Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Intermediate Practice Exam

A young female patient with a blood glucose level of 29 mg/dL is unresponsive. What should be administered?

1. 0.5 to 1 mg of glucagon via the intramuscular route

2. 25 grams of dextrose IV

3. Intranasal naloxone

4. Oral glucose tablets

The correct answer is: 0.5 to 1 mg of glucagon via the intramuscular route

In this scenario, the young female patient presents with an extremely low blood glucose level of 29 mg/dL and is unresponsive. The correct course of action is to administer glucagon via the intramuscular route. Glucagon is a hormone that stimulates the liver to release stored glucose into the bloodstream, effectively raising the blood glucose levels. This is particularly useful in cases where the patient is unable to take oral glucose due to their unresponsive state. Administering glucagon is appropriate because it can provide a rapid increase in blood sugar without needing the patient to be conscious or capable of swallowing. This makes it safer compared to options that require the patient's ability to ingest substances or to have intravenous access established. Furthermore, glucagon acts quickly and can be administered quickly in emergency situations. The other choices, while they have their own indications, are not appropriate given the patient's unresponsive status. For example, giving IV dextrose would require venous access, which may not be immediately available or feasible in a pre-hospital setting. Intranasal naloxone is only effective in cases of opioid overdose and does not address hypoglycemia. Oral glucose tablets can't be administered to an unresponsive patient, as they could pose a choking risk and would