NREMT Practice Test
Bank
(2026 Expert-Verified Final
Exam Q & A )
Latest Updated Version
(A+ Guaranteed )
,Hypoglycemia and acute ischemic stroke can present • A:both oxygen and glucose are needed for brain function.
similarly because:
Reason: Although stroke and hypoglycemia are two distinctly different conditions,
• A:both oxygen and glucose are needed for brain function. their signs and symptoms are often similar. This is because the brain requires both
• B:the majority of stroke patients have a history of oxygen and glucose to function normally. An acute ischemic stroke is caused by a
diabetes. lack of oxygen to a part of the brain due to a blocked cerebral artery, whereas
• C:the most common cause of a stroke is hypoglycemia. hypoglycemia (low blood glucose level) deprives the entire brain of glucose. In
• D:they are both caused by low levels of glucose in the either case, the patient presents with signs of impaired brain function (ie, slurred
blood. speech, weakness, altered mental status). Both conditions may lead to permanent
brain damage or death if not treated promptly.
When dealing with an emotionally disturbed patient, you You selected C; This is correct!
should be MOST concerned with:
• A:gathering all of the patient's medications. Reason: When managing any patient with an emotional or psychiatric crisis, your
• B:safely transporting to the hospital. primary concern is your own safety. Safely transporting the patient to the hospital is
• C:whether the patient could harm you. your ultimate goal. If possible, you should attempt to obtain a medical history and
• D:obtaining a complete medical history. should take any of the patient's prescribed medications to the hospital. However,
this should not supercede your own safety or interfere with safely transporting the
patient.
You are at the scene where a man panicked while You selected B; This is correct!
swimming in a small lake. Your initial attempt to rescue him
should include: Reason: General rules to follow when attempting to rescue a patient from the water
• A:rowing a small raft to the victim. include "reach, throw, row, and then go." In this case, you should attempt to reach
• B:reaching for the victim with a long stick. the victim by having him grab hold of a large stick or similar object. If this is
• C:throwing a rope to the victim. unsuccessful, throw the victim a rope or flotation device (if available). If these are
• D:swimming to the victim to rescue him. not available, row to the patient in a small raft (if available). Going into the water to
retrieve the victim is a last resort. The rescuer must be a strong swimmer because
patients who are in danger of drowning are in a state of blind panic and will make
every attempt to keep themselves afloat, even if it means forcing the rescuer
underwater.
How should you classify a patient's nature of illness if he or The correct answer is B;
she has a low blood glucose level, bizarre behavior, and
shallow breathing? Reason: The nature of illness (NOI) is the medical equivalent to mechanism of
• A:Behavioral emergency injury (MOI). Altered mental status should be the suspected NOI in any patient with
• B:Altered mental status any fluctuation in level of consciousness, which can range from bizarre behavior to
• C:Respiratory emergency complete unresponsiveness. Causes of an altered mental status include hypo- or
• D:Cardiac compromise hyperglycemia, head trauma, stroke, behavioral crises, drug overdose, and shock,
among others.
A young female is unresponsive after overdosing on an The correct answer is C;
unknown type of drug. Her respirations are slow and
shallow and her pulse is slow and weak. Which of the Reason: Of the drugs listed, cocaine would be the least likely cause of the patient's
following drugs is the LEAST likely cause of her condition? condition. Cocaine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant; you would expect
• A:Seconal her to be hypertensive, tachycardic, tachypneic, and perhaps even violent. Heroin,
• B:Heroin Valium, and Seconal are all CNS depressants and could explain her condition.
• C:Cocaine Heroin is an illegal narcotic (opiate), Valium is a benzodiazepine sedative-hypnotic
• D:Valium drug, and Seconal is a barbiturate. Narcotics, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates
are all CNS depressants. When taken in excess, they cause a decreased level of
consciousness, respiratory depression, bradycardia, and hypotension.
Activated charcoal is contraindicated for a patient who is: You selected D; This is correct!
