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!

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When administering IV crystalloid boluses to a patient with an electrical injury, what urine output should you aim for?

  1. 0.5 mL/kg per hour

  2. 1 mL/kg per hour

  3. 2 mL/kg per hour

  4. 3 mL/kg per hour

The correct answer is: 1 mL/kg per hour

The correct guidance for a patient with an electrical injury who is receiving IV crystalloid boluses is to aim for a urine output of 1 mL/kg per hour. This target is particularly important in managing the potential complications of electrical injuries, such as myoglobinuria, which can lead to acute kidney injury. Maintaining urine output at this level ensures adequate renal perfusion and helps to dilute nephrotoxic substances that may be released into the bloodstream due to the injury. Additionally, achieving this specific urine output can assist in preventing the development of more severe complications resulting from the injury, ensuring that the kidneys can adequately filter and excrete waste products. While other options suggest varying targets of urine output, those levels may not provide the same level of safety and vigilance required for a patient with electrical injuries. A higher urine output might seem beneficial, but it can lead to fluid overload and other complications in a critically injured patient. Therefore, aiming for 1 mL/kg per hour strikes a balance between effective kidney protection and avoiding the risks associated with excessive fluid administration.