When Obtaining Vital Signs on a 67-Year-Old Male with Dizziness

Multiple Choice

When obtaining vital signs on a 67-year-old male with dizziness and nausea, your partner states that the pulse seems to disappear periodically when the patient takes a deep breath. As a knowledgeable EMT, your best response would be:

A) "Given the patient's age, that is a typical finding and not an immediate concern."
B) "That is an important finding. We will have to let the doctor know of this."
C) "Let's move him to the stretcher for transport. That is an early sign of cardiac arrest."
D) "That is important in that it suggests the radial artery is partially blocked."