EMT Exam For Dummies with Online Practice

Art Hsieh, MA, NREMT-P is a highly experienced paramedic, clinician, and educator, helping hundreds of students prepare for and pass the national examination process. He is the director of a collegiate paramedic academy and editorial advisor of EMS1.com.

Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Foolish Assumptions 2

Icons Used in This Book 2

Beyond the Book 3

Where to Go from Here 4

Part I: Making Sense of the EMT Exam 5

Chapter 1: Becoming an Emergency Medical Technician 7

Understanding What Being an EMT Means 7

What does an EMT do? 7

Where do EMTs work? 8

Can you use EMT training for other purposes? 9

Walking through the Steps of Becoming an EMT 9

Finding and completing a class 9

Passing the National Registry Exam 9

Finishing the process 10

Maintaining Your EMT Certification 10

Chapter 2: Taking an EMT Course and Registering for the EMT Exam 13

Enrolling in and Completing an EMT Course 13

Finding a course that fits your needs 13

Being prepared for the course 14

Meeting the course requirements 16

Getting the most out of your instructors 16

Signing Up for the EMT Exam 16

Chapter 3: Getting to Know the EMT Exam 19

Checking Out the Cognitive Exam 19

Breaking down the exam 19

Airway, respiration, and ventilation 20

Cardiology and resuscitation 20

Medical and obstetrics/gynecology 20

Trauma 21

EMS operations 21

Getting a grip on computer adaptive testing 22

Scoring the exam and getting your results 22

Completing the Practical Exam Portion 23

Part II: Test-Taking Tips and Strategies 25

Chapter 4: The Anatomy of the Multiple-Choice Question 27

Looking at the Parts 27

The stem 28

Distractors and the answer 28

Noting the importance of high-quality distractors 28

Aiming for the best answer 29

Breaking Down a Question Step by Step 29

Looking at the stem and answering it 29

Eliminating what’s not right 30

Choosing which answer is best 31

Chapter 5: Checking Out Computer Adaptive Testing 33

Understanding How Computer Adaptive Testing Works 33

How does CAT adapt? 34

Who judges the questions’ difficulty, anyway? 35

What makes CAT better? 35

Adapting to Computer Adaptive Testing 36

Chapter 6: Preparing for the Exam 37

Gearing Up to Study 37

Setting the stage 37

Staying on schedule 38

Making the Most Out of Studying 39

Using objectives 39

Studying with buddies 39

Trying a few tips for retaining info 40

Giving your brain a break 40

Picking Out Other Pointers for Success 41

Having the right mindset 41

Making a few final plans before exam day 41

Chapter 7: Doing Your Best During the Exam 43

Knowing What to Expect in a Nutshell 43

Staying Focused and Positive During the Exam 44

Answering one question at a time 44

Maintaining a positive attitude 45

Getting Your Results and Moving Ahead 45

Part III: Assessing What You Know and Reviewing Essential Information 47

Chapter 8: Taking a Preassessment with Answers and Explanations 49

Going through the Preassessment Questions 49

Looking at the Preassessment Answers and Figuring Out How to Proceed 61

Chapter 9: The Air way, Respiration, and Ventilation 69

Getting an Overview of the Respiratory System 69

Knowing the Airway and Breathing Issues to Look for When You Assess Patients 72

Understanding when breathing is (and isn’t) normal 72

Deciding when to oxygenate 73

Recognizing when to ventilate 73

Taking Action on Potential Airway and Breathing Problems 74

Upper airway conditions 74

Lower airway conditions 76

Nonrespiratory conditions 78

Practice Questions about the Airway, Respiration, and Ventilation 79

Answers and Explanations 82

Chapter 10: Cardiology and Resuscitation Essentials 85

Checking Out the Cardiovascular System 85

Surveying major structures 85

Understanding blood pressure 88

Knowing the Cardiovascular Issues to Look for When You Assess Patients 88

Recognizing normal cardiovascular findings 88

Noting when cardiovascular findings aren’t normal 89

Distinguishing acute coronary syndrome from everything else 90

Acting on Potential Cardiovascular Problems 91

Pump problems 91

Pipe problems 92

Fluid problems 94

Managing a cardiac arrest 95

Practice Questions about Cardiology and Resuscitation 96

Answers and Explanations 100

Chapter 11: Medical and Obstetrics/Gynecology Fundamentals 103

Introducing the Body’s Main Systems 103

Feeling Out the Nervous System 104

