Question 1

The best method for determining responsiveness to painful stimuli in an infant is to:

Accepted Answer

A)  pinch his cheeks. 
B)  pinch his fingernails. 
C)  rub his sternum. 
D)  flick the soles of his feet.

Question 2

Mottled, cyanotic, pale, or ashen skin color may indicate any of the following EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)  hypertensive crisis. 
B)  impaired blood flow to an extremity. 
C)  significant blood loss. 
D)  loss of spinal cord function.

Question 3

Pulse quality refers to:

Accepted Answer

A)  rhythm. 
B)  strength. 
C)  location. 
D)  rate.

Question 4

If an abnormal finding is noted in the patient's respiratory rate or pattern during the chest examination, you should:

Accepted Answer

A)  immediately ensure adequate ventilation. 
B)  intervene only if pulse oximetry is less than 85 percent. 
C)  immediately determine the exact cause. 
D)  continue the examination before finding and treating the cause.

Question 5

Your patient does not respond to you when you call his name. What should you do next?

Accepted Answer

A)  Apply a painful stimulus. 
B)  Continue shouting. 
C)  Assume he is unresponsive. 
D)  Insert an oral airway.

Question 6

Patterns of deterioration in patient condition may include all of the following EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)  skin becomes cool, pale, and moist. 
B)  the heart rate significantly increases or decreases. 
C)  the respiratory rate significantly increases or decreases. 
D)  the level of consciousness increases.

Question 7

When assessing the airway, which of the following actions is NOT appropriate?

Accepted Answer

A)  Look for chest rise and fall. 
B)  Feel for air movement. 
C)  Listen for airflow. 
D)  Count the number of breaths over a minute.

Question 8

Your patient is awake and complaining of chest pain. His airway is patent, and he is breathing at 18 times per minute with adequate tidal volume. What is your next action?

Accepted Answer

A)  Administer oxygen at 15 lpm via nonrebreather mask. 
B)  Begin positive pressure ventilations via bag-valve-mask device. 
C)  Insert a nasopharyngeal airway. 
D)  Administer oxygen at 2 lpm via nasal cannula.

Question 9

You are examining a patient's peripheral vasculature when you note that he has no radial pulse. Your next step would be to:

Accepted Answer

A)  prepare for immediate transport. 
B)  defibrillate with 200 joules. 
C)  start CPR. 
D)  palpate a carotid pulse.

Question 10

You are assessing a 28-year-old man with multiple gunshots to his abdomen. You should expect his skin to be:

Accepted Answer

A)  cool and moist. 
B)  hot and moist. 
C)  warm and dry. 
D)  cold and dry.

Question 11

You locate a 55-year-old woman lying supine on the side of a road. There are no bystanders. You determine that the patient is unresponsive. Which of the following should be your next action?

Accepted Answer

A)  Apply a cervical collar. 
B)  Provide high-flow oxygen. 
C)  Open the airway with a jaw-thrust maneuver. 
D)  Intubate the trachea.

Question 12

According to the 2015 AHA guidelines/recommendations, a patient who appears to be unresponsive and not breathing or breathing ineffectively should be assessed using which mnemonic memory aid?

Accepted Answer

A)  ABC 
B)  BAC 
C)  CBA 
D)  CAB

Question 13

When assessing the chest, you should cover any open wounds you locate with a(n) ________ dressing.

Accepted Answer

A)  wet 
B)  occlusive 
C)  antibacterial 
D)  dry gauze

Question 14

Forming a general impression as part of your primary assessment helps you to:

Accepted Answer

A)  determine baseline mental status. 
B)  determine general clinical status and priority. 
C)  make a determination about stabilization of the cervical spine. 
D)  estimate vital signs.

Question 15

A patient with skin described as "clammy" has ________ skin.

Accepted Answer

A)  cool and dry 
B)  warm and dry 
C)  warm and moist 
D)  cool and moist

Question 16

Your patient appears awake, but barely looks at you when you call his name. His airway is open, and he is breathing at 34 times per minute. He appears cyanotic. Which of the following adjuncts is most appropriate at this point?

Accepted Answer

A)  Nonrebreather mask 
B)  Bag-valve mask 
C)  Nasopharyngeal airway 
D)  Nasal cannula

Question 17

To assess an infant's airway, you should:

Accepted Answer

A)  perform a tongue-jaw lift. 
B)  hyperextend the head and lift the chin. 
C)  perform a jaw-thrust maneuver. 
D)  carefully extend the head and neck.

Question 18

Which of the following conditions is NOT typically associated with wheezing?

Accepted Answer

A)  Foreign bodies in the small airways 
B)  Asthma 
C)  Bronchospasm 
D)  Upper airway swelling

Question 19

Medical patients with altered mental status are stabilized in a manner similar to that that is appropriate for:

Accepted Answer

A)  critical trauma patients. 
B)  any other medical patient. 
C)  a patient complaining of chest pain. 
D)  a patient with isolated extremity trauma.

Question 20

Your three-year-old patient opens her eyes and responds when you speak to her. Her mental status is best described as:

Accepted Answer

A)  alert. 
B)  responsive to tactile stimuli. 
C)  responsive to verbal stimuli. 
D)  lethargic.

Exam 2: Primary Assessment