Wilderness Expo Test of Survival Knowledge

This test of basic first aid and survival knowledge was passed out at Wilderness Expo 2001 sponsored by the Department of Emergency Medicine at Wright State University School of Medicine. Take a moment to see how well you know what to do in an emergency.

1) Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is defined as:

1. Chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth breathing for a person who is unconscious, is not breathing, and has no pulse.
2. Electric shock applied to the chest of an unconscious person who has no pulse.
3. Mouth-to-mouth breathing on a person who is not breathing and has no pulse.
4. Blow to the chest in an unconscious person who is not breathing.

Answer: A.
Explanation: CPR is a combination of rescue breathing (mouth-to-mouth breathing) to deliver oxygen to the lungs and chest compressions to pump blood from the heart throughout the body.

2) You are hiking with a 50 year-old friend who suddenly grabs his chest and falls to the groun. He is unconscious, is not breathing, and has no pulse. What should you do first?

1. Give mouth-to-mouth breathing.
2. Call for emergency medical personnel to bring defibrillator to shock his heart.
3. Perform CPR for 5 minutes then call for emergency medical personnel (9-1-1).
4. Perform CPR for 30 minutes then call for emergency medical personnel (9-1-1).

Answer: B.
Explanation: Assuming there is access to a nearby phone or radio, the best thing to do is always call for medical personnel first and then initiate CPR and mouth-to-mouth breathing. While mouth-to-mouth breathing and CPR may help keep this patient alive for 5 or even 30 minutes, this person most likely has an irregular heart beat that is potentially reversible only by electric shock with a defibrillator. This electric shock has a greater chance of saving his life than the mouth-to-mouth breathing and CPR combined.

3) Match the classification of burn to the degree of skin damage (draw lines connecting answers).

A. First degree burn.	1) Blistering.
B. Second degree burn.	2) Black, charred skin.
C. Third degree burn.	3) Red "sun burn" rash.

Answer: A = 3. B = 1. C = 2.
Explanation: First degree burns are the least severe and heal without scarring . Second degree burns always have blisters and generally heal without scarring as long as they do not become infected. Third degree burns are the most severe and cause scarring. They often require skin grafting.

4) While camping a friend trips and falls into the campfire sustaining severe burns to the right hand and forearm. What first aid steps should you take?

1. Apply antibacterial ointment.
2. Cool the burn with water and then apply dry dressing bandage.
3. Break blisters and vigorously wash with soap and water.
4. Apply Ice.

Answer: B.
Explanation: For all degrees of burns the best thing to do is cool the burns with water and apply dry dressing bandages. Do not use ice or ice water as they can cause more tissue damage and over-cool the person. Do not break blisters as this increases the risk of infection and can leave open exposed areas of tissue that will weep fluid and can quickly lead to dehydration. Antibacterial ointments have not been shown to have any effect in reducing the incidence of infection from burns.

5) While cutting rope on a camping trip you accidentally cut your forearm near the wrist with the knife. Blood pumps from a 2-inch wound To try and stop the bleeding, you should.

1. Apply rope tourniquet to upper arm.
2. Soak in ice cold water.
3. Apply direct pressure over the wound.
4. Do nothing because the bleeding will stop on its own.

Answer: C.
Explanation: The best way to control bleeding from any wound is direct pressure over the wound. Tourniquets can actually increase tissue damage and result in the loss of an arm or leg. Bleeding from small, superficial wounds may actually stop on their own, however, bleeding from a severed artery will not likely stop on its own do to the high pressure of the pumping blood.

6) If an adult is choking you should:

1. Sweep fingers in back of mouth to try and dislodge object.
2. Give mouth-to-mouth breathing.
3. Perform abdominal thrusts just above the navel.
4. Slap the person on the back.

Answer: C.
Explanation: Abdominal thrusts just above the navel (also known as the Heimlich Maneuver) causes an increase in abdominal pressure. This increase in pressure is transmitted through the chest to the upper airways and forcefully dislodges the obstruction out through the mouth. Mouth-to-mouth breathing will not be effective if the obstruction is complete. A finger sweep can actually worsen the situation by forcing the object further back into the person's airway. Slapping the back is usually not sufficient to increase pressure in the chest enough to dislodge the object.

7) To dress in layers in cold weather is defined as:

1. Wearing large, bulky jacket over normal daily clothing.
2. Covering all exposed body parts with warm clothing.
3. Wearing cotton clothing in cold weather to shed as it soaks up sweat.
4. Wearing several articles of clothing that can be shed as body temperature rises.

Answer: D.
Explanation: Layers of clothes that can be added or shed with temperature changes is the most efficient way to adjust your body temperature to the environment.

8) The best treatment for frostbite is:

1. Gradual rewarming near a fire or heater.
2. Rapid rewarming with boiling water.
3. Rapid rewarming with warm water.
4. Gradual rewarming by rubbing to create friction heat.

Answer: C.
Explanation: If warmed quickly, frostbite damage can be reversible. The frostbite damaged area should be rewarmed as quickly as possible using warm water. Gradual rewarming near a fire or heater may not rewarm the skin fast enough to prevent irreversible damage. Rubbing the skin to create friction heat and boiling water can cause more damage to the tissues.

