A common precaution to the use of anticonvulsant medications is:
a. The effects of alcohol will potentiate the effects of the medication given, therefore the paramedic should use with caution if alcohol use is suspected.
b. Benzodiazepine medications have a very narrow therapeutic index and should be used sparingly in the prehospital setting to avoid overdosage
c. The effects of anticonvulsant medications can be antagonized utilizing naloxone, therefore, they should only be used if naloxone is on hand
d. Only a single dose of anticonvulsant medications should be used due to the long half -life of the medications
a
Rationale: a. Correct.
b. Benzodiazepines have a wide therapeutic index and may be used with a relative degree of safety.
c. Naloxone is a narcotic antagonist and will not have any effect on anticonvulsant medications.
d. It may be necessary to administer repeat doses of anticonvulsants. Not all anticonvulsants have a long half-life.
Chapter 12
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A 16-year-old was mowing grass on a hillside when the lawn tractor he was using rolled over him. He is unresponsive and has blood in his mouth. You can hear gurgling when he breathes. You should immediately:
A) perform a head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver. B) roll the patient onto his side. C) suction his airway. D) begin artificial ventilation.
Which of the following statements regarding the EMS medical director and an EMT's scope of practice is correct?
A. The EMS medical director can expand the EMT's scope of practice but cannot limit it without state approval. B. The EMS medical director can expand or limit an individual EMT's scope of practice without state approval. C. An EMT's scope of practice is exclusively regulated by the state EMS office, not the EMS medical director. D. An EMT's scope of practice may be expanded by the medical director after proper training and state approval.