• A:conscious and alert and has ingested a large amount of
Motrin. Reason:Activated charcoal adsorbs (sticks to) many ingested substances,
• B:emotionally upset and has ingested two bottles of preventing them from being absorbed into the body by the stomach or intestines. In
aspirin. some cases, you may give activated charcoal to patients who have ingested certain
• C:agitated and claims to have ingested a bottle of substances, if approved by medical control or local protocol. Activated charcoal is
Tylenol. contraindicated for patients who have ingested an acid or alkali (ie, drain cleaner) or
• D:awake and alert and has swallowed a commercial a petroleum product (ie, gasoline), who have a decreased level of consciousness
drain cleaner. and cannot protect their own airway, or who are unable to swallow.
2026
,The MOST obvious way to reduce heat loss from radiation you selected D; This is correct!
and convection is to:
• A:move away from a cold object. Reason:In a cold environment, the body has two ways of staying warm: generating
• B:increase metabolism by shivering. heat (thermogenesis) and reducing heat loss. Radiation is the transfer of heat by
• C:wear a thick wind-proof jacket. radiant energy. The body can lose heat by radiation, such as when a person stands
• D:move to a warmer environment. in a cold room. Convection occurs when heat is transferred to circulating air, as
when cool air moves across the body's surface. A person standing in windy cold
weather, wearing lightweight clothing, is losing heat to the environment mostly by
convection. The quickest and most obvious way to decrease heat loss from
radiation and convection is to move out of the cold environment and seek shelter
from wind. Shivering increases the body's metabolism and is a mechanism for
generating heat, not reducing heat loss. Layers of clothing trap air and provide
excellent insulation; thus, layered clothing decreases heat loss better than a single,
thick jacket. Conduction is the direct transfer of heat from a part of the body to a
colder object by direct contact, as when a warm hand touches cold metal or ice. The
most obvious way to decrease heat loss by conduction is to remove your hand from
the cold object.
A near-drowning is MOST accurately defined as: You selected C; This is correct!
• A:complications within 24 hours following submersion in
water. Reason:Collectively, drowning and near-drowning are referred to as submersion
• B:immediate death due to prolonged submersion in injuries. Drowning is defined as death after submersion in a liquid medium, usually
water. water. In a drowning, death is either immediate or occurs within 24 hours following
• C:survival for at least 24 hours following submersion in submersion. Near-drowning is defined as survival, at least temporarily (24 hours),
water. after submersion. It should be noted, however, that complications such as
• D:death greater than 24 hours following submersion in pneumonia and pulmonary edema can cause death greater than 24 hours following
water. submersion. For this reason, all patients with a submersion injury should be
transported to the hospital, even if they appear fine at the scene.
A young woman reports significant weight loss over the You selected B; This is correct!
last month, persistent fever, and night sweats. When you
assess her, you note the presence of dark purple lesions Reason:Weight loss, fever, and night sweats could indicate tuberculosis or
covering her trunk and upper extremities. You should HIV/AIDS; however, the dark purple lesions on the skin, which are called Kaposi's
suspect: sarcoma, are malignant skin tumors and are a classic finding in patients in the later
• A:end-stage cancer. stages of AIDS.
• B:HIV/AIDS.
• C:tuberculosis.
• D:rheumatic fever.
A 48-year-old male became acutely hypoxic, experienced You selected C; This is correct!
a seizure, and is now postictal. The MOST effective way to
prevent another seizure is to: Reason:You should administer high-flow oxygen to all patients who are actively
• A:dim the lights in the back of the ambulance. seizing and to patients who experienced a seizure and are postictal. This is
• B:place him in the recovery position. especially true if the seizure was caused by hypoxia. Increasing the oxygen content
• C:administer high-flow supplemental oxygen. of the blood, which minimizes hypoxia, may prevent another seizure. The recovery
• D:give him oral glucose if he can swallow. position is appropriate for uninjured patients with a decreased level of
consciousness and adequate breathing; it will help maintain the airway and facilitate
drainage of secretions from the mouth, but will not prevent another seizure. Oral
glucose may prevent another seizure if hypoglycemia was the cause of the seizure.
You should dim the lights in the back of the ambulance to help prevent any seizure,
not just those that are caused by hypoxia.
