EMT Practice Test – Medical, Obstetrics, and Gynecology

Stroke is caused by a loss of brain function, leading to difficulty speaking, loss of speech, difficulty understanding speech, and weakness or numbness in the face in limbs, particularly on one side of the body. Signs and symptoms of seizures include convulsions and muscle rigidity, so Choice A is false. Hypothyroidism is characterized by fatigue, lethargy, slow mental function, and waxy appearance, making Choice B incorrect. Cushing’s syndrome is associated with weight gain and fat accumulation; therefore, Choice D is false.

An EMT must always check, support, and maintain a patient’s airway, circulation, and breathing, as well as inquire about medical history and events leading to the emergency, making Choice B the correct answer. Not all emergency medical situations will result in shock nor will a tourniquet always be necessary.

Visceral pain is caused by stimulation to an organ’s nerve fibers due to stretching of the organ’s wall, so Choice A is the correct answer. Parietal pain is caused by irritation to parietal peritoneal wall, making Choice B false. Referred pain occurs when a radiating pain is felt elsewhere than the point of origin, so Choice C is also false. Somatic pain, which was not discussed, is caused by injury to the bones, muscles, skin, and connective tissues, making D incorrect as well.

The organs found in the lower-right quadrant of the abdomen are the appendix, small intestine, and female reproductive organs. Kidney stones are felt more in the back and side, as the kidneys are located in the retroperitoneal space, making Choice A false. Food poisoning is usually felt in the stomach and intestinal area and usually presents with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; therefore, Choice B is incorrect. The urinary bladder isn’t found in the lower-right quadrant of the abdomen, so Choice D is incorrect. A key symptom of appendicitis is pain in the lower-right quadrant, making Choice C the correct answer.

The only way that an EMT can perform an abdominal exam is with the patient lying face up, known as supine position. Having the patient lie prone, or face down, makes an abdominal exam impossible, so Choice B is the correct answer. Every other choice is correct for the appropriate way to perform an abdominal exam.

Based on the description of the signs and symptoms, one can conclude that the patient is suffering from anaphylaxis, meaning that she will require a shot of epinephrine, making Choices A and D both incorrect. Because the patient is 40 years old, she will need 0.30 mg of epinephrine, the correct adult dose; therefore, Choice C is the correct answer. Choice B is incorrect, because 0.15 mg is the dose for a pediatric patient.

Tuberculosis is an infection of the lungs that causes a persistent cough, night sweats, and hemoptysis, or coughing blood. It’s transmitted via coughing, making Choice A the correct answer. Meningitis is transmitted through saliva and contaminated hands and presents with none of the stated symptoms, so Choice B is incorrect. Choice C is false because coughing blood isn’t a common sign and symptom of pneumonia, and Choice D is incorrect because influenza presents with fever, muscle aches, chills, and respiratory problems.

The pancreas functions as an exocrine gland because it secretes enzymes that break down food components. It also functions as an endocrine gland because it secretes hormones that regulate blood sugar levels. The kidney isn’t a gland; it is an organ located directly below the adrenal glands. The stomach is an exocrine gland because it secretes hydrochloric acid. Like the kidney, the spleen is an organ, not a gland. Therefore, the only correct answer is C.

Hypothyroidism is caused by too little thyroid hormone, which regulates metabolism, causing a hypoactive metabolism and leading to a waxy and swollen appearance, cold intolerance, hypothermia, hypotension, and bradycardia. Hyperthyroidism is caused by an excess of thyroid hormone and causes a hyperactive metabolism, resulting in weight loss and loss of appetite, so Choice A is incorrect. Diabetes is caused by an issue with insulin production or utilization and blood glucose imbalance, and the signs and symptoms are frequent urination, increased thirst, and excessive hunger, so Choice C is false. Choice D is incorrect because Addison’s disease is caused by too little cortisol and aldosterone production, leading to hyperkalemia, darkening of the skin, and hypoglycemia.

A hyperglycemic crisis is characterized by too much blood sugar, which can lead a patient’s breath smelling fruity because of blood that passes through the lungs. Choice B is false because DKA doesn’t cause edema, so there would be no swollen legs and feet. Choice C is false, as buffalo hump is a symptom of Cushing’s disease. Choice D is incorrect, as a patient with DKA would present with deep and labored breathing, as opposed to shallow breathing.

A patient who may harm themselves or others— including attempted suicide, depression, and substance abuse— is a situation classified as a psychiatric emergency, so Choice B is correct. Toxicology deals with poisons, toxins, and substance abuse, so a toxicological emergency involving drugs and alcohol may also be categorized as a psychiatric emergency, but not always. Hematology involves blood-related emergencies, and immunology involves allergic reactions, so Choices A, C, and D are incorrect.

An emergency involving a strange odor and several unconscious people is indicative of an airborne poisoning, making this a toxicological emergency. Psychiatric emergencies involve mentally unstable patients, hematological emergencies are blood-related emergencies, immunological emergencies involve allergic reactions, and nothing within the question indicates mental instability or bleeding. The likelihood that multiple patients have the same allergy is unlikely, so Choices B, C, and D are incorrect.

Sickle cell disease is most common in African-Americans, and due to the abnormal shape and size of the blood cells, the liver cannot properly filter them, causing jaundice and yellowing of the eyes. The presence of priapism, resulting from the blood’s inability to exit the erection chambers, become trapped and cause a prolonged erection, making Choice C the correct answer. Hemophilia is the body’s inability to stop bleeding, and thrombophilia is the body’s inability to stop clotting. A urinary tract infection presents with different signs and symptoms than those described, such as painful urination and a frequent urge to urinate.

