Deck 5: Medical Terminology

Question 1

The wrist is ________ to the elbow.

A) medial
B) inferior
C) distal
D) dorsal

Answer 1

distal

Question 2

Which of the following BEST describes the anatomic position?

A) Supine with arms crossed over the chest and knees slightly bent
B) Standing, facing forward, with arms raised above the head
C) Standing, facing forward, with arms at the side, palms forward
D) Standing in profile with the hands on the hips

Answer 2

Standing, facing forward, with arms at the side, palms forward

Question 3

Which of the following describes the midline of the body?

A) An imaginary line dividing the body into equal right and left halves
B) An imaginary line dividing the body into a top and bottom portion
C) The intersection of two imaginary lines crossing at the umbilicus
D) An imaginary line dividing the body into a front and a back portion

Answer 3

An imaginary line dividing the body into equal right and left halves

Question 4

When discussing left and right in terms of anatomic locations,what do they refer to?

A) Left and right from the patient's perspective
B) Whoever is speaking about the anatomic location determines left and right orientation.
C) Anatomic left and right refer to the provider's left and right orientation when facing a patient in the anatomic position.
D) What left and right refer to anatomically is dependent on the patient's positioning when care is provided.

Question 5

What word would be used to refer to a patient's rapid breathing?

A) Tachycardia
B) Dyspnea
C) Tachypnea
D) Dyseffusion

Question 6

What is another term for the frontal aspect of the body?

A) Caudal
B) Dorsal
C) Posterior
D) Anterior

Question 7

You and your newly hired EMT partner arrive on the scene of a bicycle collision at the local community park.One cyclist stands by and says that she has no injuries.The other is lying on his side on the bike path,guarding his ribs and holding the lower part of his left leg.Your partner kneels next to the man,introduces herself,and asks,"Can you ambulate? " The patient looks up,confused and in obvious pain."Can you ambulate?
You know…walk?
" Your partner says,a little louder.After transporting the patient,you discuss the call with your partner and suggest that she avoid using medical terms unnecessarily when talking with patients.She seems insulted and says,"Why?
" What would you say?

A) Explain that using large words and medical terms can be seen as being egotistical, which can alienate both patients and other providers.
B) Tell her that the general public isn't smart enough to understand medical terminology and that all communication must be "dumbed down" when talking to patients.
C) Tell her that the point of communicating with patients and other providers is so there is clear understanding; using medical terms when not necessary can cause confusion.
D) You should say that you are an experienced EMT and since she is new, she should just take your advice and apply it.

Question 8

The term lateral is best defined as:

A) under the arms.
B) toward the middle of.
C) to the back of.
D) to the side.

Question 9

What is the distinction between anatomy and physiology?

A) Anatomy is the study of physical body structures, whereas physiology is the study of emotions and behavior.
B) The terms are synonymous.
C) Anatomy is the study of body components and systems, and physiology is the study of injuries and disease processes.
D) Anatomy is the study of body structures, and physiology is the study of body function.

Question 10

Why should an EMT avoid the use of acronyms and abbreviations when communicating?

A) They should only be avoided in verbal communications, where they can be misunderstood; they are expected in written patient care reports.
B) There is a chance that they can lead to errors in continued care for the patient.
C) The medical acronyms and abbreviations used by prehospital care providers and hospital staff are different.
D) Using acronyms and abbreviations is considered unprofessional.

Question 11

While transporting a patient with a traumatic wound to the back,you call in report to the receiving hospital over the radio.Due to radio static and background noise in the Emergency Department,the physician has had to ask you twice to repeat if the wound was superior or inferior.Why would this distinction be important?

A) The physician is just trying to determine if the wound is deep or not so she knows what to prepare for.
B) The answer is not necessarily important. The physician is just focusing on getting her standard questions answered while dealing with an inadequate radio system.
C) The location of the wound is important in determining which types of resources to have available when the patient arrives.
D) It is a triage question to determine if the patient is critical or not so the hospital can prioritize.