Which of the following conditions would be the LEAST You selected C; This is correct!
likely to be present in a patient who was submerged in
water? Reason: Many factors can contribute to or result from a submersion injury (eg,
• A:Spinal injury drowning, near-drowning). It is not uncommon for a person to experience a spinal
• B:Gastric distention injury after diving head first into shallow water, especially if he or she is under the
• C:Hyperglycemia influence of alcohol. When a swimmer panics, he or she initially swallows large
• D:Laryngospasm amounts of water, resulting in gastric distention. Gastric distention can cause
aspiration if the patient regurgitates water during rescue breathing; protect the
airway! During the panic phase, the victim expends a tremendous amount of energy
(and glucose) from flailing around in the water, possibly resulting in hypoglycemia.
Inhaling even a small amount of fresh or salt water can severely irritate the larynx,
which sends the muscles of the larynx and vocal cords into spasm (laryngospasm),
resulting in airway blockage and hypoxia.
2026
, A 42-year-old male presents with fever, a severe You selected C; This is correct!
headache, and a stiff neck. He is conscious, but confused.
His wife tells you that he does not have any medical Reason:Meningitis is an inflammation of the protective coverings of the brain and
problems and does not take any medications. You should spinal cord (meninges). Common signs and symptoms of meningitis include fever,
be MOST suspicious for: headache, neck stiffness (nuchal rigidity), and vomiting. An altered mental status is
• A:acute stroke. common in severe cases. Meningococcal meningitis, caused by a bacterium, is the
• B:influenza. most contagious and potentially fatal type of meningitis. The patient's signs and
• C:meningitis. symptoms are not consistent with acute stroke, tuberculosis (TB), or influenza (the
• D:tuberculosis. flu). Although fever is common with both TB and the flu, neither causes neck
( stiffness. Acute stroke may be associated with a headache, especially a
hemorrhagic stroke; however, stroke patients typically do not have a fever.
All of the following are signs of gastrointestinal bleeding, You selected D; This is correct!
EXCEPT: Reason:Signs and symptoms of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding include abdominal
• A:melena. pain; vomiting blood (hematemesis); the passage of dark, tarry stools (melena); and
• B:hematemesis. bright red rectal bleeding (hematochezia). If blood loss is significant, the patient may
• C:tachycardia. have signs of shock (eg, tachycardia, diaphoresis, tachypnea, hypotension).
• D:hemoptysis. Hemoptysis (coughing up blood) is a sign of a pulmonary injury, not GI bleeding.
A 24-year-old female presents with a rash to her left leg You selected C; This is correct!
and swollen, painful knee joints. She tells you that she and Reason:The patient's symptoms and her history of a recent hiking trip are
her friends returned from a hiking trip in the mountains a consistent with Lyme disease, which was the result of a tick bite. Ticks can carry
week ago. She is conscious and alert with a blood two infectious diseases: Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Both are
pressure of 112/62 mm Hg, a pulse of 84 beats/min, and spread through the tick's saliva, which is injected into the skin when the tick
respirations of 14 breaths/min. Her symptoms are MOST attaches itself. The first symptom of Lyme disease, a rash that may spread to
likely the result of: several parts of the body, begins about 3 days after the bite of an infected tick. The
• A:Rocky Mountain spotted fever. rash may eventually resemble a target bull's-eye pattern in one third of patients.
• B:tetanus. After a few more days or weeks, painful swelling of the joints, particularly the knees,
• C:Lyme disease. occurs. If recognized and treated promptly with antibiotics, many patients recover
• D:a localized allergic reaction. completely. Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which is not limited to the Rocky
Mountains, occurs within 7 to 10 days after being bitten by an infected tick. Its
symptoms include nausea, vomiting, headache, weakness, paralysis, and possibly
cardiopulmonary failure.
