Deck 17: Patient Assessment

Question 1

You would use a watch with a second hand, a flashlight, and a sphygmomanometer to assess a patient's

A) vital signs.
B) normal values.
C) symptoms.
D) pulse.

Answer 1

vital signs.

Question 2

Which of the following peripheral pulses would you take in the wrist at the base of the thumb?

A) Radial
B) Brachial
C) Posterior tibial
D) Dorsalis pedis

Answer 2

Radial

Question 3

Your two year old patient is unresponsive. Which pulse should you assess first?

A) Dorsalis pedis
B) Carotid
C) Brachial
D) Posterior Tibial

Answer 3

Carotid

Question 4

How many beats per minute is the normal pulse rate at rest for an adolescent?

A) 70 to 110
B) 80 to 120
C) 90 to 130
D) 60 to 100

Question 5

For how many seconds should you count the respirations of an infant?

A) 45
B) 60
C) 15
D) 30

Question 6

You are taking the pulse of your patient and determine that it is weak and fast. The quality of this pulse is described as

A) strong.
B) thready.
C) hardy.
D) normal.

Question 7

Your patient is complaining of dizziness and has mottled skin. You should suspect

A) cardiac arrest.
B) a viral infection.
C) an allergic reaction.
D) alcohol intoxication.

Question 8

A patient found in his home appears agitated and has irregular respirations. He is pacing back and forth, and his skin is wet and moist. You should suspect

A) dehydration.
B) hyperthermia.
C) exposure to a warm environment.
D) a diabetic emergency.

Question 9

When checking the capillary refill in an infant or child under 6, a refill time of 2 seconds is considered to be

A) markedly delayed.
B) normal.
C) severely delayed.
D) delayed.

Question 10

You check the pupils of your patient and find that one pupil reacts to the light, but the other does not. You should suspect

A) substance abuse.
B) poisoning.
C) cardiac arrest.
D) stroke.

Question 11

Which of the following blood pressure readings is within the normal range for a person at rest?

A) Preschooler with a systolic at 110 and a diastolic at 75
B) Newborn with a systolic at 105 and a diastolic at 70
C) Toddler with a systolic of 100 and a diastolic at 60
D) Adolescent with a systolic at 120 and a diastolic at 60

Question 12

Culturally, Mexican-Americans are more likely to

A) prefer a same-sex caregiver.
B) hide signs of pain and discomfort.
C) avoid making eye contact when speaking.
D) be very expressive about pain.

Question 13

During which phase of the patient assessment will you use "find and fix" and "treat as you go"
Strategies?

A) Reassessment
B) Secondary survey
C) Patient history taking
D) Primary survey

Question 14

Which step of the primary survey does cervical spine protection fall within?

A) General impression
B) Airway
C) Breathing
D) Circulation

Question 15

A general impression of a patient is based on appearance, circulation, and which of the following factors?

A) Breathing
B) Examination
C) Airway
D) Disability

Question 16

Your patient is awake and knows his name and where he is, but he is unable to tell you what day it is or what happened to cause his injury. Using the AVPU scale, you should document him as

A) being alert and oriented times two.
B) responding to voice prompts.
C) responding to verbal stimuli.
D) being alert and oriented.

Question 17

The technique used to minimize movement of the head and neck is called

A) cerebral stabilization.
B) automatic stabilization.
C) in-line stabilization.
D) peripheral stabilization.

Question 18

Your female patient has an altered mental status, bluish lips, and fatigue from the work of breathing. You suspect

A) inadequate breathing.
B) heart failure.
C) concussion.
D) blood loss.

Question 19

Your patient's eyes are open and blinking. She is oriented to person, place, time and event, and she can obey commands. Her Glasgow Coma Scale score total would be

A) 20
B) 10
C) 15
D) 5

Question 20

Upon completing your primary survey, you find that your patient is responsive, but is unable to follow commands. You should

A) immediately transport the patient to the hospital.
B) take a full patient history and determine medications she may be taking.
C) conduct a secondary survey at the scene.
D) administer oxygen and reassess her mental status in 5 minutes.

