North Carolina EMT State Practice Exam

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Prepare for the North Carolina EMT State Exam with interactive quizzes and comprehensive explanations. Master your skills and gain confidence by reviewing key topics before test day!

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!

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What is a primary attribute of decompression sickness?

Gradual ascent from a dive
Rapid descent from sea level
Too long of a dive at shallow depth
Too rapid ascent from a dive

The correct answer is: Too rapid ascent from a dive

Decompression sickness, also known as "the bends," primarily occurs when divers ascend too quickly after spending time at deeper depths. During a dive, nitrogen is absorbed into the body's tissues due to increased pressure; if ascent is rapid, the dissolved nitrogen cannot be safely expelled from the body and forms bubbles, leading to various painful and potentially serious symptoms. The correct choice highlights this critical aspect of diving physiology, emphasizing the importance of a controlled ascent to allow for gradual nitrogen elimination. The other options, while relevant to diving practices, do not directly pertain to the primary mechanism that leads to decompression sickness. Gradual ascent reduces the risk of bubbles forming, thus preventing the condition.