A 50-year-old woman who is conscious and alert You selected B; This is correct!
complains of a severe migraine headache. When caring for Reason:Patients with migraine or cluster headaches typically have photophobia
her, you should generally avoid: (light sensitivity). Any type of bright light, especially if shone directly into the eyes,
• A:transporting her in a supine position. will cause the patient with a headache unnecessary severe pain. Dimming the lights
• B:shining a light into her pupils. in the ambulance and making the patient as comfortable as possible are the
• C:dimming the lights in the ambulance. treatments of choice for a patient with a headache. Some patients benefit from ice
• D:applying ice packs to her forehead. packs applied to the forehead; just be sure to wrap the ice pack with roller gauze.
Oxygen also should be administered as needed. Typically, the patient will prefer to
lie supine or on the side
A patient who overdosed on heroin would be expected to The correct answer is C;
present with:
• A:tachycardia. Reason:Heroin is a Schedule I (illegal) narcotic that is typically injected. As with all
• B:hyperpnea. narcotics, legal or illegal, overdose causes depression of the central nervous
• C:hypotension. system (CNS), resulting in a decreased level of consciousness; bradycardia;
• D:dilated pupils. hypotension; and slow, shallow (reduced tidal volume) breathing. Hyperpnea (deep
breathing) would not be present in a patient who overdosed on a narcotic. In a
narcotic overdose, the pupils are typically constricted (miosis). Barbiturates, such as
phenobarbital, are also CNS depressants and cause the same symptoms seen with
narcotic overdose. The patient's pupils, however, are typically dilated (mydriasis),
not constricted.
When caring for any patient with a decreased level of You selected A; This is correct!
consciousness, your primary concern should be the:
• A:potential for airway compromise. Reason:Altered mental status could be caused by a high or low blood glucose level,
• B:patient's blood glucose level. drug overdose, or head injury, among other causes. Furthermore, the possibility of a
• C:possibility of a spinal injury. spinal injury should be considered if the patient was injured. However, your primary
• D:possibility of a drug overdose. concern should be the status of the patient's airway. Patients with a decreased level
of consciousness are at risk for aspiration if vomiting occurs. Unless spinal trauma
is present or the patient is breathing inadequately (eg, fast or slow rate, shallow
breathing [reduced tidal volume]), place him or her in the recovery position to
facilitate drainage if vomiting occurs. Remember this: no airway, no patient!
2026
Bank
(2026 Expert-Verified Final
Exam Q & A )
Latest Updated Version
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,Hypoglycemia and acute ischemic stroke can present • A:both oxygen and glucose are needed for brain function.
similarly because:
Reason: Although stroke and hypoglycemia are two distinctly different conditions,
• A:both oxygen and glucose are needed for brain function. their signs and symptoms are often similar. This is because the brain requires both
• B:the majority of stroke patients have a history of oxygen and glucose to function normally. An acute ischemic stroke is caused by a
diabetes. lack of oxygen to a part of the brain due to a blocked cerebral artery, whereas
• C:the most common cause of a stroke is hypoglycemia. hypoglycemia (low blood glucose level) deprives the entire brain of glucose. In
• D:they are both caused by low levels of glucose in the either case, the patient presents with signs of impaired brain function (ie, slurred
blood. speech, weakness, altered mental status). Both conditions may lead to permanent
brain damage or death if not treated promptly.
When dealing with an emotionally disturbed patient, you You selected C; This is correct!
should be MOST concerned with:
• A:gathering all of the patient's medications. Reason: When managing any patient with an emotional or psychiatric crisis, your
• B:safely transporting to the hospital. primary concern is your own safety. Safely transporting the patient to the hospital is
• C:whether the patient could harm you. your ultimate goal. If possible, you should attempt to obtain a medical history and
• D:obtaining a complete medical history. should take any of the patient's prescribed medications to the hospital. However,
this should not supercede your own safety or interfere with safely transporting the
patient.
You are at the scene where a man panicked while You selected B; This is correct!
swimming in a small lake. Your initial attempt to rescue him
should include: Reason: General rules to follow when attempting to rescue a patient from the water
• A:rowing a small raft to the victim. include "reach, throw, row, and then go." In this case, you should attempt to reach
• B:reaching for the victim with a long stick. the victim by having him grab hold of a large stick or similar object. If this is
• C:throwing a rope to the victim. unsuccessful, throw the victim a rope or flotation device (if available). If these are
• D:swimming to the victim to rescue him. not available, row to the patient in a small raft (if available). Going into the water to
retrieve the victim is a last resort. The rescuer must be a strong swimmer because
patients who are in danger of drowning are in a state of blind panic and will make
every attempt to keep themselves afloat, even if it means forcing the rescuer
underwater.
