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!

Practice this question and more.

What term describes a clot that travels in the bloodstream?

Embolus
Thrombus
Fluid
Sediment

The correct answer is: Embolus

An embolus is defined as a clot or other material that travels through the bloodstream and can lodge in a blood vessel, leading to potential complications such as obstruction of blood flow, which can result in serious medical conditions like a stroke or pulmonary embolism. This is important for EMTs to understand, as recognizing the signs and symptoms of embolic events can be critical for prompt intervention and treatment. In contrast, a thrombus refers to a clot that forms and remains in the blood vessel where it is created, rather than traveling through the bloodstream. Fluid and sediment do not specifically refer to clots or clot-related terminology in the medical context. Understanding the difference between an embolus and a thrombus is essential in emergency medical situations, where knowing how clots behave can influence treatment decisions.