Chapter 33: Environmental Emergencies Part 2

True or False

The body's most efficient heat-regulating mechanisms are sweating and dilation of skin blood vessels.

True or False

People who are at greatest risk for heat illnesses are the elderly and children.

True or False

The strongest stimulus for breathing is an elevation of oxygen in the blood.

True or False

Immediate bradycardia after jumping in cold water is called the diving reflex.

True or False

Cottonmouths are known for aggressive behavior.

True or False

Ice should be promptly applied to any insect sting or snake bite with swelling.

True or False

The most common type of pit viper is the copperhead.

True or False

Cottonmouths are known for aggressive behavior.

True or False

Ticks should be removed by firmly grasping them with tweezers while rotating them counterclockwise.

True or False

The pain of coelenterate stings may respond to flushing with cold water.

True or False

If you are unsure as to whether a hypothermic patient has a pulse present, palpate the carotid artery for 15 to 20 seconds.

True or False

The goal with the patient with moderate-to-severe hypothermia is to prevent further heat loss.

True or False

After a lightning strike you should practice reverse triage.

True or False

Extremes in temperature and humidity are needed to produce hot or cold injuries.

True or False

When approaching a water rescue scene, it is better to drive through moving water than through stagnant water.

True or False

Potential safety hazards in the environment can include wet grass, mud, or icy streets.

True or False

Long-sleeved shirts and long pants are considered dangerous for EMS responders in extreme heat and are not necessary because they provide only minimal protection from exposure.

Do not attempt to actively rewarm patients who have to hypothermia, because they are prone to developing arrhythmias unless handled very carefully.

Most significant diving injuries occur during __________.

When treating a patient with frostbite, never attempt if there is any chance that the part may freeze again before the patient reaches the hospital.

A patient at an altitude above 10,000' with shortness of breath and cough with pink sputum is likely to be suffering from _____-______ _ _________.

___________, a common effect of hypothermia, is the body's attempt to maintain heat. (Micro spasms)

Whenever a person dives or jumps into very cold water, the _ _________ may cause immediate bradycardia.

_________ is the transfer of heat by radiant energy.

Mild hypothermia occurs when the core temperature is between ___ and __________.

The and ___ systems are the most commonly injured during a lightning strike.

_________ is the third most common cause of death from isolated environmental phenomena.

_________ is a serum containing antibodies that counteracts venom.

__________ (bees, wasps, ants, and yellow jackets) stings are painful but are not medical emergencies unless the patient is allergic to the venom.

Most snake bites occur between and __________, when the animals are active.

In the United States, the most common form of pit viper is the __________.

_________ are eight-legged arachnids with a venom gland and stinger at the end of their tail.

Tick bites occur most commonly during the _ months.

One-third of patients with Lyme disease will have a rash.

To treat a sting from a jellyfish, immersion in of the affected area may help alleviate symptoms.

Coelenterates are responsible for more than any other marine animal.

Toxins from the spines of urchins and stingrays are _ __________.

Most frostbitten parts are:

Select One

A. soft and moist
B. hard and waxy
C. soft and waxy
D. hard and moist

If a patient has a cold skin temperature, he or she likely is:

Select One

A. hypothermic
B. hyperthermic
C. hypovolemic
D. hypoglycemic

If a patient has a hot skin temperature, he or she likely is:

Select One

A. hypothermic
B. hyperthermic
C. hypoglycemic
D. hypervolemic

When treating multiple victims of lightning strikes, who should you concentrate your efforts on first?

Select One

A. conscious patients
B. unconscious patients in respiratory or cardiac arrest
C. all unconscious patients
D. none of the above

What is the best method of inactivating a jellyfish sting?

Select One

A. urinating on it
B. flushing the site with cold water
C. applying vinegar
D. applying an ice pack

You are dispatched to a residence for a young female who is sick. The patient complains of a rash to her lower extremities and truncal area. Your assessment reveals a small, painful Bull's-eye rash on her inner thigh. As your partner is taking the patient's vital signs, she states that she and her family returned from a camping trip two days ago. On the basis of this patient's presentation, you should suspect:

The diving reflex may allow a person to survive extended periods of submersion in cold water secondary to:

A dysbarism injury refers to the signs and symptoms related to changes in

To assess a patient's general temperature, pull back on your glove and place the back of your hand on his or her skin at the:

The body's natural cooling mechanism, in which sweat is converted to a gas, is called:

Geriatric patients are at a higher risk for Illnesses due to extreme environmental temperatures because:

The transfer of heat to circulating air, such as when cool air moves across the body’s surface, is called:

Select One

A. radiation.
B. conduction.
C. convection.
D. evaporation.

The body’s natural protective mechanisms against heat loss are:

Select One

A. shivering and vasodilation.
B. vasodilation and respiration.
C. respiration and vasoconstriction.
D. vasoconstriction and shivering.

Patients with generalized hypothermia are at an increased risk of a local cold injury because:

Select One

A. blood is shunted away from the extremities to the body’s core.
B. peripheral vasodilation brings warm blood to the skin’s surface.
C. the major muscles of the body become rigid during hypothermia.
D. the patient is usually unable to escape the cold ambient temperature.

You are assessing a 33-year-old male who complains of severe abdominal pain, weakness, and nausea. He tells you that he was gathering wood to build a fire when he felt a sudden, sharp pain on the back of his hand. Your assessment reveals that the patient’s abdomen is rigid and painful to palpation.

You should suspect:

A. envenomation from a pit viper.

B. a black widow spider bite.

C. a brown recluse spider bite.

D. Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Compared to adults, infants and children are at higher risk for hypothermia for all of the following reasons, EXCEPT:

Select One

A. a smaller amount of body fat.
B. a decreased ability to shiver.
C. a relatively small surface area.
D. a smaller overall muscle mass.

Which of the following conditions would be the LEAST likely to increase a person's risk of hypothermia?

Select One

A. Hyperglycemia
B. Spinal cord injury
C. Severe infection
D. Head injury

Covering a patient's __ will significantly minimize radiation heat loss.

Select One

A. head
B. chest
C. extremities
D. abdomen

An air embolism associated with diving occurs when:

Select One

A. the alveoli completely collapse due to high pressure.
B. high water pressure forces air into the mediastinum.
C. the diver hyperventilates prior to entering the water.
D. the diver holds his or her breath during a rapid ascent.

Which of the following would be the LEAST likely to occur in a patient with a core body temperature of between 89°F (32°C) and 92°F (33°C)?

Select One

A. Confusion
B. Stiff muscles
C. Tachycardia
D. Bradypnea

Which of the following medications increases a person's risk of a heat-related emergency?

Select One

A. Tylenol
B. Asprin
C. Motrin
D. Diuretic

To obtain the MOST accurate reading of a patient's core body temperature, you should place a special hypothermia thermometer:

Select One

A. into a patient's rectum
B. under the patient's armpit
C. behind the patient's knee
D. under the patient's tongue