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NREMT EMT Cognitive Exam — Practice

Secondary Assessment: practice questions

Our NREMT EMT bank has 21 questions on this topic. Here are 5 of them with answers; the full mock exam draws from every topic, like the real one.

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Question 1

A patient has jugular vein distension while sitting up at 45 degrees. What could this indicate?

  1. Heart failure or increased pressure in the chest
  2. Dehydration
  3. Low blood sugar
  4. A normal finding in all adults who are sitting up
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A. Heart failure or increased pressure in the chest — JVD in a semi-sitting patient can result from right-heart failure, tension pneumothorax or cardiac tamponade.

Question 2

During reassessment, you find the patient's SpO2 has dropped from 96% to 89% after you started transport. What should you do first?

  1. Ignore it, because the first reading was normal and the device is often wrong
  2. Switch off the pulse oximeter
  3. Recheck the airway and breathing and adjust oxygen therapy
  4. Stop the ambulance and wait
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C. Recheck the airway and breathing and adjust oxygen therapy — Reassessment detects changes; a falling saturation means re-examining the primary assessment and adjusting care.

Question 3

Which trauma patient should receive a rapid full-body (head-to-toe) assessment rather than a focused exam?

  1. A patient who cut a finger while cooking
  2. A patient with a significant mechanism of injury or altered mental status
  3. A patient who twisted an ankle while walking and cannot bear weight
  4. A patient with a splinter in one hand
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B. A patient with a significant mechanism of injury or altered mental status — A significant mechanism or unresponsive patient needs a rapid head-to-toe exam; an isolated minor injury needs a focused exam.

Question 4

How often should you reassess a stable patient?

  1. At least every 15 minutes
  2. Every 60 minutes
  3. Every 2 minutes
  4. Only when the patient complains
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A. At least every 15 minutes — Stable patients are reassessed at least every 15 minutes.

Question 5

In the SAMPLE history, what does the 'L' stand for?

  1. Level of consciousness
  2. Lung sounds
  3. Length of illness
  4. Last oral intake
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D. Last oral intake — SAMPLE: Signs/symptoms, Allergies, Medications, Pertinent past history, Last oral intake, Events leading up.

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