Which pairing of symptom and protocol is correct?

• A. Abdominal pain lasting 2 hours → Protocol 10
• B. Nausea for 3 days → Protocol 19
• C. Chest pain with pale skin → Protocol 12
• D. Heart attack-like symptoms → Protocol 10

Answer: (D)

When deciding which protocol to use, the dispatcher looks at how urgent the symptom is and what cause is most likely. Heart attack–like symptoms signal a potential myocardial infarction, which is time-critical. That’s why the cardiac protocol is the appropriate one to guide the call. It emphasizes rapid EMS dispatch and provides steps to support the patient while help is on the way, such as monitoring breathing, keeping the caller with the patient, and giving clear instructions for actions that can be taken safely in the moment.

This pairing is the best because it directly addresses a life‑threatening cardiac event, where every minute counts and specific guidance from the protocol can influence outcomes. The other pairings describe conditions that are either not acutely life-threatening or involve symptoms that don’t map to the cardiac protocol, so they don’t align with the immediate, heart-care-focused guidance that the cardiac protocol provides.