Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Trauma Practice Test

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Prepare for the EMT Trauma Test. Study through flashcards and multiple choice questions with hints and explanations. Ace your exam with our extensive preparation resources!

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You are examining a patient with facial trauma who has an intact airway but is exhibiting increasing respiratory distress. What should be your immediate priority?

Initiate an IV line for fluid resuscitation
Secure the airway with a nasotracheal tube
Suction blood and secretions from the airway
Stabilize the cervical spine and reassess airway

The correct answer is: Initiate an IV line for fluid resuscitation

In a patient with facial trauma and increasing respiratory distress, the immediate priority should be to initiate an IV line for fluid resuscitation. This is because the patient may have significant bleeding due to the facial trauma, leading to hypovolemia and shock. Fluid resuscitation aims to restore intravascular volume to maintain perfusion to vital organs and stabilize the patient's condition. Securing the airway with a nasotracheal tube, suctioning blood and secretions from the airway, and stabilizing the cervical spine are important interventions in trauma care but may not be the immediate priority in this scenario where the patient is exhibiting respiratory distress due to potential hypovolemic shock.