Question 12

The inside of a person's thigh is also known as its ________ aspect.

A) inferior
B) lateral
C) medial
D) axillary

Question 13

The abdominal quadrants include all of the following except the:

A) right upper.
B) left lower.
C) right medial.
D) left upper.

Question 14

What is the primary reason for an EMT to use specific and proper medical terminology?

A) People may think that an EMT is not intelligent or professional unless she uses medical terms.
B) Medical communication needs to be exact and consistent.
C) It will make patients and family members trust in the EMT's abilities more.
D) EMS providers can't bill for services unless the correct terminology is used in all documentation.

Question 15

With regard to medical terminology,a prefix is:

A) added to the beginnings of roots or words to modify or qualify their meaning.
B) the foundation of a word or term.
C) the combination of any two or more whole words.
D) a modifier that indicates if a term is singular or plural.

Question 16

You respond to a large concert venue where a number of spectators are reported to be severely intoxicated.You are directed to an area where several patients appear to be unconscious,lying face down on the ground.The position of these patients is described as:

A) posterior.
B) supine.
C) anterior.
D) prone.

Question 17

A patient with bilateral femur fractures would have which of the following?

A) Two fractures in the same femur
B) A femur fracture occurring with little or no trauma
C) A femur fracture in which the bone ends have punctured the muscle and skin of the thigh
D) Fractures of both femurs

Question 18

Your 79-year-old female patient appears to show all signs and symptoms of a stroke.Her level of consciousness has rapidly deteriorated,she is now unconscious,and she can no longer control her own airway.While you intervene to manage her airway,the best position in which to keep fluid or vomitus from occluding her airway would be the:

A) recovery position.
B) Fowler position.
C) Trendelenburg position.
D) prone position.

Question 19

A postal worker has been attacked by a dog during her mail delivery route.The patient is a 54-year-old female with several dog bites on her lower extremities and left arm.The worst of these bites is located on the back of her right leg just above the ankle.How can you explain the location of this injury using anatomical landmarks?

A) The bite is located on the posterior aspect of the calf distal to the knee.
B) The bite is located on the anterior aspect of the calf just proximal to the knee.
C) The bite is located on the posterior aspect of the calf just proximal to the knee.
D) The bite is located on the anterior aspect of the calf just distal to the knee.

Question 20

You and your EMT partner are responding to a medical aid call in the rural West County area.The dispatcher advises that the caller is reporting the patient as having a history of "plegia." Why would it be beneficial to have the dispatcher clarify a prefix for the word plegia?

A) Without a clarifying prefix, it is difficult for the EMTs to effectively prepare for the type of patient they may encounter.
B) Because a dysplegiac patient generally requires an EMT-Paramedic level of care, and it may change the level of response.
C) A patient with plegia is potentially contagious, and the EMTs need to know what precautions are required.
D) There is actually no need to clarify the word.

Question 21

To check the distal pulse of a patient with an injury to the forearm,the EMT would check for a pulse in which location?

A) Armpit
B) Wrist
C) Upper arm
D) Throat

Question 22

With regard to anatomical locations,which of the following is NOT true?

A) The umbilicus is located on the ventral aspect of the body.
B) The ears are located on the lateral aspect of the head.
C) The foot is distal to the knee.
D) The mouth is proximal to the nose.

Question 23

Which of the following describes Fowler's position?

A) Lying flat on the back
B) Lying on the side
C) Lying on the stomach
D) Sitting upright with the legs straight

Question 24

Which of the following BEST describes the location of the mid-axillary line?

A) A line from the center of the armpit, extending vertically down the side of the chest
B) A line drawn diagonally from the outer end of the clavicle to the navel
C) A line drawn horizontally from one armpit to the other, across the front of the body
D) A line drawn vertically from the xiphoid process to the pubic bone

Question 25

Which of the following are the abdominal regions created by drawing two imaginary lines intersecting at the navel?

A) Abdominal quadrants
B) Abdominal planes
C) Abdominal regions
D) Abdominal sextants