Page | 1
ATLS POST TEST UPDATED EXAM WITH
VERIFIED SOLUTIONS.
A 25 year old male is brought to the ED following a bar fight. He
has an altered level of consciousness, open his eyes on
command, moans without forming discernible words, and
localizes to painful stimuli. Which of the following statements is
true?
A. Hyperoxia should be avoided
B. CT scanning is an important step of neurological assessment
C. Mandatory intubation to protect his airway is required
D. His GCS suggests a severe head injury
E. His level of consciousness can be solely attributed to elevated
blood alcohol - correct answer -E. His level of consciousness can
be solely attributed to elevated blood alcohol ????
GCS: 3, 2, 5 = 10
Which of the following statements regarding a genitourinary injury
is true?
A. Urethral injuries are associated with pelvic fractures
B. All patients with microscopic hematuria require evaluation of
genitourinary tract
C. Patient presenting with gross hematuria and shock will have a
major renal injury as the source of hemorrhage
, Page | 2
D. Intraperitoneal bladder injuries are usually managed definitively
with a urinary catheter
E. Urinary catheters should be placed in all patients with pelvic
fractures during the primary survey - correct answer -A. Urethral
injuries are associated with pelvic fractures
A 40 year old male is brought to the ED after a fall from a height
of just over 10 feet. His airway is clear, RR is 28, and SBP is 140.
There is equal air entry on both sides of the chest with
comparable percussion sounds bilaterally. He complains of pain
on palpation of the chest. Which intervention is most likely
needed?
A. Needle decompression of the chest
B. Pericardiocentesis
C. Pain management
D. Thoractomy
E. Tube thoracotomy - correct answer -C. Pain management
A 23 year old construction worker is brought toe the ED after
falling more than 9 meters from scaffolding. He is complaining
bilaterally of lower abdominal and lower limb pain, and has
obvious deformity of both lower legs with bilateral open tibial
fractures. Which one of the following statement concerning this
patient is true?
A. Pelvic injury can be ruled out based on the mechanism of injury
, Page | 3
B. Blood loss from the lower limb is most likely cause of his
hypotension
C. Spinal cord injury is the most likely cause of his hypotension
D. X-ray of the chest and pelvis are important adjuncts in his
assessment
E. Aortic injury is the most likely cause of his tachycardia. -
correct answer -D. X-ray of the chest and pelvis are important
adjuncts in his assessment
check B vs. D
A 30 year old female is brought to the ED after being injured in a
motor vehicle crash. Her initial BP is 90/60, and her HR is 122.
She responds to the rapid infusion of 1 L crystalloid solution with
a rise in her BP to 118/88 and decrease in her HR to 90. Her
pressure then suddenly decreased to 96/66. The LEAST likely
cause of her hemodyanmic change is:
A. Ongoing blood loss
B. Blunt cardiac injury
C. Traumatic brain injury
D. Inadequate resuscitation
E. Tension pneumothorax - correct answer -A. Ongoing blood
loss
?
, Page | 4
Limb threatening injuries:
A. Require a tourniquet
B. Should be definitively managed by application of a traction
splint
C. Are rarely present without an open wound
D. Are characterized by the presence of ischemic or crushed
tissue
E. Indicate a different order of priorities for the patient's initial
assessment and resuscitation - correct answer -D. Are
characterized by the presence of ischemic or crushed tissue
A 30-year-old male is stabbed in the right chest. On arrival to ER,
he is very short of breath, heart rate is 120 and BP is 80/50. His
neck veins are flat. There is diminished air entry on the right side
and there is dullness posteriorly on percussion. These findings
are most consistent with:
A. Hemothorax
B. Pericardial tamponade
C. Tension pneumothorax
D. Hypovolemia from the liver injury
E. Spinal cord injury - correct answer -A. Hemothorax
A 25-year-old female in a third trimester of pregnancy is brought
to the ER following a high-speed motor vehicle crash. She's
ATLS POST TEST UPDATED EXAM WITH
VERIFIED SOLUTIONS.
