Strange question from the NREMT-P test today

[akflightmedic]

You are reading too much into the question. It did not care if you had milk available, if did not imply you need to swing by a grocery store. It is testing your general knowledge of how to preserve a tooth if you have the chance. This very scenario is taught in basic first aid courses every single day, so a medic should know a general knowledge question such as this.

[chbare]

The moment you start injecting information into a question, you've already been defeated by it.

[mobey]

The moment you start injecting information into a question, you've already been defeated by it.

Love that response!

[Christine Chambers]

And that is exactly my problem, I read too much into the question. Like I said, my first thought was, milk. Then I thought, well where am I going to get milk? What do I have available on my truck? My downfall is reading too much into the question. *sigh*

I work in a different environment I am sure. But I would stop at 7-11 and grab milk if it meant better patient care..... of course remote settings hae different rules.

After a little research....

Ph of a tooth: 6.8-7.0

Ph of saline: 7.4 (same as blood)

Ph of sterile water 7.0

Ph of 2% milk: 6.8

And I would also stop by the store or do anything that would mean better PT care but one could also argue that "stopping by a store would delay possible critical care the PT needs at the hospital" because the question did not detail all the PT's injuries. Like I said, I read too much into these questions.

[Kiwiology]

I was taught milk as well

I was also taught the NREMT tests do not test complex cognitive information processing and require only simple behaviouristic based responses to standardised stimuli

Pass in Adult Teaching class for the win

[Chief1C]

Somewhere along the line, we had an EMS officer for less than a year, that purchased all kinds of random items that you will rarely-if ever - use on an ambulance. One of the items I found, while removing nine boxes of assorted purpose, size, color, texture and character BAND-AIDS... were Tooth-Saver Kits. They were expired, so I threw them out, but almost every catalog sells them; and so do most pharmacies. It's an option. But I didn't replace them.

Pardon any spelling errors, my auto spell check has failed to kick in.

[DFIB]

The EMT-B textbook states you should put teeth in milk. Milk is pretty readily available even in remote third world areas. Almost everyone has a little milk in their fridge and would be willing to donate a ittle for an emergency.

[ERDoc]

AK pretty much covered what I was going to say. They are not asking about the supplies you have on your ambulance, they are asking what the ideal solution would be. 1C brought up Tooth Savers. These work pretty well and are easy to carry on the ambulance. It's probably not a bad idea to keep a kit or two for situations like this.

[Vorenus]

Out of the top of my head, I think the "life-span" of a tooth is 4 hours in milk and 24 hours in one of these Tooth Saving Boxes. We don´t carry them, but as far as I know, some schools and kindergardens have them, as a first-aid-kit.

[Just Plain Ruff]

If theres a nursing mother anywhere near the vicinity, problem solved!!!!!!