New York State Basic Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-B) Practice Exam

How should you treat an evisceration?

1. Cover with a dry dressing

2. Cover with moist sterile dressing and keep warm

3. Sew the protruding organs back into position

4. Leave the area open to air

The correct answer is: Cover with moist sterile dressing and keep warm

Treating an evisceration effectively is crucial for the patient's outcome. When an evisceration occurs, it means that internal organs, usually from the abdominal cavity, are protruding through a wound. The correct approach is to cover the exposed organs with a moist sterile dressing and maintain warmth around the area. Using a moist sterile dressing has multiple benefits: it helps to keep the protruding organs moist, which is essential to prevent desiccation (drying out) and damage to the tissues. Additionally, this dressing can also help reduce the risk of contamination and infection by providing a barrier against external pathogens. Keeping the area warm is also important as it helps to maintain the temperature of the organs, further preserving their function and viability until surgical intervention can occur. This is vital in the management of evisceration because the organs are often vulnerable and can quickly become compromised. In contrast, other approaches, such as using a dry dressing, would not provide the necessary moisture to the exposed tissues and could lead to complications. Attempting to sew the protruding organs back into position is something only a surgeon can do in an operating room and should never be done in the field. Leaving the area open to air also poses a significant risk for