How do you choose the right size of oropharyngeal airway?
- Measure from the tip of the nose to the earlobe
- Measure from the chin to the top of the breastbone
- Match the diameter to the patient's little finger
- Measure from the corner of the mouth to the earlobe
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D. Measure from the corner of the mouth to the earlobe
An oral airway is sized from the corner of the mouth to the earlobe (or angle of the jaw). Nose to earlobe is the measurement for a nasopharyngeal airway, the most common mix-up.
Reference: National EMS Education Standards (EMT): Airway management, respiration and artificial ventilation; airway adjuncts
A patient with chest pain says it gets worse when he walks and eases when he sits still. Which part of OPQRST does this answer?
- Quality of the pain
- Region and radiation of pain
- Provocation or palliation
- Onset of the pain
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C. Provocation or palliation
The P in OPQRST asks what makes the complaint worse (provocation) or better (palliation). Onset asks what the patient was doing when it began, which is a different question from what changes the pain now.
Reference: National EMS Education Standards (EMT): History taking, OPQRST
Two EMTs are performing CPR on a 5-year-old child. What compression-to-breath ratio should they use?
- 15 compressions to 2 breaths
- 30 compressions to 2 breaths
- 3 compressions to 1 breath
- 5 compressions to 1 breath
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A. 15 compressions to 2 breaths
With two rescuers, infants and children get 15 compressions to 2 breaths, which delivers more breaths because their arrests usually start with a breathing problem. A lone rescuer uses 30 to 2; 3 to 1 is for newborns.
Reference: AHA 2025 Guidelines for CPR and ECC, pediatric basic life support