Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Intermediate Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Study for the EMT Intermediate Exam. Access detailed flashcards and multiple-choice questions that come with hints and explanations. Prepare comprehensively for your EMT certification!

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.

When stabilizing a patient's cervical spine, how should you align the patient's head?

In line with the shoulders
Against the backboard
Align the patient's nose with the navel
Turn it slightly to the left

The correct answer is: Align the patient's nose with the navel

Aligning the patient’s head by bringing the nose in line with the navel is the correct choice for stabilizing the cervical spine. This positioning helps achieve a neutral alignment, which is crucial for minimizing potential spinal cord injury during movement or transport. Proper alignment allows the spinal column to remain straight and decreases the risk of exacerbating any existing injuries. In spinal immobilization, keeping the head, neck, and spine in a straight line is essential. This alignment helps maintain appropriate positioning for the spinal structures and can aid in assessing for any additional injuries. It also facilitates easier access to the patient's airway, which is critical in emergency situations. Other options may not provide the same level of cervical spine stability, as aligning the head too far forward, backward, or to one side could place undue stress on the vertebrae and the spinal cord, increasing the risk of further injury. Hence, aligning the nose with the navel ensures that the head and spine are in a neutral position, promoting safety during treatment and transport.