NREMT PRACTICE TEST BANK -
MULTIPLE CHOICE, 474 QUESTIONS:
CORRECT ANSWERS & RATIONALES.
Hypoglycemia and acute ischemic stroke can present similarly because:
• A:both oxygen and glucose are needed for brain function.
• B:the majority of stroke clients 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. >>Ans>>• 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 client 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 client, you should be MOST concerned
with:
• A:gathering all of the client's medications.
• B:safely transporting to the hospital.
• C:whether the client could harm you.
• D:obtaining a complete medical history. >>Ans>>You selected C; This is correct!
Reason: When managing any client with an emotional or psychiatric crisis, your
primary concern is your own safety. Safely transporting the client to the hospital is
your ultimate goal. If possible, you should attempt to obtain a medical history and
should take any of the client's prescribed medications to the hospital. However, this
should not supercede your own safety or interfere with safely transporting the client.
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. >>Ans>>You selected B; This is correct!
,Reason: General rules to follow when attempting to rescue a client 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 client 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 clients 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 client'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 >>Ans>>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 client 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 >>Ans>>The correct answer is C;
Reason: Of the drugs listed, cocaine would be the least likely cause of the client'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 client 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.
>>Ans>>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 clients who have ingested certain
substances, if
approved by medical control or local protocol. Activated charcoal is contraindicated for
clients 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. >>Ans>>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. >>Ans>>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 clients 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. >>Ans>>You selected B; This is correct!
Reason:Weight loss, fever, and night sweats could indicate tuberculosis or HIV/AIDS;
however, the dark purple lesions on the skin, which are called Kaposi's sarcoma, are
malignant skin tumors and are a classic finding in clients in the later stages of AIDS.
A 48-year-old male became acutely hypoxic, experienced a seizure, and is now
postictal. The MOST effective way to prevent another seizure is to:
• A:dim the lights in the back of the ambulance.
• B:place him in the recovery position.
• C:administer high-flow supplemental oxygen.
• D:give him oral glucose if he can swallow. >>Ans>>You selected C; This is correct!
Reason:You should administer high-flow oxygen to all clients who are actively seizing
and to clients who experienced a seizure and are postictal. This is especially true if
the seizure was caused by hypoxia. Increasing the oxygen content of the blood,
which minimizes hypoxia, may prevent another seizure. The recovery position is
appropriate for uninjured clients 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 likely to be present in a client
who was submerged in water?
• A:Spinal injury
• B:Gastric distention
• C:Hyperglycemia
• D:Laryngospasm >>Ans>>You selected C; This is correct!
Reason: Many factors can contribute to or result from a submersion injury (eg,
drowning, near-drowning). It is not uncommon for a person to experience a spinal
injury after diving head first into shallow water, especially if he or she is under the
influence of alcohol. When a swimmer panics, he or she initially swallows large
MULTIPLE CHOICE, 474 QUESTIONS:
CORRECT ANSWERS & RATIONALES.
Hypoglycemia and acute ischemic stroke can present similarly because:
• A:both oxygen and glucose are needed for brain function.
• B:the majority of stroke clients 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. >>Ans>>• 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 client 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 client, you should be MOST concerned
with:
• A:gathering all of the client's medications.
• B:safely transporting to the hospital.
• C:whether the client could harm you.
• D:obtaining a complete medical history. >>Ans>>You selected C; This is correct!
Reason: When managing any client with an emotional or psychiatric crisis, your
primary concern is your own safety. Safely transporting the client to the hospital is
your ultimate goal. If possible, you should attempt to obtain a medical history and
should take any of the client's prescribed medications to the hospital. However, this
should not supercede your own safety or interfere with safely transporting the client.
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. >>Ans>>You selected B; This is correct!
,Reason: General rules to follow when attempting to rescue a client 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 client 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 clients 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 client'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 >>Ans>>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 client 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 >>Ans>>The correct answer is C;
Reason: Of the drugs listed, cocaine would be the least likely cause of the client'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 client 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.
>>Ans>>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 clients who have ingested certain
substances, if
approved by medical control or local protocol. Activated charcoal is contraindicated for
clients 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. >>Ans>>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. >>Ans>>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 clients 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. >>Ans>>You selected B; This is correct!
Reason:Weight loss, fever, and night sweats could indicate tuberculosis or HIV/AIDS;
however, the dark purple lesions on the skin, which are called Kaposi's sarcoma, are
malignant skin tumors and are a classic finding in clients in the later stages of AIDS.
A 48-year-old male became acutely hypoxic, experienced a seizure, and is now
postictal. The MOST effective way to prevent another seizure is to:
• A:dim the lights in the back of the ambulance.
• B:place him in the recovery position.
• C:administer high-flow supplemental oxygen.
• D:give him oral glucose if he can swallow. >>Ans>>You selected C; This is correct!
Reason:You should administer high-flow oxygen to all clients who are actively seizing
and to clients who experienced a seizure and are postictal. This is especially true if
the seizure was caused by hypoxia. Increasing the oxygen content of the blood,
which minimizes hypoxia, may prevent another seizure. The recovery position is
appropriate for uninjured clients 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 likely to be present in a client
who was submerged in water?
• A:Spinal injury
• B:Gastric distention
• C:Hyperglycemia
• D:Laryngospasm >>Ans>>You selected C; This is correct!
Reason: Many factors can contribute to or result from a submersion injury (eg,
drowning, near-drowning). It is not uncommon for a person to experience a spinal
injury after diving head first into shallow water, especially if he or she is under the
influence of alcohol. When a swimmer panics, he or she initially swallows large
