Patient Assessment Flashcards
7 cards from real AEMT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Patient Assessment flashcards as text
The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) evaluates which three components to assess neurological status?
Answer: Eye opening, verbal response, and motor response
The GCS scores eye opening (1–4), verbal response (1–5), and motor response (1–6) for a composite score ranging from 3 to 15.
A patient with a GCS score of 8 or less typically requires:
Answer: Aggressive airway management and protection
A GCS of 8 or less indicates severe neurological impairment and is the threshold at which airway protection, including advanced airway management, is strongly indicated.
When performing a focused exam on a patient with isolated extremity trauma, the AEMT should assess for all of the following EXCEPT:
Answer: Pedal edema bilaterally
Pedal edema is a systemic finding associated with conditions like congestive heart failure, not acute localized extremity trauma; neurovascular status distal to the injury is the focus.
During reassessment, the AEMT notes the patient's mental status has changed from Alert to responding only to Verbal stimuli. This change most likely indicates:
Answer: A potential deterioration in the patient's condition
A drop from Alert to Verbal on the AVPU scale represents a clinically significant decline in mental status indicating the patient's condition may be worsening.
Which tool is used in the field to rapidly estimate a pediatric patient's weight for medication dosing and equipment sizing?
Answer: Broselow tape
The Broselow tape is a length-based, color-coded resuscitation tool that correlates patient length to estimated weight, guiding medication doses and equipment selection.
The Pediatric Assessment Triangle (PAT) rapidly evaluates which three components?
Answer: Appearance, work of breathing, and circulation to skin
The PAT assesses Appearance (tone, interactiveness, cry/speech), Work of Breathing (positioning, retractions, sounds), and Circulation to Skin (color, mottling) to identify life threats before touching the patient.
During transport of an unstable priority patient, vital signs should be reassessed at minimum every:
Answer: 5 minutes
Unstable or critical patients require vital sign reassessment every 5 minutes to detect trends and guide ongoing treatment decisions.