NREMT Practice Test Bank -
Multiple Choice/474 Questions
and Answers/ Latest Update
Already Passed
Hypoglycemia and acute ischemic stroke can present similarly
because:
• A:both oxygen and glucose are needed for brain function.
• B:the majority of stroke patients have a history of diabetes.
• C:the most common cause of a stroke is hypoglycemia.
• D:they are both caused by low levels of glucose in the blood. - -
• A:both oxygen and glucose are needed for brain function.
Reason: Although stroke and hypoglycemia are two distinctly
different conditions, their signs and symptoms are often similar.
This is because the brain requires both oxygen and glucose to
function normally. An acute ischemic stroke is caused by a lack
of oxygen to a part of the brain due to a blocked cerebral artery,
whereas hypoglycemia (low blood glucose level) deprives the
entire brain of glucose. In either case, the patient presents with
signs of impaired brain function (ie, slurred 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 should
be MOST concerned with:
• A:gathering all of the patient's medications.
• B:safely transporting to the hospital.
• C:whether the patient could harm you.
• D:obtaining a complete medical history. - -You selected C; This
is correct!
Reason: When managing any patient with an emotional or
psychiatric crisis, your primary concern is your own safety.
Safely transporting the patient to the hospital is your ultimate
goal. If possible, you should attempt to obtain a medical history
and 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 swimming in
a small lake. Your initial attempt to rescue him should include:
• A:rowing a small raft to the victim.
• B:reaching for the victim with a long stick.
• C:throwing a rope to the victim.
• D:swimming to the victim to rescue him. - -You selected B; This
is correct!
Reason: General rules to follow when attempting to rescue a
patient from the water include "reach, throw, row, and then go."
In this case, you should attempt to reach the victim by having
him grab hold of a large stick or similar object. If this is
unsuccessful, throw the victim a rope or flotation device (if
available). If these are 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 she
has a low blood glucose level, bizarre behavior, and shallow
breathing?
• A:Behavioral emergency
• B:Altered mental status
• C:Respiratory emergency
• D:Cardiac compromise - -The correct answer is B;
Reason: The nature of illness (NOI) is the medical equivalent to
mechanism of injury (MOI). Altered mental status should be the
suspected NOI in any patient with any fluctuation in level of
consciousness, which can range from bizarre behavior to
complete unresponsiveness. Causes of an altered mental status
include hypo- or hyperglycemia, head trauma, stroke, behavioral
crises, drug overdose, and shock, among others.
-A young female is unresponsive after overdosing on an
unknown type of drug. Her respirations are slow and shallow and
her pulse is slow and weak. Which of the following drugs is the
LEAST likely cause of her condition?
• A:Seconal
• B:Heroin
• C:Cocaine
• D:Valium - -The correct answer is C;
,Reason: Of the drugs listed, cocaine would be the least likely
cause of the patient's condition. Cocaine is a central nervous
system (CNS) stimulant; you would expect her to be
hypertensive, tachycardic, tachypneic, and perhaps even violent.
Heroin, Valium, and Seconal are all CNS depressants and could
explain her condition. Heroin is an illegal narcotic (opiate),
Valium is a benzodiazepine sedative-hypnotic 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:
• A:conscious and alert and has ingested a large amount of
Motrin.
• B:emotionally upset and has ingested two bottles of aspirin.
• C:agitated and claims to have ingested a bottle of Tylenol.
• D:awake and alert and has swallowed a commercial drain
cleaner. - -You selected D; This is correct!
Reason:Activated charcoal adsorbs (sticks to) many ingested
substances, preventing them from being absorbed into the body
by the stomach or intestines. In some cases, you may give
activated charcoal to patients who have ingested certain
substances, if approved by medical control or local protocol.
Activated charcoal is contraindicated for patients who have
ingested an acid or alkali (ie, drain cleaner) or a petroleum
product (ie, gasoline), who have a decreased level of
consciousness and cannot protect their own airway, or who are
unable to swallow.
-The MOST obvious way to reduce heat loss from radiation and
convection is to:
• A:move away from a cold object.
• B:increase metabolism by shivering.
• C:wear a thick wind-proof jacket.
• D:move to a warmer environment. - -you selected D; This is
correct!
Reason:In a cold environment, the body has two ways of staying
warm: generating heat (thermogenesis) and reducing heat loss.
Radiation is the transfer of heat by radiant energy. The body can
lose heat by radiation, such as when a person stands 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:
• A:complications within 24 hours following submersion in water.
• B:immediate death due to prolonged submersion in water.
• C:survival for at least 24 hours following submersion in water.
• D:death greater than 24 hours following submersion in water. -
-You selected C; This is correct!
Reason:Collectively, drowning and near-drowning are referred to
as submersion injuries. Drowning is defined as death after
submersion in a liquid medium, usually water. In a drowning,
death is either immediate or occurs within 24 hours following
submersion. Near-drowning is defined as survival, at least
temporarily (24 hours), after submersion. It should be noted,
however, that complications such as pneumonia and pulmonary
edema can cause death greater than 24 hours following
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 last
month, persistent fever, and night sweats. When you assess her,
you note the presence of dark purple lesions covering her trunk
and upper extremities. You should suspect:
• A:end-stage cancer.
• B:HIV/AIDS.
• C:tuberculosis.
• D:rheumatic fever. - -You selected B; This is correct!
