TL;DR
Master airway assessment, management techniques, and respiratory emergency interventions. Airway management is the highest priority in patient care and a critical exam topic.
Free Respiratory Emergencies Practice Questions
NREMT EMT Certification · Airway, Respiration & Ventilation
This module covers Respiratory Emergencies as part of the Airway, Respiration & Ventilation section, testing your understanding of core concepts and their practical application.
| Exam | NREMT EMT Certification |
| Pass Rate | 67% |
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Module | Respiratory Emergencies |
Why Respiratory Emergencies matters
Respiratory Emergencies is the most critical clinical skill because airway compromise is the fastest pathway to patient death.
Sample Practice Questions (5)
1. You are treating a severe asthma patient who was initially wheezing loudly. After several minutes, the wheezing stops but the patient becomes increasingly lethargic and the SpO2 drops to 80%. What does the sudden cessation of wheezing indicate?
- Worsening bronchospasm with critically reduced air movement; prepare to assist ventilations with BVM
- The bronchospasm has resolved and the patient is improving
- The patient has developed a pneumothorax
- The pulse oximeter is malfunctioning
2. You respond to a 60-year-old male who is sitting upright in bed, extremely anxious, and in severe respiratory distress. He has bilateral crackles, jugular venous distension (JVD), and pedal edema. His blood pressure is 200/120 mmHg, heart rate is 130, respiratory rate is 36, and SpO2 is 82%. What is the MOST critical EMT intervention?
- Assist ventilations with BVM and high-flow oxygen in the upright position while preparing for rapid transport
- Apply a NRB at 15 LPM and lay the patient flat to improve perfusion
- Elevate the patient's legs to treat the shock
- Apply a nasal cannula at 6 LPM and obtain IV access
3. An obese 45-year-old male is choking on a piece of steak at a restaurant. He is conscious but unable to speak, cough, or breathe. Due to his body habitus, you cannot effectively wrap your arms around his abdomen. What is the BEST alternative?
- Perform chest thrusts by placing your fist on the center of the sternum
- Attempt abdominal thrusts anyway, even if your arms do not fully reach around
- Encourage the patient to attempt self-administered abdominal thrusts using a chair back
- Perform back blows as the primary intervention
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Start practicing free →4. You respond to a 72-year-old COPD patient who is cyanotic, using accessory muscles, and has a respiratory rate of 32. She is on home oxygen at 2 LPM. Her SpO2 reads 76% and she can only speak single words. After applying a NRB at 15 LPM, her breathing rate decreases to 8 per minute and becomes shallow. What should you do?
- Begin assisting ventilations with a BVM while maintaining high-flow oxygen
- Reduce the oxygen to 2 LPM since the high flow suppressed her respiratory drive
- Remove the NRB and let the patient breathe room air
- Continue NRB at 15 LPM and monitor since her respiratory rate decreased
5. A 68-year-old male with a history of CHF is in severe respiratory distress. He is sitting bolt upright, has pink frothy sputum, bilateral crackles to the mid-lung fields, and an SpO2 of 84%. What should you do FIRST?
- Apply high-flow oxygen via non-rebreather mask and keep the patient in an upright position
- Lay the patient supine and elevate the legs to improve circulation
- Begin assisted ventilation with a BVM immediately
- Apply a nasal cannula at 6 LPM and obtain a complete SAMPLE history
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