Arthur Hsieh

Art Hsieh, MA, NREMT-P is a highly experienced paramedic, clinician, and educator, helping hundreds of students prepare for and pass the national examination process. He is the director of a collegiate paramedic academy and editorial advisor of EMS1.com.

Articles & Books From Arthur Hsieh

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-18-2022
This Cheat Sheet is a quick summary of facts you should know about becoming a certified emergency medical technician (EMT), including certification steps, computer adaptive testing, and exam preparation.Getting and maintaining an EMT certificationThe requirements for becoming a certified emergency medical technician (EMT) vary from state to state.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
The EMT exam will ask you questions about the urinary system. Located in the retroperitoneal space in the flanks, kidneys are the body’s main filters. They primarily regulate the balance of water and various electrolytes within the body, as well as remove certain toxins, which helps to control the body’s blood pressure.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
The following practice questions are similar to the NREMT EMT exam’s questions. Read each question carefully and then select the answer choice that most correctly answers the question. This will help you figure out what you need to know. Sample questions At a drugstore, an adult patient presents with cool, pale, and diaphoretic skin and difficulty breathing, with wheezing auscultated in both lungs.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
If you plan on taking the EMT exam, you should definitely consider taking a preassessment test to see where you stand. Preassessment tests are good for identifying your strengths and problem areas. Sample Questions You determine that your unconscious patient has an inadequate airway. You insert an oropharyngeal airway.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
You will need to know when it is necessary to oxygenate for the EMT exam. EMTs used to give oxygen to everyone, regardless of what the complaint was. Chest pain? Give oxygen. Toe pain? Yep, give that gas too! Medical experts have since discovered that inhaling more oxygen than necessary can be harmful for certain conditions, and it isn’t helpful in situations where it isn’t necessary.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
Many questions on the EMT exam, as well as real situations, will involve breathing. To know when to ventilate is to know when the patient crosses the line between respiratory distress and respiratory failure: Respiratory distress: In respiratory distress, the patient is compensating for a potential hypoxia problem by breathing faster, deeper, and/or harder.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
You will need to be familiar with upper airway conditions for the EMT exam. Given that the airway is the only way for air to enter and exit the body, anything that partially or completely blocks it is troublesome, to say the least. Here’s a list of common conditions you should be familiar with, their signs and symptoms, and treatment options for each.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
The EMT exam evaluates your ability to assess patients quickly and formulate a treatment plan even if you don’t have all the information yet. You can adopt certain assessment approaches that can rapidly identify signs that identify life-threatening situations or serious medical conditions. Look at the Whole Patient As an EMT student, it’s easy to get hung up on one finding.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
Several pediatric medical conditions are commonly seen by EMTs. In the majority of cases, your care is supportive — ensure that problems with airway, breathing, and circulation are identified and managed, and help maintain body temperature and oxygenation during transport. In some situations, you may need to intervene quickly.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
The EMT exam will expect you to know how to handle a normal delivery. Although the majority of newborn deliveries occur within the confines of a labor and delivery suite, there’s a chance that you’ll be called upon to perform a delivery as an EMT. While that may instill panic in your heart, rest assured that delivery is a normal process and that the vast majority of deliveries are not complicated.