Question

1. your patient is breathing 4 shallow breaths per minute due to overdosing on his pain medication but he has a palpable radial pulse. he vomited prior to your arrival and is choking. you should: a) move the patient to the ambulance. b) perform chest thrusts to clear the lungs. c) insert an oropharyngeal airway and ventilate. d) roll him onto his side to clear the airway.

Explanation:

The patient is choking after vomiting, has a pulse, and is breathing shallowly. For a responsive (or with pulse) choking patient who has vomited, positioning them on their side (recovery position) helps clear the airway by allowing vomit/obstructions to drain passively. Chest thrusts are for conscious choking patients who can't cough, and airway insertion/ventilation isn't the first step here; clearing the airway via positioning is immediate. Moving to the ambulance delays addressing the choking.

Answer:

D) roll him onto his side to clear the airway.