NREMT Advanced EMT Practice Test #3

Answer - D - The signs and symptoms of diaphragmatic hernias include flat stomach, respiratory distress, bowel sounds in the chest, cyanosis unresponsive to ventilations, and heart sounds displaced to the right. The supine position with the head and chest higher than the abdomen is the proper position for this infant. Do not use bag-valve-mask ventilation with an infant suspected of having a herniated diaphragm; it can worsen the condition. Use positive pressure ventilation directly to the lungs through an endotracheal tube. The condition is rare, only 1 in 2,200 births. Mortality is 50% for an infant presenting with respiratory distress in the first 18 - 24 hours.