Prehospital Emergency Care Chapter #31Actual Exam (2025) comprehensive questions
and verified answers ( detailed & elaborated) 2025-2026 TEST
1) A middle-aged male died immediately after a self-inflicted gunshot wound to
the head. Which portion of the central nervous system was most likely
damaged to cause such a rapid death?
A) Cerebrum
B) Brainstem
C) Cerebellum
D) Meninges
B) Brainstem
2) You are assessing a patient who had a previous brain injury in which a
portion of the cerebellum was destroyed. In relation to this specific injury,
which finding would the EMT expect?
A) Inability to remember information such as past medical history
B) Poor muscle coordination when signing his name to the prehospital care
report
C) Problems with the regulation of heart rate and blood pressure
D) Inability to move or feel sensations in one side of his body
B) Poor muscle coordination when signing his name to the prehospital care report
3) A patient who fell out of a tree has an open skull injury. What would be an
appropriate way to describe and document this injury on the PCR?
A) Instability to the temporal region of the skull with no break in the overlying
scalp
B) Crepitus to the back of the skull with a hematoma overlying the unstable
area
C) Laceration to the top of the scalp with pain to the skull when palpated
D) Obvious deformity and instability to the right side of the skull with a
laceration to the overlying scalp
D) Obvious deformity and instability to the right side of the skull with a laceration to
the overlying scalp
4) Your assessment of a patient who was involved in a motor vehicle collision
reveals a deformity to the left side of the head underneath the hair. On further
,inspection, you note that the skin overlying the deformity is still intact. Based
on these assessment findings, what should be the EMT's greatest concern?
A) Possible brain injury
B) Fracture of the skull
C) Potential for infection of the brain
D) Soft tissue trauma to the scalp
A) Possible brain injury
5) A woman strikes her forehead against the dashboard of her car as it strikes
a tree. Immediately following the impact, her brain shifts back and forth within
her skull. Based on the anatomy and physiology of the skull, which statement
is true?
A) The ridges of the basilar skull can damage the brain as it moves back and
forth
B) The frontal bone is the thinnest portion of the skull and will most likely be
fractured
C) The patient's brain will not be injured unless an object from the dashboard
penetrates her skull
D) The patient's brain will most likely not be damaged because the skull's
flexibility is designed to absorb the force of the impact
A) The ridges of the basilar skull can damage the brain as it moves back and forth
6) You suspect that an unhelmeted male patient who was thrown from a
motorcycle may have a basilar skull fracture. As you perform the secondary
assessment, which finding would reinforce this suspicion?
A) Blood coming from both the ears and the nose
B) Dilation and sluggish response of the right pupil to light
C) Clear fluid coming from the right ear and the left nostril
D) Paralysis of the left arm and leg
C) Clear fluid coming from the right ear and the left nostril
7) A construction worker was accidentally shot with a nail gun. The nail
penetrated the skull approximately ½ inch through the temporal region. Before
your arrival, coworkers pulled the nail free. Based on the mechanism of injury,
which sign provides the strongest evidence that the meningeal layers have
been breached?
A) Blood draining from the puncture wound
, B) Crepitus of the skull at the injury site
C) Deformity and depression at the injury site
D) Cerebrospinal fluid oozing from the puncture wound
D) Cerebrospinal fluid oozing from the puncture wound
8) A 41-year-old male patient was struck in the head with a metal pipe during a
fight with an angry neighbor. The scene is safe, and as you approach the
patient, you note that he is combative and has blood on the left side of his
head and face, and on his shirt. His breathing appears to be labored and he is
incontinent of urine. Which care should you perform immediately?
A) Check his pupils for equality and reactivity
B) Apply oxygen at 15 lpm via nonrebreather mask
C) Take manual cervical spine motion restriction
D) Expose the chest to look for possible bleeding
C) Take manual cervical spine motion restriction
9) A 61-year-old male fell off a roof. Your primary assessment findings include
unresponsiveness, agonal breathing, and a slow and weak radial pulse. The
patient's skin is cool and dry. Emergency Medical Responders are maintaining
manual spine motion restriction procedures. What should you do
immediately?
A) Size and apply a cervical collar
B) Place the patient in the shock position
C) Start positive pressure ventilation
D) Apply oxygen via a nonrebreather mask
C) Start positive pressure ventilation
10) A patient who was involved in an altercation was struck on the side of the
head with a baseball bat, in addition to suffering several blows to the arms and
legs. When assessing this patient, which sign or symptom best indicates the
patient has suffered a brain injury?
