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Prehospital Emergency Care Practice Test: Handling Submersion Incidents - Drowning and Diving Emergencies
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The most important treatment for drowning victims is rescue breathing. This should be provided as soon as possible, even before the victim is pulled from the water.  When responding to a drowning victim, EMS should prioritize: Effective ventilation, Oxygenation, and Chest compressions.  If the victim is unconscious but breathing, place them in a recovery position and assess for adequate airway maintenance and ventilation. If the victim is pulseless, immediately begin CPR.  For diving emergencies, you should first establish ABCs, then rinse the wound with clean water and immerse in hot... Show more
Prehospital Emergency Care Practice Test: Handling Submersion Incidents - Drowning and Diving Emergencies
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25 Questions

1. As a diver rises too quickly from a deep-sea dive, the nitrogen in his bloods forms ever- enlarging bubbles. The bubbles then cause damage to internal organs and tissues. The EMT would recognize this outcome as demonstrating:
2. Which patient has the best chance for an optimal outcome after drowning?
3. You have been asked to present information on water safety and drowning to a community civic group. In regard to prevention, which point would you emphasize?
4. The head of the water rescue team has just informed you that the divers have retrieved a young woman who fell through ice on a pond while walking her dog. The estimated submersion time is 22 minutes. Another EMT asks you if it will be necessary to start resuscitation, given the length of submersion. What is your most appropriate reply?
5. An alert and oriented 29-year-old male diver surfaced and called 911 for severe right ear pain. When asked, he specifically denies nausea, dizziness, or pain other than in his ear. Assessment reveals no threats to the airway, breathing, or circulation. The ear shows no obvious injury or discharge. His vital signs are pulse 96 beats/min, respirations 16 breaths/min, blood pressure 146/76 mmHg, and SpO2 97%. What is the proper care for this patient?
6. A 24-year-old intoxicated female patient was pulled from a pool by hotel personnel. The primary assessment reveals her airway to be open and her breathing adequate. Her radial pulse is strong but fast, and she is persistently coughing. Vital signs are pulse 144 beats/min, respirations 24 breaths/min, blood pressure 166/100 mmHg, and SpO2 92%. What would be considered appropriate care for this patient?
7. A 49-year-old man was fishing in a stream of cold water when he became submerged after getting tangled in some hidden roots. The patient was pulled from the stream by friends after approximately 5 minutes of submersion. Your assessment reveals that he is responsive to painful stimuli and breathing 5 times per minute. His pulse is weak and rapid. Which set of instructions would be appropriate to relay to the team of rescuers?
8. You have been put in charge of creating a protocol that will direct care provided by EMS. In regard to an ice-water drowning patient who is severely hypothermic and in cardiac arrest, what treatment would you propose?
9. You are assessing a young child who was briefly submerged after falling approximately 20 feet from an observation platform into the shallow portion of a lake. Family members jumped into the lake immediately and pulled the girl to safety. She is confused and begins to vomit profuse amounts of water. What should you do immediately?
10. A 57-year-old diver has been brought to the surface by fellow divers. He complains of difficulty breathing, dizziness, and severe chest pain. He states that he has a cardiac history and takes nitroglycerin, which is in his belongings nearby. Emergency Medical Responders report the following vital signs: pulse 128 beats/min, respirations 18 breaths/min, blood pressure 88/56 mmHg, and SpO2 93%. After applying supplemental oxygen to the patient, your next action should be to:
11. A patient is in cardiac arrest after being submerged in a pond for 15 minutes. You note that his abdomen is greatly distended and it is very difficult to ventilate him. What should you do next?
12. Which rescuer would be the most appropriate choice to rescue an injured man clinging to an overturned boat in a shallow lake?
13. A child has been pulled from the pool after being submerged for less than 30 seconds. The child is crying and hyperventilating, as well as coughing up water and vomiting. The EMT should:
14. A patient who was found face-down in a pond is unresponsive, apneic, and pulseless. Friends state that the patient was hot and wanted to take a swim in the pond. Which intervention should be included in your care of this patient?
15. When working the scene of a water rescue, anytime that the EMT is within 10 feet of the water's edge, it is essential that she don which equipment for personal safety?
16. The EMT shows she understands the concept of the mammalian diving reflex by stating:
17. You are by the side of a male patient who participated in deep-sea diving earlier in the day. The 32-year-old patient informs you that he thinks he pulled a muscle in his shoulder, which has been hurting more as the day goes on. When questioned, he admits to having a headache and blurred vision. You are suspicious of decompression sickness. Which statement made by the patient would be most significant given the situation?
18. A confused and lethargic 22-year-old male patient with no medical history came up from a deep-sea dive and is now complaining of shortness of breath and sharp pain, which he localizes to the right side of his chest. He denies nausea, vomiting, or dizziness. You have applied oxygen and are getting ready for transport. How will you transport this patient on the stretcher?
19. A teenage female has been removed from a pool. Your assessment reveals her to be responsive to painful stimuli with decorticate posturing. Her airway has water in it, and she appears to be vomiting water. Breathing is agonal at 8 breaths per minute; you hear a gurgling noise with each attempt at breathing. The patient's pulse is weak and slow. What should be the priority treatment you would render next?
20. Torrential rains have been falling over the past few days and your service area is experiencing major flooding. While returning to the disaster command post in the ambulance, you are flagged down by a group of people who inform you that a woman is clinging to a tree in the middle of a rapidly moving and swollen stream. She is screaming for help and states that she does not know how much longer she can hang on. What should you do immediately?
21. A 22-year-old male was fishing when he was submerged for approximately 30 seconds after he moved into deeper water to untangle his fishing line. He states that he did take some water into his lungs but feels better now and does not see the need to be transported to the hospital. Which response is most appropriate?
22. A young male has been pulled from a lake by his friends after being submerged for several minutes. Assessment reveals his airway to be patent, respirations absent, and a weak carotid pulse of 12 beats/min. Which care should you provide at this time?
23. You are by the side of a young male patient who hit his head after diving from a hillside into a shallow lake. The patient is unresponsive and has a large hematoma to his forehead with abrasions all over his face. A paramedic asks you to apply painful stimuli to his arms and legs. You recognize that the paramedic wants you to assess for which type of injury or condition?
24. A fisherman fell through the ice and was submerged in a lake for approximately 4 minutes before being pulled out by friends. You find the man to be unresponsive, not breathing, and without a pulse. What should you do immediately?
25. You and several other EMTs are on location where a young female lost control of her car and ended up in a shallow lake. The car is approximately 20 feet from shore and upright, with the wheels touching the bottom of the lake. The woman is on the car's roof; she states that she is not hurt but is scared. What should the EMT do to rescue the patient?

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