Airway, Respiration, and Ventilation Flashcards
7 cards from real Paramedics Exam practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Airway, Respiration, and Ventilation flashcards as text
A 6-year-old child in respiratory arrest requires BVM ventilation. What is the appropriate ventilation rate?
Answer: 12-20 breaths/min
Children (1 year to puberty) without an advanced airway should be ventilated at 12-20 breaths per minute when they have a pulse but are apneic.
Kussmaul respirations are characterized by:
Answer: Deep, rapid, labored breathing without pauses
Kussmaul respirations are deep, rapid, and labored — a physiologic response to severe metabolic acidosis, classically seen in diabetic ketoacidosis.
A tension pneumothorax is BEST decompressed in the prehospital setting by:
Answer: Needle thoracostomy at the 2nd intercostal space, midclavicular line
Needle thoracostomy (needle decompression) at the 2nd ICS midclavicular line is the standard prehospital treatment for tension pneumothorax.
Which of the following is NOT a sign of adequate ventilation during BVM use?
Answer: Audible gurgling over the epigastrium
Gurgling over the epigastrium indicates air is entering the stomach, not the lungs — this signals improper ventilation and risk of aspiration.
A patient is experiencing an anaphylactic reaction with severe bronchospasm and stridor. After epinephrine, the NEXT airway intervention is:
Answer: Oral intubation with RSI before swelling worsens
Rapidly progressing anaphylaxis with stridor requires early definitive airway management (RSI/intubation) before further swelling makes intubation impossible.
The normal partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO2) in a healthy adult breathing room air is approximately:
Answer: 80-100 mmHg
Normal PaO2 is 80-100 mmHg on room air; values below 60 mmHg indicate significant hypoxemia requiring supplemental oxygen.
Which of the following signs differentiates epiglottitis from croup in a pediatric patient?
Answer: High fever, drooling, and tripod positioning
Epiglottitis classically presents with high fever, drooling, muffled voice, and tripod positioning (leaning forward to maximize airflow) — not a barking cough.