EMTB9e: Assessment in Action: All Chapters

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Interactivities: Assessment in Action: All Chapters

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Interactive Skill Drills

Assessment in Action

Ambulance Calls

9-1-1 Scenarios

Videos: Skills in Action

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Read the scenario and ask yourself, What would I do?

Scenario:

You are dispatched in response to a 39-year-old man with abdominal pain. On arrival you find your patient in a small apartment furnished only with a couch, a TV, and a mattress. Beer cans, empty pizza boxes, and alcohol bottles litter the floor. The patient is very pale and is lying on the couch.

He tells you that his stomach has been bothering him for about a week but this morning when he got up to vomit, he got "really dizzy" and noticed pain in his upper left shoulder and neck. In response to your questions, he tells you that the vomit appeared "brownish, like coffee grounds." He has cool, moist skin with a rapid, weak radial pulse. His abdomen is firm and tender to the touch. His vital signs include a pulse of 136 beats/min, respirations of 28 breaths/min, and a blood pressure of 102/78 mm Hg.

1: Which of the following should be done for this patient at this point?
	A: Prepare him for transport.
	B: Apply oxygen by nonrebreathing mask.
	C: Have him lie flat and elevate his legs.
	D: Cover him to keep him warm.

2: What is a normal pulse rate for an adult?
	A: 120-140
	B: 100-120
	C: 80-100
	D: 60-100

3: Even though this patient's blood pressure is within normal limits, his pulse is too fast. What additional assessment step will help you determine if his perfusion is being maintained adequately?
	A: Listen to his breath sounds.
	B: Look for edema in his feet.
	C: Test for capillary refill.
	D: Check his pupils.

4: When assessing this patient's abdominal pain it is important to ask specific questions about the pain. Which of the following characteristics of his pain will be most helpful to know?
	A: Onset, provocation, quality, radiation, severity, and time
	B: Character, cluster, radiation, positioning, and frequency
	C: Onset, positioning, location, density, and frequency
	D: Severity, timing, constancy, quality, and irritation

5: This patient noticed that when he got up to vomit he got very dizzy and suddenly noticed pain in his neck and shoulder. The term used to describe this pain is:
	A: diffuse pain.
	B: referred pain.
	C: focal pain.
	D: severe pain.

6: During your assessment of this patient he complains of thirst and asks for a drink of water. Your most appropriate response is to:
	A: allow him to drink small sips of room temperature water.
	B: allow him to drink as much water as he wishes.
	C: ask him if he can wait until he arrives at the hospital.
	D: ask him not to eat or drink anything because he may vomit.

7: The patient's description of the emesis suggests that the patient:
	A: has abused alcohol.
	B: has bleeding hemorrhoids.
	C: is vomiting well-digested food.
	D: is vomiting partially digested blood.

8: On the basis of the available information, which of the following statements best describes the patient's condition?
	A: The patient is in shock associated with gastrointestinal bleeding.
	B: The patient has a ruptured liver as a result of chronic alcohol abuse.
	C: The patient probably has flu-like symptoms from something he ate
	D: The patient's condition is a result of alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

All Learning Resources for Chapter 14

Assessment in Action for All Chapters