A 25 year old male is brought to the ED following a bar fight. He
has an altered level of consciousness, open his eyes on
command, moans without forming discernible words, and
localizes to painful stimuli. Which of the following statements is
true?
A. Hyperoxia should be avoided
B. CT scanning is an important step of neurological assessment
C. Mandatory intubation to protect his airway is required
D. His GCS suggests a severe head injury
E. His level of consciousness can be solely attributed to elevated
blood alcohol - correct answer -E. His level of consciousness can
be solely attributed to elevated blood alcohol ????
GCS: 3, 2, 5 = 10
Which of the following statements regarding a genitourinary injury
is true?
A. Urethral injuries are associated with pelvic fractures
B. All patients with microscopic hematuria require evaluation of
genitourinary tract
C. Patient presenting with gross hematuria and shock will have a
major renal injury as the source of hemorrhage
, Page | 2
D. Intraperitoneal bladder injuries are usually managed definitively
with a urinary catheter
E. Urinary catheters should be placed in all patients with pelvic
fractures during the primary survey - correct answer -A. Urethral
injuries are associated with pelvic fractures
A 40 year old male is brought to the ED after a fall from a height
of just over 10 feet. His airway is clear, RR is 28, and SBP is 140.
There is equal air entry on both sides of the chest with
comparable percussion sounds bilaterally. He complains of pain
on palpation of the chest. Which intervention is most likely
needed?
A. Needle decompression of the chest
B. Pericardiocentesis
C. Pain management
D. Thoractomy
E. Tube thoracotomy - correct answer -C. Pain management
A 23 year old construction worker is brought toe the ED after
falling more than 9 meters from scaffolding. He is complaining
bilaterally of lower abdominal and lower limb pain, and has
obvious deformity of both lower legs with bilateral open tibial
fractures. Which one of the following statement concerning this
patient is true?
A. Pelvic injury can be ruled out based on the mechanism of injury
, Page | 3
B. Blood loss from the lower limb is most likely cause of his
hypotension
C. Spinal cord injury is the most likely cause of his hypotension
D. X-ray of the chest and pelvis are important adjuncts in his
assessment
E. Aortic injury is the most likely cause of his tachycardia. -
correct answer -D. X-ray of the chest and pelvis are important
adjuncts in his assessment
check B vs. D
A 30 year old female is brought to the ED after being injured in a
motor vehicle crash. Her initial BP is 90/60, and her HR is 122.
She responds to the rapid infusion of 1 L crystalloid solution with
a rise in her BP to 118/88 and decrease in her HR to 90. Her
pressure then suddenly decreased to 96/66. The LEAST likely
cause of her hemodyanmic change is:
A. Ongoing blood loss
B. Blunt cardiac injury
C. Traumatic brain injury
D. Inadequate resuscitation
E. Tension pneumothorax - correct answer -A. Ongoing blood
loss
?
, Page | 4
Limb threatening injuries:
A. Require a tourniquet
B. Should be definitively managed by application of a traction
splint
C. Are rarely present without an open wound
D. Are characterized by the presence of ischemic or crushed
tissue
E. Indicate a different order of priorities for the patient's initial
assessment and resuscitation - correct answer -D. Are
characterized by the presence of ischemic or crushed tissue
A 30-year-old male is stabbed in the right chest. On arrival to ER,
he is very short of breath, heart rate is 120 and BP is 80/50. His
neck veins are flat. There is diminished air entry on the right side
and there is dullness posteriorly on percussion. These findings
are most consistent with:
A. Hemothorax
B. Pericardial tamponade
C. Tension pneumothorax
D. Hypovolemia from the liver injury
E. Spinal cord injury - correct answer -A. Hemothorax
A 25-year-old female in a third trimester of pregnancy is brought
to the ER following a high-speed motor vehicle crash. She's
