Paramedical Technical Knowledge
What this domain tests
Paramedical Technical Knowledge checks applied basics of patient care: vital signs, infection control, first aid, sterilization, medical terminology, and elementary anatomy/physiology. It rewards safe, standard practice rather than advanced diagnosis.
Core rules
- Normal adult vital signs: temperature 36.5–37.5°C; pulse 60–100/min; respiration 12–20/min; SpO₂ ≥95%; ideal BP below 120/80 mmHg.
- WHO hand-hygiene moments include before touching a patient and after body-fluid exposure.
- Autoclave sterilization: 121°C at 15 psi for 15–20 minutes for heat-stable items; use chemical sterilization for heat-sensitive scopes.
- Adult CPR: 30 chest compressions to 2 breaths, rate 100–120/min, depth 5–6 cm.
- Blood groups: O negative is the universal red-cell donor; AB positive is the universal recipient.
- Term prefixes: tachy- = fast; brady- = slow; dys- = difficult; -pnea = breathing.
Worked example
A patient weighs 70 kg and is 1.75 m tall. BMI = weight (kg) ÷ height² (m²) = 70 ÷ 3.0625 = 22.86. This falls in the normal range (18.5–24.9). Reasoning: square the height first, then divide; do not use height in centimetres.
Traps
Do not confuse sterilization (destroys all microorganisms) with disinfection (reduces pathogens). In BP, the first sound is systolic; do not report only diastolic. CPR ratio for a lone adult rescuer is 30:2, not 15:2. O negative is the donor, not the recipient. Oral temperature is usually 0.3–0.5°C higher than axillary.