TRAUMA FISDAP [2026] | UPDATED ACTUAL | 100% CORRECT
ANSWERS | DETAILED TRAUMA EXAM REVIEW
• A hiker fell 25 feet from a ledge. There is obvious deformity to his thoracic spine
and he has a large laceration on his forehead. His BP is 60/40 mmHg, pulse is 50
beats/min, and respirations are 26 breaths/min. His face and chest are pale and
cool, but his abdomen and lower extremities are pink and warm. Which of the
following BEST describes the pathophysiology of these findings? -✓✓ANSWER:
loss of nervous system control over the systemic vasculature
• A man was struck in the side of the head with a steel pipe. Blood-tinged fluid is
draining from the ear and bruising appears behind the ear. The MOST appropriate
treatment for this patient includes: -✓✓ANSWER: immobilizing the spine,
administering oxygen, and monitoring for vomiting
• A man was kicked in the head and chest and stabbed in the abdomen. He is
conscious, but restless, and is coughing up blood. His breathing is rapid and
shallow, his skin is cool and pale, and his pulse is rapid and weak. The EMT should
recognize that this patient's signs and symptoms are MOST likely the result of: -
✓✓ANSWER: internal hemorrhage
• A woman fell through a large glass window and has a large laceration to her
inner arm that is bleeding profusely. The EMT applies a trauma dressing and
direct pressure to the wound, but the dressing immediately becomes soaked with
blood. What should the EMT do next? -✓✓ANSWER: apply a proximal tourniquet
and engage it until the bleeding stops
• After completing a rapid assessment of a patient with a penetrating chest injury,
the EMT tells her partner that she suspects a pericardial tamponade. Which of the
following did the EMT MOST likely encounter during her assessment? -
✓✓ANSWER: Distended jugular veins
,• Assessment of an injured man reveals that he opens his eyes when the EMT
speaks to him and pulls his arm away when the EMT palpates it. He knows his
name, but cannot remember what happened and does not known what day it is.
He should be assigned a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of: -✓✓ANSWER: 11
(3 for eye opening, 4 for verbal response, 4 for motor response)
• A man's arm was amputated during a car crash. The patient is unresponsive; has
rapid, shallow breathing; and has a rapid, weak pulse. As you and your partner are
treating him, other responders are attempting to locate his severed arm. Which of
the following statements regarding this scenario is correct? -✓✓ANSWER: If the
patient's arm has not been recovered by the time you are ready to transport, you
should transport without delay
• Patients with significant closed head injuries often have pupillary abnormalities
and: -✓✓ANSWER: hypertension
• Assessment of a trauma patient reveals paradoxical movement to the left side
of his chest. The patient is conscious, but restless, and is experiencing severe pain.
His breathing is rapid and shallow and his pulse is rapid and weak. The EMT
should: -✓✓ANSWER: ventilate the patient with a bag-mask device
• Following a head injury, a young woman is semiconscious and is bleeding from
the nose and left ear. You should: -✓✓ANSWER: cover her ear and nose with a
loose gauze pad to collect the blood
(bleeding following a head injury Amy contain CSF and indicates a skull fracture;
do NOT attempt to stop the flow of blood. The nasopharyngeal airway is
contraindicated in patients with a possible skull fracture)
, • Following blunt force trauma to the anterior chest, a man presents with
difficulty breathing, distended jugular veins, absent breath sounds over the left
side of the chest, and hypotension. Which of the following BEST describes the
pathophysiology of this patient's injury -✓✓ANSWER: Increased pressure in the
pleural space is compressing the great vessels
• A 42-year-old man was ejected from his car after it struck a bridge pillar at a
high rate of speed. You find him in a prone position approximately 50 feet from
his car. He is not moving and does not appear to be breathing. You should: -
✓✓ANSWER: manually stabilize his head
(when a trauma patient is found in a prone position, your first action should be to
manually stabilize their head; this action is based on the assumption that the
patient has a spinal injury
• Following blunt trauma to the chest, a 33-year-old man has shallow, painful
breathing. On assessment, you note that an area to the left side of his chest
collapses during inhalation and bulges during exhalation. These are signs of a/an:
-✓✓ANSWER: flail chest
• A patient is unresponsive with snoring respirations. His arm is amputated just
above the elbow and is bleeding heavily. The EMT should: -✓✓ANSWER: apply a
proximal tourniquet
• A woman struck the steering wheel with her chest when her car collided with a
tree. She is conscious and alert; however, she is tachypneic and diaphoretic and
her pulse is rapid and irregular. What should you do? -✓✓ANSWER: administer
oxygen and protect her spine
(based on clinical presentation of rapid, irregular pulse, a myocardial contusion
should be suspected.)
