Primary Assessment

During the primary assessment, you quickly expose a patient to check for major bleeding. You observe a significant puncture wound on the patient's abdomen. What should you do?

• Use the patient's clothing to soak up the blood

• Apply light pressure to the wound with gloved fingers

• Apply direct pressure to the wound with gloved fingers

• Make note of the wound and continue the assessment

What does the EMS professional evaluate during the primary assessment?

• Level of consciousness

• Airway

• Circulation

• Breathing

• All of the above

What does an AVPU check assess?

• Circulation

• Scene safety

• Level of consciousness

• Breathing

• Airway

You approach a patient who appears unconscious and does not respond to your questions. But, when you ask her to wiggle her toes, she is able to do so. How would you describe this patient?

• Unresponsive

• Responsive to painful stimuli

• Alert

• Responsive to verbal stimuli

You and your partner respond to a call involving a fall of 18 feet. After taking proper safety precautions, you approach the patient. You manually stabilize the patient's cervical spine and open the away using the jaw-thrust maneuver. Meanwhile, your partner determines that the patient is unresponsive. What should be your partner's next move?

• Check the patient's circulation

• Assess the patient's level of consciousness

• Evaluate the patient's breathing

• Determine that the scene is safe

• Request police backup

As you approach your patient, she quickly and easily begins explaining how she injured herself. What can you assume about her airway?

• It is patent.

• It is compromised.

• It is obstructed.

Which of the following statements is considered a chief complaint?

• "I'm allergic to penicillin."

• "I don't want any emergency care."

• "I've been feeling this way for two days."

• "I fell and twisted my ankle."

How should an EMS professional respond to a life-threat discovered during the primary assessment?

• Address the threat while continuing the assessment

• Document the threat and continue the assessment

• Call dispatch and request an ALS team

• Stop the primary assessment and do a focused history

• Begin immediate treatment

Why is the assessment of airway, breathing, and circulation (ABCs) an important part of the primary assessment?

• It establishes a baseline for the vital signs.

• A problem in any of these areas could be life-threatening.

• It indicates the mechanism of injury involved.

• It provides the EMS professional with information about a patient's medical history.

What does the V in AVPU stand for?

• Very little response

• Vital signs

• Requires ventilation

• Responds to verbal stimuli