JBL EMT Practice Exam

While assessing an elderly woman with difficulty breathing and a history of emphysema, hypertension, and congestive heart failure, what should you direct your partner to do?

1. Administer oxygen with the appropriate device

2. Assess her oxygen saturation and blood pressure

3. Perform a head-to-toe secondary assessment

4. Retrieve the stretcher and prepare for transport

The correct answer is: Administer oxygen with the appropriate device

In this scenario, when assessing an elderly woman with difficulty breathing and a complex medical history including emphysema, hypertension, and congestive heart failure, directing your partner to administer oxygen with the appropriate device is crucial. Patients with emphysema, hypertension, and congestive heart failure are at a higher risk of experiencing respiratory distress and may require supplemental oxygen to support their breathing efforts. Administering oxygen promptly can help improve the patient's oxygenation levels and ease their breathing, which is a priority in this situation. Therefore, choosing option A is the correct course of action to provide immediate care for the patient's respiratory distress. Assessing oxygen saturation and blood pressure might be important steps to take after administering oxygen but should not take precedence over the immediate need for oxygen therapy in a patient with difficulty breathing. Performing a head-to-toe secondary assessment and preparing for transport are secondary actions that can be considered after addressing the patient's respiratory needs with oxygen administration.