Prehospital Emergency Care, Chapter #39Actual
Exam (2025) comprehensive questions and verified
answers ( detailed & elaborated) 2025-2026 TEST
1) In reviewing prehospital care reports, you note that more than 75 percent of
the patients transported from a local geriatric extended care facility have been
diagnosed with hypertension. As a knowledgeable EMT, you would recognize
that:
A) Hypertension is common among the elderly
B) The patients are not taking blood pressure medications
C) An infectious disease is spreading through the extended care facility
D) All of the patients must have the same physician
A) Hypertension is common among the elderly
2) You have been called for a conscious and alert 83-year-old male
complaining of a fever for three days. He has a history of peripheral vascular
disease. When assessing the patient's circulation, you have a difficult time
feeling his radial pulse. What would your next action be?
A) Start cardiopulmonary resuscitation
B) Check the patient's blood pressure
C) Locate the patient's carotid pulse
D) Apply supplemental oxygen
C) Locate the patient's carotid pulse
3) Your partner believes the 90-year-old male you are caring for is dehydrated.
Which finding best reinforces his suspicion?
A) Increased blood pressure
B) Dry and flaky skin
C) Poor skin turgor
D) Dry mouth and tongue
D) Dry mouth and tongue
,4) When getting a medical history from a patient, you refer to him as Mr.
Wrask. He stops you and asks you to call him Derek. You should:
A) Call him Derek during the rest of your interactions
B) Continue to address him as Mr. Wrask
C) Avoid calling him by his name altogether
D) Confirm with family members how they would like him addressed
A) Call him Derek during the rest of your interactions
5) You have been asked to deliver a talk about EMS and its interaction with the
geriatric population. Which point would you emphasize in your presentation?
A) Assessment can be difficult since most persons older than 70 have some
degree of dementia
B) Many elderly patients have a combination of different diseases in various
stages
C) Geriatrics actually account for a smaller number of EMS calls and
transports than might be thought
D) Dementia and chronic disease are both inevitable parts of the aging
process
B) Many elderly patients have a combination of different diseases in various stages
6) A new EMT asks you why the elderly are at a higher risk for developing
pneumonia, as compared to younger individuals. You inform him that one
reason the elderly are more susceptible to respiratory infections because of
a(n):
A) Impaired swallowing of saliva
B) Decreased alveolar gas exchange
C) Decreased cough reflex
D) Hardening of the major arteries
C) Decreased cough reflex
7) The son of an 88-year-old patient states that he told his mother to double
the dose of her antibiotic so she would "get better faster." This represents a
problem given that the elderly have a(n):
A) Decreased respiratory function
B) Increased amount of body water
C) Decreased liver and kidney function
D) Increased tolerance to medication
, C) Decreased liver and kidney function
8) Which statement demonstrates an accurate understanding of vital signs in
relation to the geriatric patient?
A) "Due to damage over time to the heart, the resting heart rate is typically less
than 60 beats per minute."
B) "Fever tends to be more common and more severely elevated in elderly
patients."
C) "The resting respiratory rate is typically higher in elderly patients."
D) "There is no real difference between the vital signs of a geriatric patient and
those of a young adult."
C) "The resting respiratory rate is typically higher in elderly patients."
9) Which statement indicates an accurate understanding of administering
positive pressure ventilation (PPV) to a geriatric patient?
A) "An increase in the force of ventilation is needed to get air into the stiff
lungs."
B) "If the patient is breathing between 10 and 20 breaths per minute, PPV is not
needed."
C) "If the geriatric patient has a history of COPD, a pediatric bag-valve mask
may be needed."
D) "Gentle ventilations that make the chest rise are adequate to provide proper
airflow to the lungs."
D) "Gentle ventilations that make the chest rise are adequate to provide proper
airflow to the lungs."
10) You have been called for an unknown medical emergency at a residence.
