You have arrived by the side of a lethargic patient who is allergic to latex and was exposed to it when she spilled a latex-containing powder on her right hand. She is able to speak only a few words with each breath, and a quick glance at the pulse oximeter reveals the saturation is in the 80-90% range. Additionally, the patient's tongue is swollen and her respirations are rapid, labored, and noisy. Which action is your immediate priority?
A) Insert an oropharyngeal airway
B) Wash the latex powder from the patient's hand
C) Obtain a heart rate and blood pressure
D) Start positive pressure ventilation
D) Start positive pressure ventilation
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You are transporting a patient who was shocked by an electrical current while repairing a residential electrical service panel. He has partial-thickness burns to the hand and foot where the electricity entered and exited his body respectively. When reassessing the patient, what sign or symptom would be of most concern?
A) Increasing pain at burn sites B) Palpation of an irregular heartbeat C) Complaint of a headache D) Swelling of the foot
A patient informs you that he smoked marijuana all night and now has great anxiety, hunger, and tremors to both hands. The EMT would recognize marijuana is best described as:
A) A hallucinogen B) A cannabis product C) An appetite stimulant D) A sedative
Compared to the carbonic acid-bicarbonate buffering system in extracellular fluid, how effective is the phosphate buffering sytem?
a. about twice as effective c. about one-sixth as effective b. about 6 times more effective d. about half as effective
You are called for a 22-year-old girl who has been very sick for a few days and is complaining of upper right quadrant pain and dark urine. These symptoms immediately suggest which of the following conditions?
A) Respiratory infection B) Meningitis C) Hepatitis D) Epiglottitis