EMR Environmental Emergencies and Hazmat Awareness Flashcards
6 cards from real EMR practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 EMR Environmental Emergencies and Hazmat Awareness flashcards as text
Which environmental emergency is characterized by pale, cool, moist skin, weakness, and heavy sweating without altered mental status?
Answer: Heat exhaustion
Heat exhaustion presents with profuse sweating, weakness, pale cool skin, and near-normal mental status — the cooling system is still working but the patient is volume-depleted.
A patient is found unresponsive with a pulse rate of 28 after being in a cold environment. The EMR should:
Answer: Handle the patient gently, keep warm, and apply high-flow oxygen
Severe hypothermia produces extreme bradycardia that may still be perfusing — rough handling can precipitate V-fib, so gentle movement and rewarming are priorities.
At the scene of a chemical release, the wind is blowing from west to east. Where should the EMR establish a command post?
Answer: Upwind (west) and uphill from the release site
Command and staging areas should always be positioned upwind and uphill of a chemical release to avoid vapor exposure.
A lightning strike victim is found pulseless. Which statement about lightning victims and resuscitation is correct?
Answer: Lightning victims are safe to touch and CPR should begin immediately
Lightning victims do not retain an electrical charge and are safe to handle; immediate CPR significantly improves survival in lightning-induced cardiac arrest.
A patient stung by a jellyfish on the beach complains of severe burning pain. The EMR's most appropriate immediate intervention is:
Answer: Rinse with seawater or vinegar and avoid scraping tentacles
Seawater or vinegar deactivates unfired nematocysts; fresh water and rubbing cause nematocysts to fire and worsen envenomation.
When a patient is found trapped inside a vehicle in extreme cold with the engine running, the EMR should first consider:
Answer: Carbon monoxide poisoning in addition to hypothermia
An enclosed vehicle with a running engine creates a carbon monoxide accumulation risk in addition to the hypothermia from the cold environment.