On scene, you are presented with an 84-year-old patient who is confused and
does not obey commands. The best means of determining the patient's normal
mental status would be to:
A) Examine the patient's pupils
B) Question family members
C) Look at the patient's medications
D) Check the patient's vital signs
B) Question family members
11) A patient with advanced dementia who is living with family members is
unable to provide an accurate medical history. In this situation, what would the
Exam (2025) comprehensive questions and verified
answers ( detailed & elaborated) 2025-2026 TEST
1) In reviewing prehospital care reports, you note that more than 75 percent of
the patients transported from a local geriatric extended care facility have been
diagnosed with hypertension. As a knowledgeable EMT, you would recognize
that:
A) Hypertension is common among the elderly
B) The patients are not taking blood pressure medications
C) An infectious disease is spreading through the extended care facility
D) All of the patients must have the same physician
A) Hypertension is common among the elderly
2) You have been called for a conscious and alert 83-year-old male
complaining of a fever for three days. He has a history of peripheral vascular
disease. When assessing the patient's circulation, you have a difficult time
feeling his radial pulse. What would your next action be?
A) Start cardiopulmonary resuscitation
B) Check the patient's blood pressure
C) Locate the patient's carotid pulse
D) Apply supplemental oxygen
C) Locate the patient's carotid pulse
3) Your partner believes the 90-year-old male you are caring for is dehydrated.
Which finding best reinforces his suspicion?
A) Increased blood pressure
B) Dry and flaky skin
C) Poor skin turgor
D) Dry mouth and tongue
D) Dry mouth and tongue
,4) When getting a medical history from a patient, you refer to him as Mr.
Wrask. He stops you and asks you to call him Derek. You should:
A) Call him Derek during the rest of your interactions
B) Continue to address him as Mr. Wrask
C) Avoid calling him by his name altogether
D) Confirm with family members how they would like him addressed
A) Call him Derek during the rest of your interactions
5) You have been asked to deliver a talk about EMS and its interaction with the
geriatric population. Which point would you emphasize in your presentation?
A) Assessment can be difficult since most persons older than 70 have some
degree of dementia
B) Many elderly patients have a combination of different diseases in various
stages
C) Geriatrics actually account for a smaller number of EMS calls and
transports than might be thought
D) Dementia and chronic disease are both inevitable parts of the aging
process
B) Many elderly patients have a combination of different diseases in various stages
6) A new EMT asks you why the elderly are at a higher risk for developing
pneumonia, as compared to younger individuals. You inform him that one
reason the elderly are more susceptible to respiratory infections because of
a(n):
A) Impaired swallowing of saliva
B) Decreased alveolar gas exchange
C) Decreased cough reflex
D) Hardening of the major arteries
C) Decreased cough reflex
7) The son of an 88-year-old patient states that he told his mother to double
the dose of her antibiotic so she would "get better faster." This represents a
problem given that the elderly have a(n):
A) Decreased respiratory function
B) Increased amount of body water
C) Decreased liver and kidney function
D) Increased tolerance to medication
, C) Decreased liver and kidney function
8) Which statement demonstrates an accurate understanding of vital signs in
relation to the geriatric patient?
A) "Due to damage over time to the heart, the resting heart rate is typically less
than 60 beats per minute."
B) "Fever tends to be more common and more severely elevated in elderly
patients."
C) "The resting respiratory rate is typically higher in elderly patients."
D) "There is no real difference between the vital signs of a geriatric patient and
those of a young adult."
C) "The resting respiratory rate is typically higher in elderly patients."
9) Which statement indicates an accurate understanding of administering
positive pressure ventilation (PPV) to a geriatric patient?
A) "An increase in the force of ventilation is needed to get air into the stiff
lungs."
B) "If the patient is breathing between 10 and 20 breaths per minute, PPV is not
needed."
C) "If the geriatric patient has a history of COPD, a pediatric bag-valve mask
may be needed."
D) "Gentle ventilations that make the chest rise are adequate to provide proper
airflow to the lungs."
D) "Gentle ventilations that make the chest rise are adequate to provide proper
airflow to the lungs."
10) You have been called for an unknown medical emergency at a residence.
On scene, you are presented with an 84-year-old patient who is confused and
does not obey commands. The best means of determining the patient's normal
mental status would be to:
A) Examine the patient's pupils
B) Question family members
C) Look at the patient's medications
D) Check the patient's vital signs
B) Question family members
11) A patient with advanced dementia who is living with family members is
unable to provide an accurate medical history. In this situation, what would the
