Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Intermediate Practice Exam

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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.

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Which of the following is considered an obvious sign of death and would not require the initiation of CPR?

Dependent blood pooling
Pale skin
Unresponsiveness
Absent heartbeat

The correct answer is: Dependent blood pooling

Dependent blood pooling, also known as livor mortis, is a clear indicator of death that occurs due to the gravitational settling of blood in the body after the heart has stopped beating. This phenomenon typically starts to develop within 30 minutes to 2 hours postmortem and becomes fixed after a few hours. When dependent blood pooling is observed, it signifies that the biological processes essential for life have ceased, which establishes that there is no potential for resuscitation. In contrast, the other options—pale skin, unresponsiveness, and absent heartbeat—can all be signs of critical medical emergencies where resuscitation may still be possible. For instance, pale skin can indicate inadequate circulation or shock, unresponsiveness can result from various medical conditions that may still be reversible, and an absent heartbeat may occur in cases of severe bradycardia or other reversible cardiac issues. Therefore, these conditions would typically warrant the initiation of CPR until further assessment can confirm the presence or absence of life.