Question 21

Which of the following secondary surveys would you conduct on a patient with a significant MOI?

A) Head-to-toe physical examination
B) Focused physical examination
C) Rapid medical assessment
D) Rapid trauma assessment

Question 22

In the DCAP-BTLS memory aid, the "P" stands for

A) Penetrations
B) Pain level
C) Blood Pressure Reading
D) Pupil size

Question 23

You are conducting a secondary survey on a patient when you find a life threat. You should

A) continue the secondary survey while transporting to the hospital.
B) stop your assessment and transport the patient immediately.
C) start a new primary survey to determine other factors involved.
D) stop and treat the issue and then repeat the primary survey.

Question 24

While conducting a secondary survey of a patient's head and face, you notice a musty smell. You should suspect

A) diabetic ketoacidosis.
B) kidney failure.
C) gum disease.
D) liver failure.

Question 25

Blood in the anterior chamber of the eye is known as

A) conjunctiva.
B) edema.
C) ecchymosis.
D) hyphema.

Question 26

The shifting of the windpipe from a midline position is known as

A) subcutaneous emphysema.
B) jugular distention.
C) tension pneumothorax.
D) tracheal deviation.

Question 27

Your male patient has a large knife impaled in his chest. You should

A) have your partner remove the knife and apply pressure with your gloved hand.
B) leave the knife in and stabilize the knife with bulky dressing.
C) watch for paradoxical chest movement and apply positive pressure ventilation as needed.
D) remove the knife and immediately apply an occlusive dressing.

Question 28

You arrive on the scene of a motor vehicle collision. The female driver reports severe pain in her pelvic area. You should

A) remove the patient's clothing and look for external bleeding.
B) transport her to hospital using a long backboard.
C) apply oxygen and transport the patient in a recumbent position.
D) gently palpate the area for tenderness and deformity.

Question 29

You are conducting a secondary survey on a patient when you notice abrasions and lacerations on the patient's arm and suspect a broken wrist. You should

A) continue the secondary survey and address those injuries when you are done.
B) start a new primary survey to determine other factors involved.
C) stop your assessment and transport the patient immediately.
D) stop and treat the injuries and then repeat the primary survey.

Question 30

Which of the following would you do first when conducting a reassessment?

A) Reassess and document vital signs
B) Repeat the secondary survey
C) Repeat the focused assessment
D) Re-evaluate the emergency care provided

Question 31

You should reassess vital signs in an unstable patient at least once every

A) 3 minutes.
B) 10 minutes.
C) 5 minutes.
D) 1 minute.

Question 32

Your patient reports shortness of breath, nausea, abdominal pain, and dizziness. These are examples of

A) objective findings.
B) patient symptoms.
C) clinical findings.
D) patient signs.

Question 33

You are conducting a physical exam on a responsive female toddler. You should

A) put the child on her back and ask the parent to help hold her.
B) conduct a head-to-head examination.
C) examine the child in her parent's arms.
D) use a toes-to-head approach for the examination.

Question 34

You are assessing the mental status of your patient. His eyes remain closed, but he responds to pain. He makes incomprehensible sounds and he withdraws from pain. How would you relay this information to the hospital when you arrive?

A) "The patient's Glasgow Coma Scale score was an 8 when assessed in the field."
B) "The patient's GCS score is 8, and the patient is currently in a coma."
C) "Eye opening=2, Verbal Response=2, Motor Response=4, Total Score=8"
D) "The patient has a severely altered mental status and needs immediate attention."

Question 35

Which of the following errors can produce a low reading that is false when taking a patient's blood pressure?

A) The patient's arm is unsupported.
B) The cuff is wrapped too loosely or unevenly.
C) The cuff is deflated too slowly.
D) The cuff is too wide.

Question 36

At which age is an assessment of the mental status of a child the same as that of an adult?

A) 5 years
B) 9 years
C) 3 years
D) 12 years