How should you classify a patient's nature of illness if he or The correct answer is B;
she has a low blood glucose level, bizarre behavior, and
shallow breathing? Reason: The nature of illness (NOI) is the medical equivalent to mechanism of
• A:Behavioral emergency injury (MOI). Altered mental status should be the suspected NOI in any patient with
• B:Altered mental status any fluctuation in level of consciousness, which can range from bizarre behavior to
• C:Respiratory emergency complete unresponsiveness. Causes of an altered mental status include hypo- or
• D:Cardiac compromise hyperglycemia, head trauma, stroke, behavioral crises, drug overdose, and shock,
among others.
A young female is unresponsive after overdosing on an The correct answer is C;
unknown type of drug. Her respirations are slow and
shallow and her pulse is slow and weak. Which of the Reason: Of the drugs listed, cocaine would be the least likely cause of the patient's
following drugs is the LEAST likely cause of her condition? condition. Cocaine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant; you would expect
• A:Seconal her to be hypertensive, tachycardic, tachypneic, and perhaps even violent. Heroin,
• B:Heroin Valium, and Seconal are all CNS depressants and could explain her condition.
• C:Cocaine Heroin is an illegal narcotic (opiate), Valium is a benzodiazepine sedative-hypnotic
• D:Valium drug, and Seconal is a barbiturate. Narcotics, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates
are all CNS depressants. When taken in excess, they cause a decreased level of
consciousness, respiratory depression, bradycardia, and hypotension.
Activated charcoal is contraindicated for a patient who is: You selected D; This is correct!
• A:conscious and alert and has ingested a large amount of
Motrin. Reason:Activated charcoal adsorbs (sticks to) many ingested substances,
• B:emotionally upset and has ingested two bottles of preventing them from being absorbed into the body by the stomach or intestines. In
aspirin. some cases, you may give activated charcoal to patients who have ingested certain
• C:agitated and claims to have ingested a bottle of substances, if approved by medical control or local protocol. Activated charcoal is
Tylenol. contraindicated for patients who have ingested an acid or alkali (ie, drain cleaner) or
• D:awake and alert and has swallowed a commercial a petroleum product (ie, gasoline), who have a decreased level of consciousness
drain cleaner. and cannot protect their own airway, or who are unable to swallow.
2026
,The MOST obvious way to reduce heat loss from radiation you selected D; This is correct!
and convection is to:
• A:move away from a cold object. Reason:In a cold environment, the body has two ways of staying warm: generating
• B:increase metabolism by shivering. heat (thermogenesis) and reducing heat loss. Radiation is the transfer of heat by
• C:wear a thick wind-proof jacket. radiant energy. The body can lose heat by radiation, such as when a person stands
• D:move to a warmer environment. in a cold room. Convection occurs when heat is transferred to circulating air, as
when cool air moves across the body's surface. A person standing in windy cold
weather, wearing lightweight clothing, is losing heat to the environment mostly by
convection. The quickest and most obvious way to decrease heat loss from
radiation and convection is to move out of the cold environment and seek shelter
from wind. Shivering increases the body's metabolism and is a mechanism for
generating heat, not reducing heat loss. Layers of clothing trap air and provide
excellent insulation; thus, layered clothing decreases heat loss better than a single,
thick jacket. Conduction is the direct transfer of heat from a part of the body to a
colder object by direct contact, as when a warm hand touches cold metal or ice. The
most obvious way to decrease heat loss by conduction is to remove your hand from
the cold object.
A near-drowning is MOST accurately defined as: You selected C; This is correct!
