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Prehospital Emergency Care Practice Test: Handing Head Trauma
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Here are some first aid steps you can take for head trauma while waiting for emergency medical help: Keep the person still: Have the injured person lie down with their head and shoulders slightly elevated. Don't move the person unless necessary, and avoid moving their neck. Stop any bleeding: Use sterile gauze or a clean cloth to apply firm pressure to the wound. If you suspect a skull fracture, don't apply direct pressure to the wound. Monitor breathing and alertness: If the person shows no signs of circulation, begin CPR. Keep the head in line with the spine: If the injury is serious,... Show more
Prehospital Emergency Care Practice Test: Handing Head Trauma
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25 Questions

1. You have been called to a residence of a patient with diabetes who exhibits an altered mental status. A family member states she could not reach the patient by telephone, so she came over and found the patient awake but confused. The patient can remember his name and address, but cannot remember the day or year. He refuses to go to the hospital, but consents to an assessment. Of these physical exam findings discerned on assessment, which one is most concerning?
2. A male patient in his thirties fell 10 feet off a loading dock, landing on his head and back. He has deformity and depression to the back of his head and is unresponsive with snoring respirations. Vital signs are pulse, 132 beats/min; respirations, agonal; blood pressure, 136/64 mmHg, and SpO2, 89%. The patient responds to painful stimuli with purposeful motion. Which instruction would you provide other caregivers at the scene?
3. An unrestrained middle-aged female was thrown from her car as it rolled in the median of an interstate. She is supine, appears unresponsive, has blood on her face, and has snoring respirations. Your first action upon reaching her side, after taking spine motion restriction precautions, should be to:
4. 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?
5. Which patient has an isolated brain injury that should be considered the most serious?
6. A young female patient involved in a motor vehicle collision responds to painful stimuli by extending her arms and legs. Her airway is open, and her breathing is shallow and irregular. A radial pulse that is moderate in strength is palpated. Her pulse is 64 beats/min, respirations are 8 breaths/min and irregular, and blood pressure is 210/110 mmHg, with an SpO2 of 90% on room air. The patient has an obvious deformity to her forehead and a left pupil that is dilated and does not respond to light. Manual spine motion restriction is being maintained by Emergency Medial Responders (). At this time, the EMT's priority action is to:
7. A 40-year-old male fell 20 feet from a ledge while hiking. The park ranger is now maintaining manual spine motion restriction for the patient. The patient is combative and confused, but his airway is open and his breathing is adequate. The patient has a radial pulse of 112 beats/min, blood pressure of 96/76 mmHg, and SpO2 of 91% on room air. What should the EMT do first?
8. A patient with Cushing reflex is most likely experiencing which pathophysiology?
9. The normal response of the pupils while examined with a penlight is described as:
10. A young adult male has a gunshot wound to the left side of his head. He is unresponsive with snoring respirations. He is breathing 6 times per minute with a pulse rate of 52 beats/min and a blood pressure of 192/104 mmHg. His radial pulse is strong and his skin is cool, but not diaphoretic. In addition to spine motion restriction precautions, the first intervention for this patient would be:
11. A trauma surgeon informs you that the patient whom you transported to the emergency department earlier was diagnosed with an epidural hematoma. The patient was taken into surgery and the hematoma was removed, and now the patient is in critical condition. Based on this information, the EMT should recognize that in this patient:
12. A young adult male is in police custody after he crashed his car into a utility pole. There is minor front-end damage to the vehicle, and the air bags deployed. The patient was not wearing a seat belt and has an abrasion to his forehead. He is awake and oriented to person, time, and place. His speech is slurred and he has an odor resembling that of beer on his breath. The arresting officer states that he just wants you to check the patient before he transports him to jail. Given this scenario, which action seems most appropriate for the EMT to take?
13. A patient exhibits retrograde amnesia when she:
14. A young adult female was struck by a vehicle while she was riding her bicycle. She was not wearing a helmet. She is now unresponsive and has a deformity with a deep depression to the temporal area of the head. You do not see any bleeding, and the patient's scalp is intact. What is the greatest threat associated with this injury?
15. You are transporting a patient who experienced a right-sided head injury after a large refrigerator fell and pinned his head between the appliance and the floor. On scene, the patient was responsive to verbal stimuli with the following vital signs: pulse, 96 beats/min; respirations, 16 breaths/min; blood pressure, 134/66 mmHg; and SpO2, 95%. During transport, as you reassess the patient, what would be the clearest sign that the head injury is worsening?
16. A 68-year-old female patient complains of a headache and generalized weakness. Her husband informs you that she was with a friend yesterday and was involved in a motor vehicle collision. She did strike her face on the dashboard, but refused treatment on scene. Her past medical history includes a stroke with right arm weakness and high blood pressure, for which she takes medications. When assessing this patient, which finding should concern the EMT most?
17. 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?
18. You have been called by family members for their mother, who is 'not acting right.' At the scene, the family informs you that they are concerned because their 68-year-old mother has been complaining of a headache for two days and is now very confused. When asking about a bruise on the right side of her forehead, the family states she fell in church a week ago and hit her head. Since all other aspects of the assessment are unremarkable, you suspect a head injury. Which type of injury would you suspect given the findings and history?
19. A 52-year-old male is unresponsive and has bruises and lacerations to the head, chest, and abdomen. Bystanders state that the patient was intoxicated and got into a fight with several patrons of a bar. They state that he was beaten with his opponents' fists, but not other objects or weapons. The patient has snoring respirations, shallow breathing, and a strong radial pulse. His skin is warm and dry. After providing manual spine motion restriction, what should be your next action?
20. When assessing a patient with a head injury, which finding is most indicative of increasing pressure within the skull?
21. 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?
22. Which statement best describes the technique to be used when hyperventilating a patient with a head injury who shows signs of brain herniation?
23. 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?
24. You have been called to the local community hospital for a 48-year-old male who was involved in a motor vehicle collision 2 hours prior. He has been diagnosed with a cerebral contusion and must be transported to a trauma center for specialty care. As a knowledgeable EMT, you recognize that a cerebral contusion is:
25. What is considered to be a normal finding when assessing a patient with a possible head injury?

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