of air
and the diaphragm descends. into the lungs by the actions of these muscles is called
negative-pressure ventilation.
8. A 22-year-old man crashed his D: Carefully tilt his head back and lift up on his chin.
motorcycle into a tree. He is found Reason: Regardless of the situation, you MUST be able
approximately 20 feet away from to establish and maintain a patent airway. Without a
his bike and is responsive to pain patent airway, the patient will die. If you are unable
only. He is not wearing a helmet. to ettectively open a trauma patient's airway with the
You are unable to effectively open jaw-thrust maneuver, you should carefully perform the
his airway with the jaw-thrust ma- head tilt-chin lift maneuver. You cannot assess, not to
neuver. What should you do? mention treat, a patient's airway if it is not open and clear
A: Insert an oral airway and assess of secretions or foreign bodies.
his breathing.
B: Apply high-flow oxygen and as-
sess his carotid pulse.
C: Suction his oropharynx and
reattempt the jaw-thrust.
D: Carefully tilt his head back and
lift up on his chin.
9. If the level of CO2 in the arterial D: the respiratory rate and depth increase.
blood increases: Reason: Special receptors, called chemoreceptors,
A: the respiratory rate slows signif- sense the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the
