Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Intermediate Practice Exam

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Prepare for the EMT Intermediate Exam. Utilize multiple choice questions with detailed explanations and hints. Get the confidence you need to pass your exam and advance your career in emergency medical services!

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.


After the aorta arises from the left ventricle, what is its first action?

  1. Descends and branches into the pulmonary arteries

  2. Ascends and branches into the coronary arteries

  3. Branches into the carotid arteries

  4. Immediately splits into the brachiocephalic trunk

The correct answer is: Ascends and branches into the coronary arteries

The correct answer is that after the aorta arises from the left ventricle, its first action is to ascend and branch into the coronary arteries. This occurs because the coronary arteries are essential for supplying blood to the heart muscle itself, and their branches originate from the ascending aorta just above the aortic valve. During this initial phase, the aorta is rising vertically from the heart, and the first two branches it gives off are the left and right coronary arteries. This is crucial as the heart needs a constant supply of oxygenated blood to function effectively and maintain its rhythm, especially following contraction. The other options indicate actions that occur later in the aorta's course. After ascending and providing blood to the coronary arteries, the aorta continues its pathway, descending behind the heart and eventually branching into other arteries that supply blood to the head, neck, and lower body.