You respond to a patient with difficulty breathing. Upon assessment you notice that the patient is sitting in the tripod position, with marked JVD. The patient has clubbing in the fingers and new pitting edema. You should suspect:

The EMT shows that he is correctly using the flow-restricted, oxygen-powered ventilation device when he:

A) stops ventilating as soon as the patient's chest begins to rise. B) administers each ventilation over a 2- to 3-second period. C) ventilates the patient at a rate of 20 breaths per minute. D) increases pressure if the air enters the stomach instead of the lungs.

How should you classify a patient's nature of illness if he or she has a low blood glucose level, bizarre behavior, and shallow breathing?

A) Cardiac compromise B) Altered mental status C) Behavioral emergency D) Respiratory emergency