Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Basic Certification Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Prepare for the EMT Basic Certification Exam. Study with exam-like questions, each with thorough explanations and insights. Ace your exam and advance your medical career.

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 delivers blood to the right atrium?

The aorta
The pulmonary vein
The superior and inferior vena cava
The carotid artery

The correct answer is: The superior and inferior vena cava

The right atrium receives deoxygenated blood primarily from the superior and inferior vena cava. The superior vena cava brings blood from the upper body, while the inferior vena cava supplies blood from the lower body. This collection is crucial because the right atrium serves as a receiving chamber for blood that needs to be pumped into the right ventricle, which will then send it to the lungs for oxygenation. The aorta, on the other hand, carries oxygenated blood away from the heart to the rest of the body, and is therefore not involved in delivering blood to the right atrium. The pulmonary veins are responsible for bringing oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium, not the right. The carotid artery also carries oxygenated blood from the heart to the brain, but does not contribute to the blood supply of the right atrium. Thus, the combination of the superior and inferior vena cava is fundamental for establishing proper circulation and facilitating the heart's function in delivering blood to the lungs for oxygenation.