Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Intermediate Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Prepare for the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Intermediate Test with focused study methods including flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Practice with hints and detailed explanations to boost your readiness for the exam.

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

When treating a patient with suspected neck injury, what is the safest initial action?

Check for pulse in extremities
Stabilize the neck manually
Ask the patient to move their head
Apply a cervical collar

The correct answer is: Stabilize the neck manually

In the case of a patient with a suspected neck injury, manually stabilizing the neck is critical in preventing further damage to the spinal cord or the neck structures. This initial action helps to immobilize the cervical spine, reducing the risk of exacerbating any potential injury while ensuring that you maintain the alignment of the head and neck. By applying manual stabilization, the EMT can also assess the patient's airway and ensure that it remains patent without compromising the injury site. This approach is essential in emergency situations, allowing for safe movement of the patient and preparation for further interventions, such as applying a cervical collar or conducting a more thorough assessment. Choices involving checking for pulse in extremities, asking the patient to move their head, or applying a cervical collar are not the safest first steps. Checking pulses may distract from immediate stabilization efforts, moving the head can add to the risk of injury, and while applying a cervical collar is important, it should occur after manual stabilization to ensure that the neck is held in a secure and safe position during the process.