Multiple Choice/474 Questions
and Answers/ Latest Update
Already Passed
Hypoglycemia and acute ischemic stroke can present similarly
because:
• A:both oxygen and glucose are needed for brain function.
• B:the majority of stroke patients have a history of diabetes.
• C:the most common cause of a stroke is hypoglycemia.
• D:they are both caused by low levels of glucose in the blood. - -
• A:both oxygen and glucose are needed for brain function.
Reason: Although stroke and hypoglycemia are two distinctly
different conditions, their signs and symptoms are often similar.
This is because the brain requires both oxygen and glucose to
function normally. An acute ischemic stroke is caused by a lack
of oxygen to a part of the brain due to a blocked cerebral artery,
whereas hypoglycemia (low blood glucose level) deprives the
entire brain of glucose. In either case, the patient presents with
signs of impaired brain function (ie, slurred 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 should
be MOST concerned with:
• A:gathering all of the patient's medications.
• B:safely transporting to the hospital.
• C:whether the patient could harm you.
• D:obtaining a complete medical history. - -You selected C; This
is correct!
Reason: When managing any patient with an emotional or
psychiatric crisis, your primary concern is your own safety.
Safely transporting the patient to the hospital is your ultimate
goal. If possible, you should attempt to obtain a medical history
and 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 swimming in
a small lake. Your initial attempt to rescue him should include:
• A:rowing a small raft to the victim.
• B:reaching for the victim with a long stick.
• C:throwing a rope to the victim.
• D:swimming to the victim to rescue him. - -You selected B; This
is correct!
Reason: General rules to follow when attempting to rescue a
patient from the water include "reach, throw, row, and then go."
In this case, you should attempt to reach the victim by having
him grab hold of a large stick or similar object. If this is
unsuccessful, throw the victim a rope or flotation device (if
available). If these are 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 she
has a low blood glucose level, bizarre behavior, and shallow
breathing?
• A:Behavioral emergency
• B:Altered mental status
• C:Respiratory emergency
• D:Cardiac compromise - -The correct answer is B;
Reason: The nature of illness (NOI) is the medical equivalent to
mechanism of injury (MOI). Altered mental status should be the
suspected NOI in any patient with any fluctuation in level of
consciousness, which can range from bizarre behavior to
complete unresponsiveness. Causes of an altered mental status
include hypo- or hyperglycemia, head trauma, stroke, behavioral
crises, drug overdose, and shock, among others.
-A young female is unresponsive after overdosing on an
unknown type of drug. Her respirations are slow and shallow and
her pulse is slow and weak. Which of the following drugs is the
LEAST likely cause of her condition?
• A:Seconal
• B:Heroin
• C:Cocaine
• D:Valium - -The correct answer is C;
,Reason: Of the drugs listed, cocaine would be the least likely
cause of the patient's condition. Cocaine is a central nervous
system (CNS) stimulant; you would expect her to be
hypertensive, tachycardic, tachypneic, and perhaps even violent.
Heroin, Valium, and Seconal are all CNS depressants and could
explain her condition. Heroin is an illegal narcotic (opiate),
Valium is a benzodiazepine sedative-hypnotic 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:
• A:conscious and alert and has ingested a large amount of
Motrin.
• B:emotionally upset and has ingested two bottles of aspirin.
• C:agitated and claims to have ingested a bottle of Tylenol.
• D:awake and alert and has swallowed a commercial drain
cleaner. - -You selected D; This is correct!
Reason:Activated charcoal adsorbs (sticks to) many ingested
substances, preventing them from being absorbed into the body
by the stomach or intestines. In some cases, you may give
activated charcoal to patients who have ingested certain
substances, if approved by medical control or local protocol.
Activated charcoal is contraindicated for patients who have
ingested an acid or alkali (ie, drain cleaner) or a petroleum
product (ie, gasoline), who have a decreased level of
consciousness and cannot protect their own airway, or who are
unable to swallow.
-The MOST obvious way to reduce heat loss from radiation and
convection is to:
• A:move away from a cold object.
• B:increase metabolism by shivering.
• C:wear a thick wind-proof jacket.
• D:move to a warmer environment. - -you selected D; This is
correct!
Reason:In a cold environment, the body has two ways of staying
warm: generating heat (thermogenesis) and reducing heat loss.
Radiation is the transfer of heat by radiant energy. The body can
lose heat by radiation, such as when a person stands 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:
• A:complications within 24 hours following submersion in water.
• B:immediate death due to prolonged submersion in water.
• C:survival for at least 24 hours following submersion in water.
• D:death greater than 24 hours following submersion in water. -
-You selected C; This is correct!
Reason:Collectively, drowning and near-drowning are referred to
as submersion injuries. Drowning is defined as death after
submersion in a liquid medium, usually water. In a drowning,
death is either immediate or occurs within 24 hours following
submersion. Near-drowning is defined as survival, at least
temporarily (24 hours), after submersion. It should be noted,
however, that complications such as pneumonia and pulmonary
edema can cause death greater than 24 hours following
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 last
month, persistent fever, and night sweats. When you assess her,
you note the presence of dark purple lesions covering her trunk
and upper extremities. You should suspect:
• A:end-stage cancer.
• B:HIV/AIDS.
• C:tuberculosis.
• D:rheumatic fever. - -You selected B; This is correct!