• A:complications within 24 hours following submersion in
water. Reason:Collectively, drowning and near-drowning are referred to as submersion
• B:immediate death due to prolonged submersion in injuries. Drowning is defined as death after submersion in a liquid medium, usually
water. water. In a drowning, death is either immediate or occurs within 24 hours following
• C:survival for at least 24 hours following submersion in submersion. Near-drowning is defined as survival, at least temporarily (24 hours),
water. after submersion. It should be noted, however, that complications such as
• D:death greater than 24 hours following submersion in pneumonia and pulmonary edema can cause death greater than 24 hours following
water. submersion. For this reason, all patients with a submersion injury should be
transported to the hospital, even if they appear fine at the scene.
A young woman reports significant weight loss over the You selected B; This is correct!
last month, persistent fever, and night sweats. When you
assess her, you note the presence of dark purple lesions Reason:Weight loss, fever, and night sweats could indicate tuberculosis or
covering her trunk and upper extremities. You should HIV/AIDS; however, the dark purple lesions on the skin, which are called Kaposi's
suspect: sarcoma, are malignant skin tumors and are a classic finding in patients in the later
• A:end-stage cancer. stages of AIDS.
• B:HIV/AIDS.
• C:tuberculosis.
• D:rheumatic fever.
A 48-year-old male became acutely hypoxic, experienced You selected C; This is correct!
a seizure, and is now postictal. The MOST effective way to
prevent another seizure is to: Reason:You should administer high-flow oxygen to all patients who are actively
• A:dim the lights in the back of the ambulance. seizing and to patients who experienced a seizure and are postictal. This is
• B:place him in the recovery position. especially true if the seizure was caused by hypoxia. Increasing the oxygen content
• C:administer high-flow supplemental oxygen. of the blood, which minimizes hypoxia, may prevent another seizure. The recovery
• D:give him oral glucose if he can swallow. position is appropriate for uninjured patients with a decreased level of
consciousness and adequate breathing; it will help maintain the airway and facilitate
drainage of secretions from the mouth, but will not prevent another seizure. Oral
glucose may prevent another seizure if hypoglycemia was the cause of the seizure.
You should dim the lights in the back of the ambulance to help prevent any seizure,
not just those that are caused by hypoxia.
Which of the following conditions would be the LEAST You selected C; This is correct!
likely to be present in a patient who was submerged in
water? Reason: Many factors can contribute to or result from a submersion injury (eg,
• A:Spinal injury drowning, near-drowning). It is not uncommon for a person to experience a spinal
• B:Gastric distention injury after diving head first into shallow water, especially if he or she is under the
• C:Hyperglycemia influence of alcohol. When a swimmer panics, he or she initially swallows large
• D:Laryngospasm amounts of water, resulting in gastric distention. Gastric distention can cause
aspiration if the patient regurgitates water during rescue breathing; protect the
airway! During the panic phase, the victim expends a tremendous amount of energy
(and glucose) from flailing around in the water, possibly resulting in hypoglycemia.
Inhaling even a small amount of fresh or salt water can severely irritate the larynx,
which sends the muscles of the larynx and vocal cords into spasm (laryngospasm),
resulting in airway blockage and hypoxia.
2026
, A 42-year-old male presents with fever, a severe You selected C; This is correct!
headache, and a stiff neck. He is conscious, but confused.
His wife tells you that he does not have any medical Reason:Meningitis is an inflammation of the protective coverings of the brain and
problems and does not take any medications. You should spinal cord (meninges). Common signs and symptoms of meningitis include fever,
be MOST suspicious for: headache, neck stiffness (nuchal rigidity), and vomiting. An altered mental status is
• A:acute stroke. common in severe cases. Meningococcal meningitis, caused by a bacterium, is the
• B:influenza. most contagious and potentially fatal type of meningitis. The patient's signs and
• C:meningitis. symptoms are not consistent with acute stroke, tuberculosis (TB), or influenza (the
• D:tuberculosis. flu). Although fever is common with both TB and the flu, neither causes neck
( stiffness. Acute stroke may be associated with a headache, especially a
hemorrhagic stroke; however, stroke patients typically do not have a fever.
All of the following are signs of gastrointestinal bleeding, You selected D; This is correct!
