Download Trauma Management: Principles and Protocols and more Exams Nursing in PDF only on Docsity! ATLS Pretest questions with answers A 22-year-old man is hypotensive and tachycardic after a shotgun wound to the left shoulder. His blood pressure is initially 80/40 mm Hg. After initial fluid resuscitation his blood pressure increases to 122/84 mm Hg. His heart rate is now 100 beats per minute and his respiratory rate is 28 breaths per minute. A tube thoracostomy is performed for decreased left chest breath sounds with the return of a small amount of blood and no air leak. After chest tube insertion, the most appropriate next step is: - ANSWERS✔✔ re-examine the chest A construction worker falls two stories from a building and sustains bilateral calcaneal fractures. In the emergency department, he is alert, vital signs are normal, and he is complaining of severe pain in both heels and his lower back. Lower extremity pulses are strong and there is no other deformity. The suspected diagnosis is most likely to be confirmed by: - ANSWERS✔✔ complete spine x-ray series Which of the following is true regarding the initial resuscitation of a trauma patient? - ANSWERS✔✔ Evidence of improved perfusion after fluid resuscitation could include improvement in Glasgow Coma Scale score on reevaluation. In managing a patient with a severe traumatic brain injury, the most important initial step is to: - ANSWERS✔✔ secure the airway A previously healthy, 70-kg (154-pound) man suffers an estimated acute blood loss of 2 liters. Which one of the following statements applies to this patient? - ANSWERS✔✔ An ABG would demonstrate a base deficit between -6 and -10 mEq/L. The physiological hypervolemia of pregnancy has clinical significance in the management of the severely injured, gravid woman by: - ANSWERS✔✔ increasing the volume of blood loss to produce maternal hypotension The best assessment of fluid resuscitation of the adult burn patient is: - ANSWERS✔✔ urinary output of 0.5 mL/kg/hr The diagnosis of shock must include: - ANSWERS✔✔ evidence of inadequate organ perfusion A 7-year-old boy is brought to the emergency department by his parents several minutes after he fell through a window. He is bleeding profusely from a 6-cm wound of his medial right thigh. Immediate management of the wound should consist of: - ANSWERS✔✔ direct pressure on the wound For the patient with severe traumatic brain injury, profound hypocarbia should be avoided to prevent: - ANSWERS✔✔ cerebral vasoconstriction with diminished perfusion After being involved in a motor vehicle crash, a 25-year-old man is brought to a hospital that has surgery capabilities available.. Computed tomography of the chest and abdomen shows an aortic injury and splenic laceration with free abdominal fluid. His blood pressure falls to 70 mm Hg after CT. The next step is: - ANSWERS✔✔ perform an exploratory laparotomy Which one of the following statements regarding abdominal trauma in the pregnant patient is TRUE? - ANSWERS✔✔ Leakage of amniotic fluid is an indication for hospital admission. The first maneuver to improve oxygenation after chest injury is: - ANSWERS✔✔ administer supplemental oxygen A 25-year-old man, injured in a motor vehicular crash, is admitted to the emergency department. His pupils react sluggishly and his eyes open to pressure. He does not follow commands, but he does moan periodically. His right arm is deformed and does not respond to pressure; however, his left hand reaches purposefully toward the stimulus. Both legs are stiffly extended. His GCS score is: - ANSWERS✔✔ 9 A 20-year-old woman who is at 32 weeks gestation, is stabbed in the upper right chest. In the emergency department, her blood pressure is 80/60 mm Hg. She is gasping for breath, extremely anxious, and yelling for help. Breath sounds are diminished in the right chest. The most appropriate first step is to: - ANSWERS✔✔ perform needle or finger decompression of the right chest is 128 km (80 miles) away. Before transfer, you should first: - ANSWERS✔✔ call the receiving hospital and speak to the surgeon on call Hemorrhage of 20% of the patient's blood volume is associated usually with: - ANSWERS✔✔ tachycardia Which one of the following statements concerning intraosseous infusion is TRUE? - ANSWERS✔✔ Aspiration of bone marrow confirms appropriate positioning of the needle. A young woman sustains a severe head injury as the result of a motor vehicle crash. In the emergency department, her GCS is 6. Her blood pressure is 140/90 mm Hg and her heart rate is 80 beats per minute. She is intubated and mechanically ventilated. Her pupils are 3 mm in size and equally reactive to light. There is no other apparent injury. The most important principle to follow in the early management of her head injury is to: - ANSWERS✔✔ avoid hypotension A 33-year-old woman is involved in a head-on motor vehicle crash. It took 30 minutes to extricate her from the car. Upon arrival in the emergency department, her heart rate is 120 beats per minute, BP is 90/70 mm Hg, respiratory rate is 16 breaths per minute, and her GCS score is 15. Examination reveals bilaterally equal breath sounds, anterior chest wall ecchymosis, and distended neck veins. Her abdomen is flat, soft, and not tender. Her pelvis is stable. Palpable distal pulses are found in all 4 extremities. Of the following, the most likely diagnosis is: - ANSWERS✔✔ cardiac tamponade A hemodynamically normal 10-year-old girl is hospitalized for observation after a Grade III (moderately severe) splenic injury has been confirmed by computed tomography (CT). Which of the following mandates prompt celiotomy (laparotomy)? - ANSWERS✔✔ development of peritonitis on physical exam A 40-year-old woman who was a restrained driver in a motor vehicle crash is evaluated in the emergency department. She is hemodynamically normal and found to be paraplegic at the level of T10. Which of the following are true regarding her evaluation and management? - ANSWERS✔✔ Log rolling using 4 people is a safe approach to restrict spinal motion when moving her. A trauma patient presents to your emergency department with inspiratory stridor and a suspected c-spine injury. Oxygen saturation is 88% on high-flow oxygen via a nonrebreathing mask. The most appropriate next step is to: - ANSWERS✔✔ restrict cervical motion and establish a definitive airway When applying the Rule of Nines to infants: - ANSWERS✔✔ The head is proportionally larger in infants than in adults. A healthy young male is brought to the emergency department following a motor vehicle crash. His vital signs are a blood pressure of 84/60, pulse 123, GCS 10. The patient moans when his pelvis is palpated. After initiating fluid resuscitation, the next step in management is: - ANSWERS✔✔ placement of a pelvic binder Which one of the following situations requires Rh immunoglobulin administration to an injured woman? - ANSWERS✔✔ positive pregnancy test, Rh negative, and has torso trauma A 22-year-old female athlete is stabbed in her left chest at the third interspace in the anterior axillary line. On admission to the emergency department and 15 minutes after the incident, she is awake and alert. Her heart rate is 100 beats per minute, blood pressure 80/60 mm Hg, and respiratory rate 20 breaths per minute. A chest x- ray reveals a large left hemothorax. A left chest tube is placed with an immediate return of 1600 mL of blood. The next management step for this patient is: - ANSWERS✔✔ prepare for an exploratory thoracotomy A 6-year-old boy walking across the street is struck by the front bumper of a sports utility vehicle traveling at 32 kph (20 mph). Which one of the following statements is TRUE about this patient? - ANSWERS✔✔ A pulmonary contusion may be present in the absence of rib fractures.