Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Basic Certification Practice Exam

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

Prepare for the Emergency Medical Technician Certification Exam. Engage with flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each with detailed hints and explanations. Ensure success on your exam today!

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.

Which symptom indicates the need for epinephrine administration?

Altered mental status
Chest tightness
Fever
Headache

The correct answer is: Chest tightness

The need for epinephrine administration is indicated primarily by symptoms related to severe allergic reactions, such as anaphylaxis. Chest tightness can be a manifestation of bronchospasm, which occurs during anaphylaxis as the airways constrict due to histamine release. In this critical situation, epinephrine acts as a sympathomimetic agent that works by causing vasoconstriction, bronchodilation, and reducing vascular permeability, which are essential in reversing the life-threatening symptoms of anaphylaxis, including respiratory distress and hypotension. Other symptoms, such as altered mental status, fever, and headache, may arise from various medical conditions but do not specifically warrant epinephrine administration. Altered mental status might indicate hypoxia or other issues, fever could signal infection, and headache is a nonspecific symptom that could stem from numerous causes. None of these indicate an immediate need for epinephrine as they do not involve the kind of severe allergic reaction that would require this emergency intervention.