Emergency Medical Responder Practice Exam

Ingestion is defined as what method of foreign body entry?

1. Swallowing

2. Through the skin

3. In through the lungs

4. Via injection

The correct answer is: Swallowing

Ingestion specifically refers to the process of taking substances into the body through the mouth and swallowing them. This method is commonly associated with food, liquids, medicines, or other foreign bodies that are consumed. When something is ingested, it travels down the digestive system, starting from the mouth, then going through the esophagus, and into the stomach. The other methods listed, such as entry through the skin, the lungs, or via injection, pertain to different routes of exposure or entry into the body. For instance, substances entering through the skin might involve absorption through dermal layers, while those entering through the lungs would imply inhalation. Injection, on the other hand, refers to directly delivering substances into the bloodstream or tissues through a syringe or needle. Each route has unique characteristics, and understanding these distinctions is crucial in medical contexts, especially when addressing poisoning or foreign body emergencies.