ATLS Post Test – Questions With Verified Solutions
Which of the following is least reliable for diagnosing esophageal intubation?
Correct Answer - ETT above carina on chest x ray
Which of the following signs necessitates the need for a definitive airway in
severe trauma patient? Correct Answer - Severe maxillofacial trauma
Twenty seven people are severely injured in an aircraft crash at a local
airport. The principles of triage include: Correct Answer - Produce the
greatest number of survivors based on available resources
Which of the following statements are correct? Correct Answer -
Cerebral contusions may coalesce to form an intracerebral hematoma
The primary indication for transferring a patient to a higher level trauma
center is: Correct Answer - Resource limitations as determined by the
transferring doctor
A teenaged bicycle rider is hit by a truck traveling at high speed. In the
emergency department, she is actively bleeding from open fractures of her
legs, and has abrasions on her chest and abdominal wall. Her blood pressure
is 80/50 mm Hg, heart rate is 140 beats per minute, respiratory rate is 8
breaths per minute, and GCS score is 6. The first step in managing this patient
is to:
a) obtain a lateral cervical spine xray.
b) administer 2 liters of crystalloid solution.
c) insert a central venous pressure line.
d) perform endotracheal intubation and ventilation. Correct Answer - D.
Perform endotracheal intubation and ventilation
Contraindication to nasogastric intubation is the presence of a: Correct
Answer - Fracture of the cribiform plate
Which of the following statements regarding patients with thoracic spine
injuries is true? Correct Answer - Log rolling may be destabilizing to
fractures from T12-L1
, A young man sustains a rifle wound to the mid-abdomen. He is brought
promptly to the ED by prehospital personnel. His skin is cool and diaphoretic,
and his systolic blood pressure is 58mmHg. Warmed crystalloid fluids are
initiated without improvement in his vital signs. The next, most appropriate,
step is to perform:
A. a laparotomy
B. An abdominal CT-scan
C. Diagnostic laparoscopy
D. Abdominal ultrasonography
E. A diagnostic peritoneal lavage Correct Answer - A celiotomy
Young women sustains a severe head injury as the result of a motor vehicle
crash. In the emergency department her GCS is 6. Her BP is 140/90 mmHg and
her HR is 80. She is intubated and is being mechanically ventilated. Her pupils
are 3 mm in size and equally reactive to light. There is no other apparent
injury. The more important principle to follow in the early management of her
head injury is to: Correct Answer - Prevent secondary brain injury
22 year old man is brought to the hospital after crashing his motorcycle into a
telephone pole. He is unconscious and in profound shock. He has no open
wounds or obvious fractures. The cause of his shocks is most likely caused by:
Correct Answer - Hemorrhage into the chest of abdomen
30 year old man is struck by a car traveling 35mph. He has obvious fractures
of the left tibia near the knee, pain in the pelvis area, and severe dyspnea. His
HR is 180, RR 48 bpm with no breath sounds heard in the left chest. A tension
PTX is relieved by immediate needle decompression and tube thoracostomy.
Subsequently his HR decreased to 140, his RR decreased to 36 bpm, and BP
80/50 mmHg. Warmed LR is administered intravenously. The next priority
should be to: Correct Answer - Perform external fixation of the pelvis
8 year old girl is an unrestrained passenger in a vehicle struck from behind. In
the ED, her blood pressure is 80/60, heart rate is 80 bpm, and respiratory rate
is 16 breaths per minute. Her GCS score is 14. She complains that her legs "feel
funny and won't move right", however, her spine x-rays do not show a
fracture dislocation. A spinal injury in this child: Correct Answer - Can be
excluded by obtaining a CT of the entire spine
Which of the following is least reliable for diagnosing esophageal intubation?
Correct Answer - ETT above carina on chest x ray
Which of the following signs necessitates the need for a definitive airway in
severe trauma patient? Correct Answer - Severe maxillofacial trauma
Twenty seven people are severely injured in an aircraft crash at a local
airport. The principles of triage include: Correct Answer - Produce the
greatest number of survivors based on available resources
Which of the following statements are correct? Correct Answer -
Cerebral contusions may coalesce to form an intracerebral hematoma
The primary indication for transferring a patient to a higher level trauma
center is: Correct Answer - Resource limitations as determined by the
transferring doctor
A teenaged bicycle rider is hit by a truck traveling at high speed. In the
emergency department, she is actively bleeding from open fractures of her
legs, and has abrasions on her chest and abdominal wall. Her blood pressure
is 80/50 mm Hg, heart rate is 140 beats per minute, respiratory rate is 8
breaths per minute, and GCS score is 6. The first step in managing this patient
is to:
a) obtain a lateral cervical spine xray.
b) administer 2 liters of crystalloid solution.
c) insert a central venous pressure line.
d) perform endotracheal intubation and ventilation. Correct Answer - D.
Perform endotracheal intubation and ventilation
Contraindication to nasogastric intubation is the presence of a: Correct
Answer - Fracture of the cribiform plate
Which of the following statements regarding patients with thoracic spine
injuries is true? Correct Answer - Log rolling may be destabilizing to
fractures from T12-L1
, A young man sustains a rifle wound to the mid-abdomen. He is brought
promptly to the ED by prehospital personnel. His skin is cool and diaphoretic,
and his systolic blood pressure is 58mmHg. Warmed crystalloid fluids are
initiated without improvement in his vital signs. The next, most appropriate,
step is to perform:
A. a laparotomy
B. An abdominal CT-scan
C. Diagnostic laparoscopy
D. Abdominal ultrasonography
E. A diagnostic peritoneal lavage Correct Answer - A celiotomy
Young women sustains a severe head injury as the result of a motor vehicle
crash. In the emergency department her GCS is 6. Her BP is 140/90 mmHg and
her HR is 80. She is intubated and is being mechanically ventilated. Her pupils
are 3 mm in size and equally reactive to light. There is no other apparent
injury. The more important principle to follow in the early management of her
head injury is to: Correct Answer - Prevent secondary brain injury
22 year old man is brought to the hospital after crashing his motorcycle into a
telephone pole. He is unconscious and in profound shock. He has no open
wounds or obvious fractures. The cause of his shocks is most likely caused by:
Correct Answer - Hemorrhage into the chest of abdomen
30 year old man is struck by a car traveling 35mph. He has obvious fractures
of the left tibia near the knee, pain in the pelvis area, and severe dyspnea. His
HR is 180, RR 48 bpm with no breath sounds heard in the left chest. A tension
PTX is relieved by immediate needle decompression and tube thoracostomy.
Subsequently his HR decreased to 140, his RR decreased to 36 bpm, and BP
80/50 mmHg. Warmed LR is administered intravenously. The next priority
should be to: Correct Answer - Perform external fixation of the pelvis
8 year old girl is an unrestrained passenger in a vehicle struck from behind. In
the ED, her blood pressure is 80/60, heart rate is 80 bpm, and respiratory rate
is 16 breaths per minute. Her GCS score is 14. She complains that her legs "feel
funny and won't move right", however, her spine x-rays do not show a
fracture dislocation. A spinal injury in this child: Correct Answer - Can be
excluded by obtaining a CT of the entire spine
