ATLS Pretest Study Guide Exam
Latest 2026/2027 Updated Verified
Questions and Solutions A+ Pass
Guaranteed
1. 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:
- ANS - re-examine the chest
2. 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:
- ANS - complete spine x-ray series
3. Which of the following is true regarding the initial resuscitation of
a trauma patient?
, - ANS - Evidence of improved perfusion after fluid resuscitation
could include improvement in Glasgow Coma Scale score on
reevaluation.
4. In managing a patient with a severe traumatic brain injury, the
most important initial step is to:
- ANS - secure the airway
5. 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?
- ANS - An ABG would demonstrate a base deficit between -6 and -
10 mEq/L.
6. The physiological hypervolemia of pregnancy has clinical
significance in the management of the severely injured, gravid
woman by:
- ANS - increasing the volume of blood loss to produce maternal
hypotension
7. The best assessment of fluid resuscitation of the adult burn patient
is:
- ANS - urinary output of 0.5 mL/kg/hr
8. The diagnosis of shock must include:
- ANS - evidence of inadequate organ perfusion
Latest 2026/2027 Updated Verified
Questions and Solutions A+ Pass
Guaranteed
1. 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:
- ANS - re-examine the chest
2. 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:
- ANS - complete spine x-ray series
3. Which of the following is true regarding the initial resuscitation of
a trauma patient?
, - ANS - Evidence of improved perfusion after fluid resuscitation
could include improvement in Glasgow Coma Scale score on
reevaluation.
4. In managing a patient with a severe traumatic brain injury, the
most important initial step is to:
- ANS - secure the airway
5. 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?
- ANS - An ABG would demonstrate a base deficit between -6 and -
10 mEq/L.
6. The physiological hypervolemia of pregnancy has clinical
significance in the management of the severely injured, gravid
woman by:
- ANS - increasing the volume of blood loss to produce maternal
hypotension
7. The best assessment of fluid resuscitation of the adult burn patient
is:
- ANS - urinary output of 0.5 mL/kg/hr
8. The diagnosis of shock must include:
- ANS - evidence of inadequate organ perfusion
