EXAM DEBRIEF – So what was actually on the OEC 5e test???

OK, you are probably hoping that I’m going to give you the secret answers right???  Well….   Yes…., no.  I’m not as that wouldn’t be fair to you or your fellow future patrollers.  You really do need to study and pass it for yourself.

However….  I will give you some guidance.  First off, the test is not as bad as I thought it was going to be.  It is 100 questions and all are multiple choice with typically there being four answers to choose from.  For each question there is typically two answers that just don’t fit right away so you are really narrowing it down to the better of two answers for most questions.  So before you even start you are at a 50/50 chance of getting each question right!

About 25% of the questions were pretty darn easy.  Most were normal and there were probably 10 or so “hard” questions where you had to really stop and think about what was the difference between the answers.

So as I took the test yesterday and the info is still fresh in my head, here are my tips for you on what you need to know.  This is by no means ALL that you need to know, this is just my hotlist of those items that I would make sure you know COLD as you are going to see them.   No I didn’t take a copy of the test.  This list was compiled by going back through my huge stack of notecards and seeing which items I remember seeing that were obvious. So one big caveat.  This is not a list of what is on the test, this is my list of what I was worried about seeing on the test and yep, its on there alright.  This is only about a third of what is on there so there are lots of items I’m not covering so you still need to study EVERYTHING.  Yes everything.

One big word of advice…. start studying early.  Its too much info to cram.

Here we go:

The path of blood through the hear and which veins carry oxygenated blood

FACTUAL OEC

SAMPLE, DCAP BTLS, THE 3 SECTIONS OF GCS, OPQRST, ETC

S/S of a AAA and how you might find it in a secondary

Two most common abnormal mental issues you might face

All of the time frames for pregnancy  (when is full term, when is an abortion spontaneous, etc)

What the heck is HAZWHOPPER and how often do they have to train?

Burns.  How to know full thickness versus partial thickness by knowing the name of  the layer of skin it went through

What is the most common GI issue you will see as an OECT?

Ashemic Shock

3 steps to a full secondary assessment

what do you call it when a bone has 3+ breaks (note… call a catholic priest)

How do you treat lightening strikes if the PT is in cardiac arrest?

If you are assisting a paramedic, what can you do and what should you not do if he asks you to do something

Define Triage  – 32 Can do

Becks Triad

You will get a trick question on how the path of air goes from in to out.  Better know all the terms!!!

What is the most important thing when you arrive?  Scene safety!

What organs are in the immune system.  (Pancreas yes, spleen no)

Antibody and Antigen. Which eats whom

ischemia

if someone is having an MI, what should you do first?  Give them Nitro if they have it!

the positions to transport patients for shock, GI, MI, etc. (basically all of them!)

how do you deal with electrical burns?  (what to put on skin)

If you have an open long bone fracture and are 10+ hours from a hospital, should you put it back in and splint or leave it out?

cerebral edema

what is a two temporal event?

what bones protect the pelvic cavity?

which trama hurts solid organs, which one hurts hollow organs

what things make cold injuries worse?

define frostbite

define heat index

define heat exaustion versus heat stroke

what is the best thing you can do to treat altitude sickness

HACE versus HAPE

Wet drowning versus dry drowning (and time… drowning is technically 24 hours after…)

Mammalian reflex

Boyles law and diving related issues, barotrauma

what happens to the BP of old people.  what if they then take lots of BP medication?

RICES

SAILER

CHEATED

all the directional items.  example… proximal versus distal.  medial, etc.

Abduction versus Adduction

Name the spine sections in order

What are normal respirations for Adult, Child, Infant

name the 4 kinds of shock

How do you calculate % of victim that is burned?

tension pneumothorax

S/S of CHF

Parts and fluids in the eye

 

OK that will get you through about 1/3 of it.  Just another 2/3 to go!!!  Did I mention you should start studying early???

And…. No nitro if they are on Viagra!

 

GOOD LUCK!