JBL EMT Practice Exam

The determination of whether a medical patient is a high-priority or low-priority transport is typically made:

1. as soon as the patient voices his or her chief complaint

2. after the primary assessment has been completed

3. once the patient's baseline vital signs are known

4. upon completion of a detailed secondary assessment

The correct answer is: as soon as the patient voices his or her chief complaint

The correct answer is A because the patient's chief complaint is typically the first indication of the level of urgency for the transport. Option B is incorrect because the primary assessment is done after arriving at the patient's location and does not determine the priority of the transport. Option C is incorrect because vital signs can change throughout the transport and are not the sole determinant of priority. Option D is incorrect because the secondary assessment is not always performed, and even if it is, it is not the primary factor in determining transport priority. Thus, the most appropriate time to determine the priority of a medical patient's transport is when they voice their chief complaint.