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National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
(NREMT) Trauma Exam | Latest Verified Questions and
Detailed Answers
OVERVIEW DESCRIPTION:
This comprehensive set of multiple-choice questions is designed for the National Registry
of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) Trauma Exam, which assesses a candidate’s
ability to recognize and manage traumatic injuries across all age groups. The exam covers
key content areas including primary and secondary assessment, airway and breathing
management, hemorrhage control, shock recognition, spinal motion restriction, and
specific injury patterns such as chest, abdominal, head, and extremity trauma.
Administered by the NREMT, this exam evaluates both cognitive knowledge and the
application of trauma care principles in prehospital emergency settings.
QUESTION 1
A 22-year-old male sustains a stab wound to the right anterior chest. He is tachypneic
with absent breath sounds on the right side. Jugular veins are distended and trachea is
midline. What is the most likely diagnosis?
A) Tension pneumothorax
B) Open pneumothorax
C) Simple pneumothorax
D) Hemothorax
CORRECT ANSWER: A
EXPERT RATIONALE: Tension pneumothorax presents with respiratory distress, absent
breath sounds, and jugular venous distention due to mediastinal shift. The midline
trachea does not rule out tension; early tension may not shift the trachea.
QUESTION 2
A 45-year-old female falls from a ladder and lands on her feet. She complains of severe
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back pain and inability to move her legs. Which spinal region is most likely injured?
A) Cervical spine
B) Thoracic spine
C) Lumbar spine
D) Sacral spine
CORRECT ANSWER: C
EXPERT RATIONALE: Axial loading from a fall onto the feet often causes compression
fractures in the lumbar spine, especially at L1-L2. Thoracic fractures are less common
with this mechanism.
QUESTION 3
During your primary assessment of a trauma patient, you note gurgling respirations.
What is your immediate action?
A) Insert an oropharyngeal airway
B) Perform jaw-thrust maneuver
C) Suction the airway
D) Administer high-flow oxygen
CORRECT ANSWER: C
EXPERT RATIONALE: Gurgling indicates fluid or debris in the airway requiring immediate
suction to clear the obstruction. Airway adjuncts and oxygen are ineffective without a
patent airway.
QUESTION 4
A 30-year-old male has a deep laceration to his forearm with bright red blood spurting
from the wound. What is the priority intervention?
A) Apply a tourniquet proximal to the wound
B) Apply direct pressure with a sterile gauze
C) Elevate the arm above the heart
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D) Apply pressure to the brachial artery
CORRECT ANSWER: A
EXPERT RATIONALE: Spurting bright red blood indicates arterial hemorrhage. Direct
pressure may fail; a tourniquet is indicated for life-threatening extremity hemorrhage
not controlled by pressure.
QUESTION 5
Which of the following findings is most suggestive of a basilar skull fracture?
A) Bilateral periorbital ecchymosis
B) Clear fluid draining from the ear
C) Battle's sign
D) All of the above
CORRECT ANSWER: D
EXPERT RATIONALE: Basilar skull fracture can present with raccoon eyes (periorbital
ecchymosis), Battle's sign (mastoid ecchymosis), and CSF otorrhea or rhinorrhea.
QUESTION 6
A 19-year-old male is involved in a motorcycle crash at 50 mph. He is unresponsive with
snoring respirations. What maneuver should you use to open the airway?
A) Head-tilt chin-lift
B) Jaw-thrust without head tilt
C) Oropharyngeal airway alone
D) Supraglottic airway
CORRECT ANSWER: B
EXPERT RATIONALE: In trauma patients with suspected spinal injury, the jaw-thrust
maneuver opens the airway while minimizing cervical spine movement. Head-tilt could
worsen cord injury.
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QUESTION 7
A patient with blunt abdominal trauma presents with hypotension, distended abdomen,
and absent bowel sounds. What is the most likely underlying cause?
A) Ruptured spleen
B) Liver laceration
C) Retroperitoneal bleed
D) Intra-abdominal hemorrhage
CORRECT ANSWER: D
EXPERT RATIONALE: The triad of hypotension, distension, and absent bowel sounds
suggests significant intra-abdominal bleeding. While spleen or liver are common
sources, the broad answer is intra-abdominal hemorrhage.
QUESTION 8
You are assessing a 60-year-old female who fell and struck her head. She is on warfarin
and has a large scalp hematoma. She is now drowsy with a GCS of 14. What is your
primary concern?
A) Subdural hematoma
B) Epidural hematoma
C) Intracerebral hemorrhage
D) Subarachnoid hemorrhage
CORRECT ANSWER: A
EXPERT RATIONALE: Anticoagulated elderly patients are at high risk for subdural
hematoma from minor head trauma due to tearing of bridging veins. Delayed
deterioration is common.
QUESTION 9
In a patient with suspected pelvic fracture, which finding indicates significant blood loss?
