Practice Quiz

NREMT EMR First Responder

Category - Patient Assessment

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When an EMR is palpating the patient’s chest after crashing on a motorcycle, he identifies subcutaneous emphysema. What is he feeling and what does it indicate?
  1. He recognizes that the patient is likely a smoker who is suffering from emphysema
  2. He feels a crackling sensation just below the skin indicative of possible rib fractures, which have punctured the lung
  3. He feels a grinding sensation, which is likely caused by a broken rib
  4. None of the above
Explanation
Answer: B - The EMR is feeling the sensation of free air popping in the subcutaneous tissue of the chest. This sensation is usually indicative of a fractured rib, which has disrupted the lung resulting in free air. Patients with an open chest wound can also get subcutaneous emphysema.
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