9) The best treatment for a blister on the heel is:

1. Pop the blister to drain the fluid and then cover it with moleskin or band-aid.
2. Leave blister intact and cover it with moleskin or band-aid.
3. Surround intact blister with mole skin padding being careful not to cover the blister.
4. Apply antibacterial ointment to blister and cover completely with band-aid.

Answer: C.
Explanation: Covering the blister by any means can cause more tissue irritation and damage, not to mention more pain. Popping the blister increases the risk of infection. It is best to protect the area from further irritation by surrounding it with mole skin.

10) While hiking and rock climbing a fellow climber falls 15 feet landing on his right ankle. The ankle is badly deformed and his foot is cold and blue without any pulse. What first aid should you administer?

1. Wrap the ankle and foot with tight cloth.
2. Apply direct pressure to the deformity.
3. Straighten the deformed ankle as best as possible and splint it.
4. Rapidly rewarm the cold foot with warm water.

Answer: C.
Explanation: Any time an extremity is fractured or dislocated and is cold and pulseless as a result, it is appropriate to attempt to straighten it to normal position of function once. Straightening it may potentially return blood flow and save the extremity. When splinting a fracture always immobilize the joint above and below the fracture.

11) Heat cramps and heat exhaustion can best be treated by:

1. Drinking large volumes of water to flush the kidneys.
2. Eating large amounts of salty food.
3. Drinking water mixed with table salt.
4. Taking salt pills.

Answer: C.
Explanation: Heat cramps and heat exhaustion are due to loss of water and salt in sweat. Drinking large volumes of water alone does not replace the needed salt. Salty foods and salt pills replace the salt but not the lost water. Salt pills also are likely to induce vomiting and lead to further dehydration.

12) When traveling outside of the United States it is best to purify the water before drinking it by:

1. Boiling.
2. Freezing.
3. Adding Salt Tablets.
4. Adding Sugar Tablets.

Answer: A.
Explanation: Boil the water for at least 10 minutes at a rolling boil. Freezing water (32 degrees F) or adding salt will not kill all the bacteria and viruses in the water. Sugar can actually help the bacteria to grow.

13) While hiking in Texas a friend is bitten on the arm by a Rattle Snake. You should:

1. Immediately suck out the venom.
2. Splint the arm and transport him to the nearest hospital.
3. Cut open the bite wound and attempt to suck out the venom.
4. Cut open the bite wound and allow the venom to bleed out.

Answer: Explanation: Recent studies have suggested that the majority of snake bites are "dry" (i.e., no venom is injected with the bite). There is no way to know this immediately after being bitten, however, so it is best to assume that the bite injected venom. Splint the arm to avoid moving muscles that would pump the venom around, and transport the patient to the nearest hospital to receive antivenin. Attempting to suck out the venom or cutting open the wound can worsen the local tissue damage.

14) True or False. You can get poison ivy if you burn it and are exposed to the smoke.

1. True.
2. False.

Answer: True.
Explanation: The chemical that is irritating to the skin is aerosolized when the plant is burned.

15) How many hours after SCUBA diving should you wait before flying in a commercial airplane? At least:

1. 2
2. 8
3. 12
4. 24

Answer: C.
Explanation: The longer you wait to fly after SCUBA diving the less chance you have of getting the bends. For a beginning SCUBA diver who only went on one or two dives, the minimum wait is 12 hours. For the more experienced SCUBA diver who participated in several dives over a period of 5 days or more it is best to wait at least 24 hours before flying.

16) While underwater during a snorkel and SCUBA diving class you develop intense pain in your ear that quickly resolves but is then followed by nausea and dizziness. What should you do next?

1. Do nothing because you just have water in your ear canal.
2. Squeeze your nose closed and blow to increase the pressure in your ears and "pop" them open.
3. Dive deeper to equalize the pressure in your ears.
4. Ascend, end your dive, and seek medical attention because your eardrum has ruptured.

Answer: D.
Explanation: These are the classic symptoms of a ruptured eardrum. This can lead to hearing loss if not treated with antibiotic ear drops. "Popping" your ears can cause the eardrum to rupture and can worsen the damage already done. Diving deeper can also worsen the damage.

17) If you are stranded on the ocean in a life raft you can safely drink the ocean water to maintain hydration.

1. True.
2. False.

Answer: B.
Explanation: The very high salt content of ocean water would not allow you to maintain hydration.

18) While mountain climbing your friend has difficulty moving his arms and legs and begins hallucinating. You suspect he has swelling of his brain due to the altitude. You should:

1. Have him rest at your current altitude for several days.
2. Descend with him as quickly as possible.
3. Restrict his fluid intake.
4. Take away his oxygen supply.

Answer: B.
Explanation: These are the classic symptoms and signs of high altitude cerebral edema (also known as HACE). This is swelling of the brain at high altitude. Oxygen, steroids, and some special medications can temporarily help, however, the only cure is to descend as quickly as possible. Remaining at high altitude will most certainly mean death for this person.