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.

Which of the following describes exhalation?

Air cannot fully inflate
Pressure rises and air is forced out
Pressure drops causing respiratory distress
Collection of air in the subcutaneous layers

The correct answer is: Pressure rises and air is forced out

Exhalation is primarily characterized by an increase in pressure within the thoracic cavity, which causes air to be expelled from the lungs. During this process, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles relax, decreasing the volume of the thoracic cavity and increasing the pressure inside the lungs relative to the atmospheric pressure. This pressure change forces air out through the trachea. The other choices do not accurately describe exhalation. Air cannot fully inflate pertains to the aspects of inhalation rather than exhalation, while pressure dropping is more aligned with inhalation, where a lower pressure leads to air flowing into the lungs. The collection of air in the subcutaneous layers is unrelated to the respiratory process and does not pertain to the mechanics of breathing at all. Thus, the statement regarding rising pressure accurately reflects the physiological mechanism involved in exhalation.