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EMT — Patient Assessment, Anatomy & Medications flashcards

10 of 74 cards free to study here · 6 topics · the whole deck is built into Willys

Field-scenario cards on anatomy and perfusion, lifting and moving, vital signs by age, pulse oximetry, capnography and glucose checks, SAMPLE and OPQRST, secondary assessment and reassessment, AVPU and GCS, EMT medications, and PCR and radio reports.

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Learn deck · part of NREMT EMT · written against: National EMS Education Standards and NREMT EMT cognitive exam; 2025 AHA Guidelines for CPR and ECC (resuscitation cards fact-checked 2026-10-11 against summaries of the 2025 text). Updated 2026-10-10.

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  1. Your patient is lying face down and you write that a wound is on her "left anterior thigh." Which reference posture and point of view do those terms assume?
    Anatomical position: standing upright, facing the observer, arms at the sides with palms forward. Left and right are always the patient's left and right, whatever position the patient is actually in.
    Anatomy & Physiology
  2. A cut is on the thumb side of the wrist, and a bruise sits on the forearm closer to the elbow than to the hand. Which directional terms describe each location?
    The thumb side is lateral (in anatomical position the thumb points away from the midline), and closer to the elbow is proximal — nearer the point where the limb attaches to the trunk.
    Anatomy & Physiology
  3. How should your hands be placed on a stretcher handle for the strongest, safest lift?
    Use the power grip: palms up, hands commonly taught as at least about 10 inches apart, with the fingers and thumb wrapped fully around the handle so the whole hand is in contact.
    Lifting & Moving
  4. You need to move a loaded stretcher across a level floor. Should you push or pull, and how do you hold your body?
    Push rather than pull whenever possible, keeping the back locked, elbows bent and arms close to the body, with the force applied between waist and shoulder height.

    Watch out: avoid pushing overhead or reaching far out in front.
    Lifting & Moving
  5. Which resting pulse and respiratory rate ranges are commonly taught as normal for an adult?
    A pulse of about 60 to 100 beats per minute and respirations of about 12 to 20 breaths per minute.

    Watch out: a value inside the range does not prove the patient is well — trends and the whole picture matter.
    Vital Signs & History
  6. A calm 6-month-old has a pulse of 140 and is breathing 40 times a minute. Are these concerning?
    No — both are within the ranges commonly taught for infants, roughly 100 to 160 beats and 30 to 60 breaths per minute. Published pediatric ranges vary by source, so use your protocol's chart.

    Watch out: a sleeping infant may run somewhat lower.
    Vital Signs & History
  7. Which findings in the primary assessment make a patient a high priority for immediate transport?
    A poor general impression, unresponsiveness or not following commands, difficulty breathing, signs of shock or uncontrolled bleeding, chest pain with low blood pressure, complicated childbirth and severe pain anywhere.
    Patient Assessment
  8. Your patient is a responsive adult with abdominal pain. Do you start the secondary assessment with the history or the physical exam?
    With the history (SAMPLE and OPQRST), then a focused exam of the area of complaint, then vital signs.

    Why: a responsive patient can tell you what is wrong, which directs the exam.
    Patient Assessment
  9. How do an indication, a contraindication and a side effect differ for a medication?
    An indication is the condition the drug is meant to treat. A contraindication is a situation in which it should not be given because harm likely outweighs benefit. A side effect is any action other than the one intended, often expected and harmless.
    EMT Medications
  10. Why does the patient care report still matter after you hand the patient over?
    It provides continuity of care, serves as a legal record, supports billing and administration, and feeds quality improvement, research and education.
    Documentation & Communication

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About these cards

Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.

Checked against:

  • Checked against the National EMS Education Standards (NHTSA, 2021; US government work) and the National EMS Scope of Practice Model (NHTSA, 2019, including Change Notices 1.0 and 2.0, republished 2021; US government work).
  • Pediatric vital-sign ranges cross-checked against state EMS pediatric assessment references, which differ by source; pulse-oximetry limits against the FDA safety communication on pulse oximeter accuracy (2021) and FDA draft guidance on pulse oximeters (2025) (US government work); hypoglycemia thresholds against the American Diabetes Association Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026, Section 6; naloxone end point against the NASEMSO Model EMS Protocol for naloxone administration (reference only; no text copied).

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