ANSWERS | DETAILED TRAUMA EXAM REVIEW
• A hiker fell 25 feet from a ledge. There is obvious deformity to his thoracic spine
and he has a large laceration on his forehead. His BP is 60/40 mmHg, pulse is 50
beats/min, and respirations are 26 breaths/min. His face and chest are pale and
cool, but his abdomen and lower extremities are pink and warm. Which of the
following BEST describes the pathophysiology of these findings? -✓✓ANSWER:
loss of nervous system control over the systemic vasculature
• A man was struck in the side of the head with a steel pipe. Blood-tinged fluid is
draining from the ear and bruising appears behind the ear. The MOST appropriate
treatment for this patient includes: -✓✓ANSWER: immobilizing the spine,
administering oxygen, and monitoring for vomiting
• A man was kicked in the head and chest and stabbed in the abdomen. He is
conscious, but restless, and is coughing up blood. His breathing is rapid and
shallow, his skin is cool and pale, and his pulse is rapid and weak. The EMT should
recognize that this patient's signs and symptoms are MOST likely the result of: -
✓✓ANSWER: internal hemorrhage
• A woman fell through a large glass window and has a large laceration to her
inner arm that is bleeding profusely. The EMT applies a trauma dressing and
direct pressure to the wound, but the dressing immediately becomes soaked with
blood. What should the EMT do next? -✓✓ANSWER: apply a proximal tourniquet
and engage it until the bleeding stops
• After completing a rapid assessment of a patient with a penetrating chest injury,
the EMT tells her partner that she suspects a pericardial tamponade. Which of the
following did the EMT MOST likely encounter during her assessment? -
✓✓ANSWER: Distended jugular veins
,• Assessment of an injured man reveals that he opens his eyes when the EMT
speaks to him and pulls his arm away when the EMT palpates it. He knows his
name, but cannot remember what happened and does not known what day it is.
He should be assigned a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of: -✓✓ANSWER: 11
(3 for eye opening, 4 for verbal response, 4 for motor response)
• A man's arm was amputated during a car crash. The patient is unresponsive; has
rapid, shallow breathing; and has a rapid, weak pulse. As you and your partner are
treating him, other responders are attempting to locate his severed arm. Which of
the following statements regarding this scenario is correct? -✓✓ANSWER: If the
patient's arm has not been recovered by the time you are ready to transport, you
should transport without delay
• Patients with significant closed head injuries often have pupillary abnormalities
and: -✓✓ANSWER: hypertension
• Assessment of a trauma patient reveals paradoxical movement to the left side
of his chest. The patient is conscious, but restless, and is experiencing severe pain.
His breathing is rapid and shallow and his pulse is rapid and weak. The EMT
should: -✓✓ANSWER: ventilate the patient with a bag-mask device
• Following a head injury, a young woman is semiconscious and is bleeding from
the nose and left ear. You should: -✓✓ANSWER: cover her ear and nose with a
loose gauze pad to collect the blood
(bleeding following a head injury Amy contain CSF and indicates a skull fracture;
do NOT attempt to stop the flow of blood. The nasopharyngeal airway is
contraindicated in patients with a possible skull fracture)
, • Following blunt force trauma to the anterior chest, a man presents with
difficulty breathing, distended jugular veins, absent breath sounds over the left
side of the chest, and hypotension. Which of the following BEST describes the
pathophysiology of this patient's injury -✓✓ANSWER: Increased pressure in the
pleural space is compressing the great vessels
• A 42-year-old man was ejected from his car after it struck a bridge pillar at a
high rate of speed. You find him in a prone position approximately 50 feet from
his car. He is not moving and does not appear to be breathing. You should: -
✓✓ANSWER: manually stabilize his head
(when a trauma patient is found in a prone position, your first action should be to
manually stabilize their head; this action is based on the assumption that the
patient has a spinal injury
• Following blunt trauma to the chest, a 33-year-old man has shallow, painful
breathing. On assessment, you note that an area to the left side of his chest
collapses during inhalation and bulges during exhalation. These are signs of a/an:
-✓✓ANSWER: flail chest
• A patient is unresponsive with snoring respirations. His arm is amputated just
above the elbow and is bleeding heavily. The EMT should: -✓✓ANSWER: apply a
proximal tourniquet
• A woman struck the steering wheel with her chest when her car collided with a
tree. She is conscious and alert; however, she is tachypneic and diaphoretic and
her pulse is rapid and irregular. What should you do? -✓✓ANSWER: administer
oxygen and protect her spine
(based on clinical presentation of rapid, irregular pulse, a myocardial contusion
should be suspected.)
