Question

What's the formula to calculate the lower limit for a normal blood pressure in adolescents?

Answer

90 (lower limit of normal) / ^2/3 of systolic pressure. Check the Normal Vital Signs article for more information.

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.

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.

Question: How much blood loss is considered to be normal during childbirth?

• Answer: 500mL. If there's excessive bleeding, massage the fundus to stimulate contractions of the uterine smooth muscle. This should reduce bleeding.

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.

Question: For patients experiencing an ectopic pregnancy, in which abdominal quadrant(s) and/or area(s) of the body would they commonly feel pain?

• Answer: RLQ, LLQ and shoulder. Check the Causes of Abdominal Pain article for more information.

Question: What is the normal duration for the QRS complex? Your answer can be in either seconds or milliseconds.

• Answer: The normal duration is 0.06-0.12 seconds (60-120 ms). Check the ECG Intervals article for more information.

Question: When using the rule of nines to calculate BSA for a burn patient, what percentage is given to the arms?

• Answer: Nine percent. Check the Rule of Nines article for more information.

Question: What is the narrowest portion of an infant's airway?

• Answer: Cricoid cartilage. Remember, an endotracheal tube can successfully pass through the vocal cords; however, it might be too big to pass the cricoid ring.

Question: During which stage of hypothermia (stages 1-5) would you expect to see decreased vital signs?

• Answer: Stage 4. During Stage 4 hypothermia, you would expect to see bradycardia, low blood pressure and a low respiratory rate.

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.