A) Tenderness over the pubic symphysis
National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
(NREMT) Trauma Exam | Latest Verified Questions and
Detailed Answers
OVERVIEW DESCRIPTION:
This comprehensive set of multiple-choice questions is designed for the National Registry
of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) Trauma Exam, which assesses a candidate’s
ability to recognize and manage traumatic injuries across all age groups. The exam covers
key content areas including primary and secondary assessment, airway and breathing
management, hemorrhage control, shock recognition, spinal motion restriction, and
specific injury patterns such as chest, abdominal, head, and extremity trauma.
Administered by the NREMT, this exam evaluates both cognitive knowledge and the
application of trauma care principles in prehospital emergency settings.
QUESTION 1
A 22-year-old male sustains a stab wound to the right anterior chest. He is tachypneic
with absent breath sounds on the right side. Jugular veins are distended and trachea is
midline. What is the most likely diagnosis?
A) Tension pneumothorax
B) Open pneumothorax
C) Simple pneumothorax
D) Hemothorax
CORRECT ANSWER: A
EXPERT RATIONALE: Tension pneumothorax presents with respiratory distress, absent
breath sounds, and jugular venous distention due to mediastinal shift. The midline
trachea does not rule out tension; early tension may not shift the trachea.
QUESTION 2
A 45-year-old female falls from a ladder and lands on her feet. She complains of severe
,2|Page
back pain and inability to move her legs. Which spinal region is most likely injured?
A) Cervical spine
B) Thoracic spine
C) Lumbar spine
D) Sacral spine
CORRECT ANSWER: C
EXPERT RATIONALE: Axial loading from a fall onto the feet often causes compression
fractures in the lumbar spine, especially at L1-L2. Thoracic fractures are less common
with this mechanism.
QUESTION 3
During your primary assessment of a trauma patient, you note gurgling respirations.
What is your immediate action?
A) Insert an oropharyngeal airway
B) Perform jaw-thrust maneuver
C) Suction the airway
D) Administer high-flow oxygen
CORRECT ANSWER: C
EXPERT RATIONALE: Gurgling indicates fluid or debris in the airway requiring immediate
suction to clear the obstruction. Airway adjuncts and oxygen are ineffective without a
patent airway.
QUESTION 4
A 30-year-old male has a deep laceration to his forearm with bright red blood spurting
from the wound. What is the priority intervention?
A) Apply a tourniquet proximal to the wound
B) Apply direct pressure with a sterile gauze
C) Elevate the arm above the heart
,3|Page
D) Apply pressure to the brachial artery
CORRECT ANSWER: A
EXPERT RATIONALE: Spurting bright red blood indicates arterial hemorrhage. Direct
pressure may fail; a tourniquet is indicated for life-threatening extremity hemorrhage
not controlled by pressure.
QUESTION 5
Which of the following findings is most suggestive of a basilar skull fracture?
A) Bilateral periorbital ecchymosis
B) Clear fluid draining from the ear
C) Battle's sign
D) All of the above
CORRECT ANSWER: D
EXPERT RATIONALE: Basilar skull fracture can present with raccoon eyes (periorbital
ecchymosis), Battle's sign (mastoid ecchymosis), and CSF otorrhea or rhinorrhea.
QUESTION 6
A 19-year-old male is involved in a motorcycle crash at 50 mph. He is unresponsive with
snoring respirations. What maneuver should you use to open the airway?
A) Head-tilt chin-lift
B) Jaw-thrust without head tilt
C) Oropharyngeal airway alone
D) Supraglottic airway
CORRECT ANSWER: B
EXPERT RATIONALE: In trauma patients with suspected spinal injury, the jaw-thrust
maneuver opens the airway while minimizing cervical spine movement. Head-tilt could
worsen cord injury.
, 4|Page
QUESTION 7
A patient with blunt abdominal trauma presents with hypotension, distended abdomen,
and absent bowel sounds. What is the most likely underlying cause?
A) Ruptured spleen
B) Liver laceration
C) Retroperitoneal bleed
D) Intra-abdominal hemorrhage
CORRECT ANSWER: D
EXPERT RATIONALE: The triad of hypotension, distension, and absent bowel sounds
suggests significant intra-abdominal bleeding. While spleen or liver are common
sources, the broad answer is intra-abdominal hemorrhage.
QUESTION 8
You are assessing a 60-year-old female who fell and struck her head. She is on warfarin
and has a large scalp hematoma. She is now drowsy with a GCS of 14. What is your
primary concern?
A) Subdural hematoma
B) Epidural hematoma
C) Intracerebral hemorrhage
D) Subarachnoid hemorrhage
CORRECT ANSWER: A
EXPERT RATIONALE: Anticoagulated elderly patients are at high risk for subdural
hematoma from minor head trauma due to tearing of bridging veins. Delayed
deterioration is common.
QUESTION 9
In a patient with suspected pelvic fracture, which finding indicates significant blood loss?
A) Tenderness over the pubic symphysis
