EMS Trivia

Airway

Question: What are the contraindications for inserting a nasopharyngeal airway (NPA)?

• Answer: Responsive patient, suspected fracture to the base of the skull or mid-face, and infants less than one year. Check the Airway Adjuncts article for more information.

Anatomy

Question: What is the anatomical term for the imaginary line that runs through the center of the armpit?

• Answer: Midaxillary line. Check the Anatomical Planes article for more information.

Cardiac

Question: Which type of AV block would have PR intervals of > 0.20 seconds that get progressively longer until a QRS complex is “dropped”?

• Answer: Second Degree AV Block Type I. Check the AV Blocks article for more information.

Respiratory

Question: What type of breath sounds would you expect to hear in a patient with alveoli that collapse after exhalation and re-expand after each inhalation?

• Answer: Crackles (rales). You might have guessed wheezing, which indicates constricted bronchioles, or rhonchi, which is a snoring sound when mucous collects in the airway.