Substance Dependence and Poisoning Management

Questions and Answers

A hypnotic drug is one that:

Increases the pulse

Induces sleep (correct)

Prevents amnesia

Increases the senses

A patient who presents with rapid breathing, nausea and vomiting, ringing in the ears, and hyperthermia should be suspected of ingesting a significant quantity of:

Acetaminophen

Cocaine

Aspirin (correct)

Ibuprofen

A person who routinely misuses a substance and requires increasing amounts to achieve the same effect is experiencing:

Addiction

Dependence

Tolerance (correct)

Withdrawal

Activated charcoal may be indicated for a patient who ingested:

Aspirin Signup and view all the answers

After administering activated charcoal to a patient, it is MOST important to:

Be alert for vomiting Signup and view all the answers

Airborne substances should be diluted with:

Oxygen Signup and view all the answers

An EMT's primary responsibility to the patient who has been poisoned is to:

Recognize that a poisoning occurred Signup and view all the answers

Common names for activated charcoal include all of the following, EXCEPT:

Fructose Signup and view all the answers

Heroin is an example of a(n):

Opioid Signup and view all the answers

Hypotension, hypoventilation, and pinpoint pupils would be expected following an overdose of:

Oxycodone (Percocet) Signup and view all the answers

If you are uncertain how to treat a patient who has been poisoned or exposed to a specific substance, you should:

Try to find the container the substance was in Signup and view all the answers

Most poisonings occur via the _____________ route.

Ingestion Signup and view all the answers

Signs and symptoms of a sympathomimetic drug overdose include:

Tachycardia Signup and view all the answers

Substance abuse is MOST accurately defined as:

Misusing a substance to produce a desired effect Signup and view all the answers

The major side effect associated with administration of activated charcoal is:

Black stools Signup and view all the answers

The poison control center will provide you with the most information regarding the appropriate treatment for a patient with a drug overdose if the center:

Is aware of the substance that is involved Signup and view all the answers

What type of poisoning will cause burns around the mouth in children:

Alkaline poison Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following questions would be the LEAST pertinent during the initial questioning of a patient who ingested a substance?

Why was the substance ingested? Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements regarding the Salmonella bacterium is correct?

The Salmonella bacterium itself causes food poisoning Signup and view all the answers

Your priority in caring for a patient with a surface contact poisoning is to:

Avoid contaminating yourself Signup and view all the answers

Your paramedic partner administers atropine to a 49-year-old male with bradycardia. Which of the following side effects would you expect the patient to experience?

Dry mucous membranes Signup and view all the answers

You receive a call to a residence where a man found his wife unresponsive on the couch. The patient's respiratory rate is 8 breaths per minute, her breathing is shallow, her heart rate is 40 beats per minute, and her pulse is weak. The husband hands you an empty bottle of hydrocodone (Vicodin), which was refilled the day before. You should:

Ventilate her with a bag-mask device Signup and view all the answers

During your assessment of a 50-year-old male found unresponsive in an alley, you note that he has slow, shallow respirations; bradycardia; facial cyanosis; and pinpoint pupils. Which of the following would MOST likely explain the patient's presentation?

Heroin overdose Signup and view all the answers

A 25-year-old man overdosed on heroin and is unresponsive. His breathing is slow and shallow and he is bradycardic. He has track marks on both arms. The EMT should:

Insert a nasal airway and ventilate with a bag-mask device Signup and view all the answers

A 49-year-old male presents with confusion, sweating, and visual hallucinations. The patient's wife tells you that he is a heavy drinker and she thinks he had a seizure shortly before your arrival. This patient is MOST likely experiencing:

Delirium tremens Signup and view all the answers

You respond to a college campus for a young male who is acting strangely. After law enforcement has secured the scene, you enter the patient's dorm room and find him sitting on the edge of the bed; he appears agitated. As you approach him, you notice that he has dried blood around both nostrils. He is breathing adequately, his pulse is rapid and irregular, and his blood pressure is 200/110 mm Hg. Treatment for this patient includes:

Attempting to calm him and giving him oxygen as tolerated Signup and view all the answers

Before giving activated charcoal, you should:

Obtain approval from medical control Signup and view all the answers

In an apparent suicide attempt, a 19-year-old female ingested a full bottle of amitriptyline (Elavil). At present, she is conscious and alert and states that she swallowed the pills approximately 30 minutes earlier. Her blood pressure is 90/50 mm Hg, her pulse is 140 beats/min and irregular, and her respirations are 22 breaths/min with adequate depth. When transporting this patient, you should be MOST alert for:

Seizures and cardiac dysrhythmias Signup and view all the answers

EMTs are dispatched for a teenage male who is 'not acting right.' When they arrive, they are informed that the patient was huffing. Several cans of Freon are found near the patient. Which of the following is a unique consideration for this patient?

A sudden adrenaline release can cause a fatal dysrhythmia Signup and view all the answers

You and your paramedic partner are caring for a patient who ingested codeine, acetaminophen (Tylenol), and hydrocodone (Vicodin). The patient is unresponsive, his breathing is slow and shallow, and his pulse is slow and weak. Treatment for this patient should include:

Assisted ventilation and naloxone (Narcan) Signup and view all the answers

In an apparent suicide attempt, a 19-year-old female ingested a full bottle of amitriptyline (Elavil). At present, she is conscious and alert and states that she swallowed the pills approximately 30 minutes earlier. Her blood pressure is 90/50 mm Hg, her pulse is 140 beats/min and irregular, and her respirations are 22 breaths/min with adequate depth. When transporting this patient, you should be MOST alert for:

Seizures or cardiac dysrhythmias Signup and view all the answers

Your unit is dispatched to the county jail for an intoxicated inmate. Upon arrival, you find a patient, a 33-year-old male, lying supine in a jail cell. He is responsive to painful stimuli only and has slow, shallow respirations. You should be most concerned that this patient:

Might vomit and aspirate Signup and view all the answers

A four-year-old, 15 kg male ingested an unknown quantity of acetaminophen (Tylenol). The child's mother states that she does not know when the ingestion occurred. The child is conscious and alert and in no apparent distress. The EMT should:

Administer 15 g of activated charcoal Signup and view all the answers

You respond to a local motel for a young female who was sexually assaulted. The patient is conscious but confused. She tells you that the last thing she remembered was drinking beer at a club with her friends the night before. When she awoke, she was in the bed of the motel room. You should suspect that this patient:

Was given flunitrazepam (rohypnol) Signup and view all the answers

You are dispatched to a local nursery for a 39-year-old female who is sick. When you arrive, you find a patient lying on the floor. She is semi-conscious, has copious amounts of saliva coming from her mouth, and is incontinent of urine. You quickly feel her pulse and note that it is very slow. Immediate management for this patient should include:

Thoroughly suctioning her oropharynx Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following sets of vital signs would the EMT most likely encounter in a patient with acute cocaine overdose?

BP, 200/100 mm Hg; pulse, 150 beats/min Signup and view all the answers

A three-year-old female ingested several leaves from a plant in the living room. The child's mother is not sure what type of plant it is, stating that she bought it simply because it was pretty. After completing your primary assessment of the child, you should:

Contact the regional Poison Control Center Signup and view all the answers

Activated charcoal is given to patients who have ingested certain substances because it:

Binds to the substance and prevents absorption Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Hypnotic Drugs

Hypnotic drugs induce sleep, contrasting with substances that increase awareness or energy levels.

Aspirin Overdose Symptoms

Symptoms indicating significant aspirin ingestion include rapid breathing, nausea, vomiting, tinnitus (ringing in ears), and hyperthermia.