The nephron is the structural and functional unit that creates and transports urine. The glomerulus, loop of Henle, and distal tubule are parts of the nephron involved in creating and transporting urine depending on their respective functions, so Choice B is the correct answer. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect, as they represent only a part of the unit.

Podocytes are slits that allow filterable components of the filtrate to pass through to the proximal tubule to become urine. Filterable components are water, nutrients, and nitrogenous waste. Non-filterable components are blood cells, platelets, and albumins. Choices A, B, and C are all non-filterable components, making Choice D the correct answer.

The most telling aspect of this man’s condition is that he hasn’t urinated in two days, indicative of some sort of renal condition, and that he doesn’t have a previous history of kidney function loss. Hypertension, tachycardia, and distention of the abdomen imply that urine cannot be formed, increasing blood pressure and causing edema. Acute renal failure is characterized by a sudden decrease in filtration through the glomeruli of the nephron, which causes all of these symptoms, as well as anuria (the complete cessation of urine production) to occur over a period of days or weeks, making Choice D the correct answer. Chronic renal failure, Choice A, is incorrect because the patient doesn’t have a history of renal disease and none of the respective signs and symptoms. Kidney stones are crystallized salts that form in the kidney and become trapped in the urinary tract, but they don’t stop urine production, so Choice B is false. A urinary tract infection doesn’t cease urine production, so Choice C is also incorrect.

The uterus and ovaries aren’t part of the birth canal, so Choices A and D are false. The cervix is the uppermost portion of the birth canal, so Choice B is incorrect, making Choice C the correct answer, as the vagina is the muscular tube on the lowermost portion of the birth canal that connects the exterior environment to the cervix.

A patient with a tubo-ovarian abscess may present with severe abdominal pain, guarding of the abdomen, nausea and vomiting, fever, and abdominal distention. Although abdominal pain is typical of all of them, ruptured ovarian cysts, ovarian torsion, and ectopic pregnancies have different signs and symptoms, so Choices B, D, and C are incorrect.

Because an EMT needs to be completely present and ready for the delivery, an EMT shouldn’t monitor the mother (unless there are plenty of EMTs on site); someone else should be stationed at the head of the mother to report any concerning changes, making Choice A the correct answer. All other answer choices are procedures an EMT must perform in order to ensure a successful delivery, so Choices B, C, and D are incorrect.

A breech delivery means that the baby is crowning buttocks-first, which can lead to suffocation, so an EMT will need to make a “V” with his or her fingers and insert them into the vagina in order to keep the airway open for the baby. An exposed limb indicates a limb presentation delivery, not a breech delivery, so Choice A is false. An EMT should cover the vagina with a sterile pad and collect expulsions only in the event of a spontaneous abortion, so Choice C is also false. If an EMT needs to rupture a sac, it indicates an unruptured amniotic sac, not a breech delivery, so Choice D is also incorrect.

Type 1 diabetes is characterized by the body’s immune system attacking its own insulin-producing pancreatic cells, so Choice A is the correct answer. Type 2 diabetes is when the pancreas produces insulin but the body can’t effectively utilize it, and it isn’t an autoimmune disease like Type 1 diabetes. A hyperglycemic crisis can be caused by either Type 1 or Type 2, and a myxedema coma has nothing to do with diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes, or insulin-dependent diabetes, is an autoimmune disease that presents itself in early childhood. Type 2 diabetes and non-insulin dependent diabetes are both names for the same condition, so Choice B, and D are false. Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy, nor childhood, so Choice C is incorrect.

An EMT should never attempt to remove the stinger with tweezers, as tweezers will squeeze the remaining venom into the skin. Instead, an EMT should remove it with a credit card, so Choice D is incorrect. Patients experiencing anaphylaxis will generally need epinephrine, so it’s important to ask the patient if they have epinephrine on them, as many EMTs aren’t permitted to administer epinephrine, making Choice A incorrect. Further, anaphylaxis can cause shock, so the patient should be placed in shock position, making Choice B also false.

All the respective signs and symptoms are characteristic of hepatitis; however, hepatitis B is specifically caused by sharing needles. As the patient is an IV heroin user, the correct answer is Choice B. Hepatitis A, C, and D have different modes of transmission.

Thyroid hormone is responsible for regulating metabolism, so Choice D is the correct answer. Insulin is involved in glucose uptake into tissues, testosterone is for sperm production and secondary male sexual characteristics, and adrenaline is responsible for mechanisms in the flight-or-fight response, making Choices A, B, and C incorrect.

Cushing’s syndrome occurs when the adrenal gland has been too active, producing too much cortisol, which stimulates the pituitary gland to produce too much adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). A patient with Cushing’s may present with a “moon-faced” appearance, weight gain, and fat accumulation on the upper back, called a “buffalo hump” as well as in the shoulders and/ or the abdomen, called a supraclavicular fat pad, making Choice A the correct answer. Extremely high fever (106 ° F or above), hypotension, and goiter are symptoms of hyperthyroidism, so Choice B is incorrect. Hyperkalemia, darkening of the skin, and hypoglycemia are signs of Addison’s disease, so C is incorrect. Deep and labored breathing, vomiting, abdominal pain, and unconsciousness indicate diabetes.

A cluster of capillaries that functions as the main filter of the blood entering the kidney is known as the glomerulus, so Choice C is correct. The Bowman’s capsule surrounds the glomerulus and receives fluid and solutes from it; therefore, Choice A is incorrect. The loop of Henle is a part of the kidney tubule where water and nutrients are reabsorbed, so B is false. The nephron is the unit containing all of these anatomical features, making Choice D incorrect as well.

While bacterial vaginosis and gonorrhea may lead to PID, chlamydia causes the most cases of PID, making Choice D the correct answer. Genital herpes doesn’t involve the cervix or uterus, where PID occurs, so Choices A, B, and C are incorrect.