OEC Patient Evaluation & Emergency Response 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the OEC patient assessment system, what does the 'secondary assessment' primarily focus on?
- Identifying and managing life threats
- A systematic head-to-toe physical exam and vital signs (Correct answer)
- Scene safety and mechanism of injury
- Determining transport priority
Correct answer: A systematic head-to-toe physical exam and vital signs
The secondary assessment is a comprehensive head-to-toe exam combined with vital signs to identify all injuries and conditions.
Question 2: Which of the following correctly describes the AVPU scale used in OEC?
- Alert, Verbal, Pain, Unresponsive (Correct answer)
- Awake, Vocal, Passive, Unconscious
- Alert, Vascular, Pupillary, Unresponsive
- Aware, Verbal, Pressure, Unresponsive
Correct answer: Alert, Verbal, Pain, Unresponsive
AVPU assesses level of consciousness: Alert, responds to Verbal stimuli, responds to Painful stimuli, or Unresponsive.
Question 3: A hiker presents with altered mental status after a long ascent. What environmental emergency should the OEC rescuer consider first?
- Anaphylaxis
- Acute Mountain Sickness progressing to HACE (Correct answer)
- Hypothermia
- Dehydration-induced syncope
Correct answer: Acute Mountain Sickness progressing to HACE
Altered mental status at altitude is a red flag for High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE), a life-threatening progression of AMS.
Question 4: When documenting patient information in the field, what is the primary purpose of the Patient Assessment Form?
- To bill the patient's insurance provider
- To provide a written record for continuity of care and legal documentation (Correct answer)
- To determine whether the patient needs advanced care
- To record scene conditions for incident reports only
Correct answer: To provide a written record for continuity of care and legal documentation
The Patient Assessment Form creates a written record that supports continuity of care and serves as a legal medical document.
Question 5: During the primary assessment, you identify a patient who is breathing but has an airway partially blocked by snow. What is the priority intervention?
- Administer supplemental oxygen immediately
- Clear the airway using finger sweeps or suction (Correct answer)
- Begin bag-valve-mask ventilation
- Reposition the patient in a lateral recumbent position
Correct answer: Clear the airway using finger sweeps or suction
A partially obstructed airway must be cleared first to ensure adequate ventilation before other interventions.
Question 6: An OEC technician is assessing a patient for jugular vein distension (JVD). In what patient position should JVD be assessed?
- Supine (lying flat)
- Sitting upright at 90 degrees
- Semi-reclined at 45 degrees (Correct answer)
- Prone position
Correct answer: Semi-reclined at 45 degrees
JVD is assessed with the patient at a 45-degree angle; distension in this position indicates increased venous pressure.
Question 7: Which finding during a rapid trauma assessment would indicate the need for immediate evacuation rather than on-scene treatment?
- A closed tibia fracture with intact PMS
- An open femur fracture with signs of shock (Correct answer)
- A Grade I ankle sprain with mild swelling
- A minor laceration with controlled bleeding
Correct answer: An open femur fracture with signs of shock
An open femur fracture with shock signs indicates a life-threatening emergency requiring rapid evacuation to definitive care.
OEC Patient Evaluation & Emergency Response 3
In the OEC patient assessment system, what does the 'secondary assessment' primarily focus on?