More Patient Assessment Basics

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. A stethoscope can be used to listen to breath sounds, heart sounds, and bowel sounds. True False

2. I've been called to a patient with abdominal pain, who states that the pain has been getting worse all day. When I examine their stomach, they tell me that the pain was originally all over their stomach, however is now only on their right side. Their Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ) is rigid and tender. It is still exceptionally painful, and they feel very nauseous. Which of the following is the patient likely to be suffering from? Urinary tract infection (UTI) Acute appendicitis Lacerated spleen Impacted faeces

3. It's a busy night tonight. After I take my patient with abdominal pain to the hospital, we get a call to a child with breathing difficulties. The child looks incredibly unwell and is drooling more than I consider to be usual. His mother states that he won't go a lie down, as he wants to sit up all the time. Which of the following is this child likely to have? Croup Epiglottitis Asthma Laryngitis

4. I spent many a sleepless night trying to remember all the things I need to know about ECG's. An ECG is an ElectroCardioGraph (hence 'ECG'), and it records the electrical activity of the heart. The 'squiggles'on the paper are referred to as waves, and they have had letters assigned to them for no particular reason other than they needed a name. I know how hard this subject is, so I'll only ask one question on this topic - what does the QRS complex on an ECG represent? Ventricular depolarisation Atrial depolarisation Ventricular repolarisation Atrial repolarisation

5. It is common for a paramedic to ask a patient about their medications, and for the patient to have a shopping bag full of medications that they don't know too much about. Should a paramedic bring all of the patient's medications to the hospital with them? Yes No

6. I'm at the scene of a Motor Vehicle Crash (MVC). I'm presented with a single patient who is unconscious, is very stiff and has their arms and legs extended, and their head is tilted back (retracted). My training allows me to recognise this as decerebrate posturing. Decerebrate posturing indicates an injury to which area of the brain? In the brainstem In the cerebrum Above the brainstem Skull fracture only

7. With any patient with a head injury, I try to ensure that their observations are taken at regular intervals, usually every 5 minutes. Which of the following is a collection of changes to a patient's vital signs that indicates the patients Intra Cranial Pressure (ICP) is increasing? Battle's sign Cullen's Sign Cushing's reflex Grey-Turner's Sign

8. There is so much to remember in order to assess each and every patient properly. It should come as no surprise that many paramedics and first aid providers learn mnemonics to help them remember causes and symptoms of illnesses, injury patterns, and just about anything we need to remember. For which of the following is the mnemonic AEIOU-TIPS memorised? I have enough trouble saying mnemonic, let alone remembering one! Bone fracture recognition Altered mental status Taking a history

9. On my way back to the ambulance station after my last call, I stop to talk with the local police officers who have pulled over to talk to a lady who appears to be intoxicated. She is clearly unsteady on her feet, states she has a headache, and is a little bit aggressive. She is arguing with the two male police officers, so I ask if I might speak with her to calm her down a little. I notice that she is clammy, and she claims to feel cold. She lets me take her pulse, and I observe that it is weak and rapid. I ask the lady if it might be okay with her if I take a little bit of blood out of her finger to check it for her, and she says that this will be okay. What am I concerned about for this patient? Hypoglycaemia Alcohol poisoning Public drunkeness and she is going to get in trouble Heart attack

10. I'm on my way home from work - finally my day is over. I work in a rural area though, so my day may not be over yet. I go home in the ambulance (I'm driving) because I work on-call. I complete my shift then I am available until the start of my next shift. Today, I want to be home as soon as possible because I have a birthday party to attend. I'm almost home when the people down the street flag me down and tell me that someone who is staying with them has collapsed in the bathroom. I radio to let my coordination staff know where I am, then I grab my gear and follow them into the house. I find a person who is unconscious on the floor, with a needle and a tourniquet by their side. I notice that their pupils are so small they are almost not there at all, and they are only breathing 4 times per minute. Their Glascow Coma Score (GCS) is 6, but I'm not going to intubate the patient straight away. What do I suspect is wrong with this patient? Paracetamol (acetaminophen) overdose Narcotic overdose Insulin overdose Alcohol overdose