Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Trauma Practice Test

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A patient with a spinal injury may still be able to use his or her diaphragm to breathe, but would lose control of the intercostal muscles, if the spinal cord is injured:

  1. Above the C3 level

  2. Above the C5 level

  3. Below the C5 level

  4. Between C1 and C2

The correct answer is: Above the C3 level

When a spinal cord injury occurs above the level of C3, it affects the phrenic nerve, which controls the diaphragm. This results in the loss of the ability to control the diaphragm and breathe on their own. In contrast, injuries below the C3 level may still allow the patient to use the diaphragm for breathing. Therefore, the correct answer is A, as injuries above the C3 level would result in the loss of diaphragm control.

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