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What does it mean to exacerbate a condition?

  1. To alleviate symptoms

  2. To stabilize the patient

  3. To increase symptoms or severity of disease

  4. To cure the disease

The correct answer is: To increase symptoms or severity of disease

To exacerbate a condition means to increase the severity or intensity of symptoms associated with a disease or medical issue. This implies that instead of finding relief or improvement in the patient's state, the situation worsens. Factors that could contribute to exacerbation may include stress, infections, or insufficient treatment, leading to a more complicated health scenario that requires additional medical attention. Understanding this term is important for EMTs as it helps them recognize when a patient's condition is deteriorating and needs urgent intervention or adjustments in treatment.