Moving through the Gastrointestinal System 107

Fighting Invaders with the Immune System 110

Allergic reactions and anaphylaxis 110

Infectious diseases 111

Taking Control with the Endocrine System 112

Getting the Scoop on the Hematologic System (Blood) 115

Considering the Urinary System 116

Cycling through Obstetrics and Gynecology 117

Obstetrics 119

The normal delivery 121

Abnormal deliveries 123

Resuscitating a newborn 125

Gynecology 125

Boning Up on the Musculoskeletal System 126

Understanding Toxicology 127

Handling Psychiatric Disorders and Behavioral Emergencies 128

Practice Questions about Medical and Obstetrics/Gynecology Fundamentals 130

Answers and Explanations 135

Chapter 12: Trauma Basics 139

Relating the Mechanism of Injury to Injury Patterns 139

Connecting MOI and force 139

Differentiating blunt from penetrating MOI 140

Blunt MOI 140

Penetrating MOI 142

Blast MOI 142

Matching obvious injuries to hidden injuries 142

Investigating Injuries That Affect the Airway and Breathing 144

Injuries that block the airway 144

Injuries that make breathing difficult 145

Assessing Injuries That Affect Circulation 146

Pump, pipes, and fluid: How circulation works 147

Injuries to the heart 147

Injuries to the vasculature 148

Evaluating Spinal Cord Injuries 150

Managing Trauma Step by Step 151

Practice Questions about Trauma 152

Answers and Explanations 157

Chapter 13: The Scoop on Pediatrics 159

Sorting Out What Makes Children Different from Adults 159

Developmental differences 159

Anatomical differences 161

Physiological differences 162

Managing the Pediatric Patient 163

Assessment tips 164

Medical situations 165

Trauma situations 168

Head, brain, and spinal injuries 168

Chest and abdominal injuries 169

Falls and burns 169

Disaster management for multiple patients 169

Practice Questions about Pediatrics 171

Answers and Explanations 174

Chapter 14: EMS Operations 177

Maintaining Medical Legal Standards 177

Grasping the basic legal tenets of medical practice 177

Avoiding negligence 178

Getting the proper consent 178

Understanding slander and libel 179

Dealing with refusals of care and/or transport 179

Maintaining confidentiality 179

Respecting advanced directives 179

Steering clear of abandonment 180

Complying with mandatory reporting 180

Coping with crime scenes 180

Documenting your cases 180

Staying Healthy, Sane, and Safe 181

Being fit for the job 181

Handling the stress of the profession 182

Knowing that safety is job one 182

Communicating Well with Others During an Emergency 183

Working on a team 183

Interacting with others on the scene 184

Understanding Emergency Vehicle Operations 184

Maintaining equipment levels and vehicle readiness 185

Driving an ambulance 185

Using air medical services 186

Performing light rescue 187

Managing Large Incidents 187

Triage 188

Hazardous incidents 189

Practice Questions about EMS Operations 190

Answers and Explanations 194

Part IV: Putting Your Knowledge into Practice 197

Chapter 15: Practice Exam 1 199

Answer Sheet for Practice Exam 1 201

Questions 203

Chapter 16: Practice Exam 1: Answers and Explanations 217

Answers and Explanations 217

Answer Key 227

Chapter 17: Practice Exam 2 229

Answer Sheet for Practice Exam 2 231

Questions 233

Chapter 18: Practice Exam 2: Answers and Explanations 247

Answers and Explanations 247

Answer Key 257

Part V: The Part of Tens 259

Chapter 19: Ten Assessment Tips for EMTs 261

Looking at the Whole Patient 261

Assessing the ABCs before Anything Else 261

Deciding Whether to Oxygenate or Ventilate 262

Determining Shock 262

Searching for the Signs of Beck’s Triad 262

Checking for Cushing’s Triad 263

Recognizing That Not All Wheezes Are Asthma 263

Listing the Causes of Altered Mental Status 263

Understanding That Not All Myocardial Infarctions Have Chest Pain as a Symptom 264

Knowing That Crying is a Good Sign in Pediatric Patients 264

Chapter 20: Ten Tips for Per forming EMT Procedures 265

Practice, Practice, Practice 265

Closely Evaluate Breathing 265

Palpate Firmly and Steadily 266

Improve the Volume of Lung Sounds 266

Immobilize the Patient’s Spine at the Correct Time 266

Control Bleeding Immediately 267

Splint an Angulated Fracture the Way You Found It (If Possible) 267

Perform a Focused Physical Exam 267

Make an Abdominal Exam More Accurate 267

Provide Consistent Medical Documentation 268

Index 269