EMT Patient Treatment & Transport practice questions

Correct answer: D. Sublingual

Nitroglycerin is administered sublingual. Route determines onset, and choosing the wrong one can render an otherwise correct drug useless.

• A. That is the route used for naloxone rather than for this drug.
• B. That is the route used for aspirin rather than for this drug.
• C. That is the route used for an epinephrine auto-injector rather than for this drug.
• D. Nitroglycerin is given sublingual, which suits its onset and the situation it treats.

Correct answer: C. asthma largely reverses with bronchodilators, emphysema is structural

Narrowed airways from muscle spasm open with a bronchodilator; destroyed alveoli do not. The same wheeze means a different expectation of how much you can achieve.

• A. Asthma occurs at any age.
• B. Emphysema does respond to appropriate oxygen therapy.
• C. Reversible airway narrowing responds to bronchodilators where structural damage does not.
• D. Wheeze reflects airflow limitation rather than infection.

Correct answer: D. By mouth

Activated charcoal is administered by mouth. Route determines onset, and choosing the wrong one can render an otherwise correct drug useless.

• A. That is the route used for naloxone rather than for this drug.
• B. That is the route used for nitroglycerin rather than for this drug.
• C. That is the route used for oxygen rather than for this drug.
• D. Activated charcoal is given by mouth, which suits its onset and the situation it treats.

Correct answer: A. leaning back allows blood to run into the throat and be swallowed or aspirated

Tipping back does not stop the bleeding; it just moves it somewhere you cannot see. Swallowed blood causes vomiting and, in a drowsy patient, aspiration.

• A. Leaning back directs blood into the throat where it is swallowed or aspirated.
• B. Compression is applied externally and is unaffected by head position.
• C. Swallowed blood irritates the stomach rather than affecting clotting.
• D. Position does not meaningfully alter nasal vascular pressure.

Correct answer: C. An inability to protect the airway

An inability to protect the airway contraindicates oral glucose. Contraindications are the checks that separate assisting with a medication from simply handing it over.

• A. That is a contraindication to nitroglycerin, not to this drug.
• B. That is a contraindication to aspirin, not to this drug.
• C. This is a recognized contraindication to oral glucose and the dose should be withheld.
• D. That is a contraindication to activated charcoal, not to this drug.

Correct answer: D. complete a full assessment before treating the obvious injury

A dramatic deformity pulls everyone's attention, which is exactly why the chest and abdomen get skipped. The obvious injury is rarely the one that kills.

• A. Absence of other injuries must be established rather than assumed.
• B. Immediate transport without assessment skips the primary survey.
• C. Treating the obvious injury first risks missing life threats.
• D. A dramatic injury draws attention away from more serious ones that are less visible.

Correct answer: B. Opioid antagonist

Naloxone is an opioid antagonist. Knowing a drug's class lets you predict its effects and its likely adverse effects even when the specific agent is unfamiliar.

• A. That class describes aspirin, which is given for suspected acute coronary syndrome.
• B. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist, which is why it is used for respiratory depression from suspected opioid toxicity.
• C. That class describes activated charcoal, which is given for selected recent oral ingestions when directed by medical control.
• D. That class describes oral glucose, which is given for symptomatic hypoglycemia in a patient who can protect their airway.

Correct answer: A. anaphylaxis

An epinephrine auto-injector is a sympathomimetic given for anaphylaxis. Matching each drug to the single problem it is designed to correct is what keeps administration deliberate rather than reflexive. Local protocol governs when and whether you may give it.

• A. This is the indication an epinephrine auto-injector is given for; it acts as a sympathomimetic.
• B. That is the indication for albuterol, which is a beta-2 agonist bronchodilator.
• C. That is the indication for activated charcoal, which is an adsorbent.
• D. That is the indication for oral glucose, which is a carbohydrate.