EXCEPT: Reason:Signs and symptoms of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding include abdominal
• A:melena. pain; vomiting blood (hematemesis); the passage of dark, tarry stools (melena); and
• B:hematemesis. bright red rectal bleeding (hematochezia). If blood loss is significant, the patient may
• C:tachycardia. have signs of shock (eg, tachycardia, diaphoresis, tachypnea, hypotension).
• D:hemoptysis. Hemoptysis (coughing up blood) is a sign of a pulmonary injury, not GI bleeding.
A 24-year-old female presents with a rash to her left leg You selected C; This is correct!
and swollen, painful knee joints. She tells you that she and Reason:The patient's symptoms and her history of a recent hiking trip are
her friends returned from a hiking trip in the mountains a consistent with Lyme disease, which was the result of a tick bite. Ticks can carry
week ago. She is conscious and alert with a blood two infectious diseases: Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Both are
pressure of 112/62 mm Hg, a pulse of 84 beats/min, and spread through the tick's saliva, which is injected into the skin when the tick
respirations of 14 breaths/min. Her symptoms are MOST attaches itself. The first symptom of Lyme disease, a rash that may spread to
likely the result of: several parts of the body, begins about 3 days after the bite of an infected tick. The
• A:Rocky Mountain spotted fever. rash may eventually resemble a target bull's-eye pattern in one third of patients.
• B:tetanus. After a few more days or weeks, painful swelling of the joints, particularly the knees,
• C:Lyme disease. occurs. If recognized and treated promptly with antibiotics, many patients recover
• D:a localized allergic reaction. completely. Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which is not limited to the Rocky
Mountains, occurs within 7 to 10 days after being bitten by an infected tick. Its
symptoms include nausea, vomiting, headache, weakness, paralysis, and possibly
cardiopulmonary failure.
A 50-year-old woman who is conscious and alert You selected B; This is correct!
complains of a severe migraine headache. When caring for Reason:Patients with migraine or cluster headaches typically have photophobia
her, you should generally avoid: (light sensitivity). Any type of bright light, especially if shone directly into the eyes,
• A:transporting her in a supine position. will cause the patient with a headache unnecessary severe pain. Dimming the lights
• B:shining a light into her pupils. in the ambulance and making the patient as comfortable as possible are the
• C:dimming the lights in the ambulance. treatments of choice for a patient with a headache. Some patients benefit from ice
• D:applying ice packs to her forehead. packs applied to the forehead; just be sure to wrap the ice pack with roller gauze.
Oxygen also should be administered as needed. Typically, the patient will prefer to
lie supine or on the side
A patient who overdosed on heroin would be expected to The correct answer is C;
present with:
• A:tachycardia. Reason:Heroin is a Schedule I (illegal) narcotic that is typically injected. As with all
• B:hyperpnea. narcotics, legal or illegal, overdose causes depression of the central nervous
• C:hypotension. system (CNS), resulting in a decreased level of consciousness; bradycardia;
• D:dilated pupils. hypotension; and slow, shallow (reduced tidal volume) breathing. Hyperpnea (deep
breathing) would not be present in a patient who overdosed on a narcotic. In a
narcotic overdose, the pupils are typically constricted (miosis). Barbiturates, such as
phenobarbital, are also CNS depressants and cause the same symptoms seen with
narcotic overdose. The patient's pupils, however, are typically dilated (mydriasis),
not constricted.
When caring for any patient with a decreased level of You selected A; This is correct!
consciousness, your primary concern should be the:
• A:potential for airway compromise. Reason:Altered mental status could be caused by a high or low blood glucose level,
• B:patient's blood glucose level. drug overdose, or head injury, among other causes. Furthermore, the possibility of a
• C:possibility of a spinal injury. spinal injury should be considered if the patient was injured. However, your primary
• D:possibility of a drug overdose. concern should be the status of the patient's airway. Patients with a decreased level
of consciousness are at risk for aspiration if vomiting occurs. Unless spinal trauma
is present or the patient is breathing inadequately (eg, fast or slow rate, shallow
breathing [reduced tidal volume]), place him or her in the recovery position to
facilitate drainage if vomiting occurs. Remember this: no airway, no patient!
2026
