EMR First Responder 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient is found unresponsive and not breathing normally. After activating EMS, what is the FIRST action an EMR should take?
- Perform a head-tilt chin-lift
- Begin chest compressions (Correct answer)
- Apply an AED
- Check for a pulse for up to 10 seconds
Correct answer: Begin chest compressions
Current AHA guidelines prioritize immediate chest compressions (C-A-B) before airway maneuvers for unresponsive, non-breathing adults.
Question 2: Which personal protective equipment (PPE) is considered the MINIMUM standard when treating a bleeding patient?
- Gown and eye protection only
- Gloves and eye protection (Correct answer)
- Gloves only
- N95 mask and gown
Correct answer: Gloves and eye protection
Gloves protect against bloodborne pathogens and eye protection guards against splatter — both are minimum standard for bleeding emergencies.
Question 3: An EMR arrives on scene where a patient has an impaled object in the abdomen. The correct management is to:
- Remove the object and apply direct pressure
- Stabilize the object in place with bulky dressings (Correct answer)
- Push the object deeper to stop bleeding
- Cover the wound with an occlusive dressing
Correct answer: Stabilize the object in place with bulky dressings
Impaled objects should never be removed; they are stabilized in place to prevent further injury and hemorrhage.
Question 4: During a two-rescuer CPR, the compression-to-ventilation ratio for an adult patient is:
- 15:2
- 30:2 (Correct answer)
- 30:1
- 15:1
Correct answer: 30:2
The standard two-rescuer adult CPR ratio remains 30 compressions to 2 ventilations per AHA guidelines.
Question 5: A construction worker is found with a large open chest wound that makes a sucking sound with breathing. The EMR should:
- Apply a standard gauze dressing tightly
- Cover with a vented (three-sided) chest seal (Correct answer)
- Leave the wound open to prevent tension pneumothorax
- Perform needle decompression immediately
Correct answer: Cover with a vented (three-sided) chest seal
A vented or three-sided chest seal covers the wound while allowing air to escape, preventing tension pneumothorax.
Question 6: When using a bag-valve-mask (BVM) device alone, the correct volume to deliver per breath is enough to:
- Fully compress the bag
- Produce visible chest rise (Correct answer)
- Inflate the lungs for 2 full seconds
- Make a seal-breaking pop
Correct answer: Produce visible chest rise
Ventilations should be just enough to produce visible chest rise, avoiding excessive tidal volume that causes gastric inflation.
Question 7: An EMR is treating a patient with severe external bleeding from the thigh. Direct pressure has not controlled the hemorrhage after 5 minutes. The next best step is:
- Apply additional pressure dressings over the original
- Apply a tourniquet proximal to the wound (Correct answer)
- Elevate the extremity and apply ice
- Pack the wound with sterile gauze only
Correct answer: Apply a tourniquet proximal to the wound
When direct pressure fails on extremity hemorrhage, a tourniquet applied proximal to the wound is the next standard of care.
EMR First Responder 2
A patient is found unresponsive and not breathing normally.
After activating EMS, what is the FIRST action an EMR should take?