A) Confusion and combativeness
B) Complaint of a headache
C) Ecchymosis to the side of the face
D) Weakness to both arms
A) Confusion and combativeness
and verified answers ( detailed & elaborated) 2025-2026 TEST
1) A middle-aged male died immediately after a self-inflicted gunshot wound to
the head. Which portion of the central nervous system was most likely
damaged to cause such a rapid death?
A) Cerebrum
B) Brainstem
C) Cerebellum
D) Meninges
B) Brainstem
2) You are assessing a patient who had a previous brain injury in which a
portion of the cerebellum was destroyed. In relation to this specific injury,
which finding would the EMT expect?
A) Inability to remember information such as past medical history
B) Poor muscle coordination when signing his name to the prehospital care
report
C) Problems with the regulation of heart rate and blood pressure
D) Inability to move or feel sensations in one side of his body
B) Poor muscle coordination when signing his name to the prehospital care report
3) A patient who fell out of a tree has an open skull injury. What would be an
appropriate way to describe and document this injury on the PCR?
A) Instability to the temporal region of the skull with no break in the overlying
scalp
B) Crepitus to the back of the skull with a hematoma overlying the unstable
area
C) Laceration to the top of the scalp with pain to the skull when palpated
D) Obvious deformity and instability to the right side of the skull with a
laceration to the overlying scalp
D) Obvious deformity and instability to the right side of the skull with a laceration to
the overlying scalp
4) Your assessment of a patient who was involved in a motor vehicle collision
reveals a deformity to the left side of the head underneath the hair. On further
,inspection, you note that the skin overlying the deformity is still intact. Based
on these assessment findings, what should be the EMT's greatest concern?
A) Possible brain injury
B) Fracture of the skull
C) Potential for infection of the brain
D) Soft tissue trauma to the scalp
A) Possible brain injury
5) A woman strikes her forehead against the dashboard of her car as it strikes
a tree. Immediately following the impact, her brain shifts back and forth within
her skull. Based on the anatomy and physiology of the skull, which statement
is true?
A) The ridges of the basilar skull can damage the brain as it moves back and
forth
B) The frontal bone is the thinnest portion of the skull and will most likely be
fractured
C) The patient's brain will not be injured unless an object from the dashboard
penetrates her skull
D) The patient's brain will most likely not be damaged because the skull's
flexibility is designed to absorb the force of the impact
A) The ridges of the basilar skull can damage the brain as it moves back and forth
6) You suspect that an unhelmeted male patient who was thrown from a
motorcycle may have a basilar skull fracture. As you perform the secondary
assessment, which finding would reinforce this suspicion?
A) Blood coming from both the ears and the nose
B) Dilation and sluggish response of the right pupil to light
C) Clear fluid coming from the right ear and the left nostril
D) Paralysis of the left arm and leg
C) Clear fluid coming from the right ear and the left nostril
7) A construction worker was accidentally shot with a nail gun. The nail
penetrated the skull approximately ½ inch through the temporal region. Before
your arrival, coworkers pulled the nail free. Based on the mechanism of injury,
which sign provides the strongest evidence that the meningeal layers have
been breached?
A) Blood draining from the puncture wound
, B) Crepitus of the skull at the injury site
C) Deformity and depression at the injury site
D) Cerebrospinal fluid oozing from the puncture wound
D) Cerebrospinal fluid oozing from the puncture wound
8) A 41-year-old male patient was struck in the head with a metal pipe during a
fight with an angry neighbor. The scene is safe, and as you approach the
patient, you note that he is combative and has blood on the left side of his
head and face, and on his shirt. His breathing appears to be labored and he is
incontinent of urine. Which care should you perform immediately?
A) Check his pupils for equality and reactivity
B) Apply oxygen at 15 lpm via nonrebreather mask
C) Take manual cervical spine motion restriction
D) Expose the chest to look for possible bleeding
C) Take manual cervical spine motion restriction
9) A 61-year-old male fell off a roof. Your primary assessment findings include
unresponsiveness, agonal breathing, and a slow and weak radial pulse. The
patient's skin is cool and dry. Emergency Medical Responders are maintaining
manual spine motion restriction procedures. What should you do
immediately?
A) Size and apply a cervical collar
B) Place the patient in the shock position
C) Start positive pressure ventilation
D) Apply oxygen via a nonrebreather mask
C) Start positive pressure ventilation
10) A patient who was involved in an altercation was struck on the side of the
head with a baseball bat, in addition to suffering several blows to the arms and
legs. When assessing this patient, which sign or symptom best indicates the
patient has suffered a brain injury?
A) Confusion and combativeness
B) Complaint of a headache
C) Ecchymosis to the side of the face
D) Weakness to both arms
A) Confusion and combativeness
