MDC4
FINAL(MODEL9&10)EMERGENCY
CARE & TRIAGE: KEY CONCEPTS AND
CONDITIONS. EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS 100% PASS.
What are common reasons people seek emergency department care? - ANS Abdominal pain,
chest pain, breathing difficulty, injuries (especially falls in older adults), headache, fever, and
pain.
What is triage? - ANS Triage means 'to sort' patients into priority levels based on the severity
of illness or injury.
What is the role of the triage nurse? - ANS The triage nurse acts as the 'gatekeeper' and
rapidly assesses patients to assign treatment priority.
What factors are assessed by the triage nurse? - ANS Chief complaint, vital signs, overall
appearance and mentation, pain level, and psychosocial needs.
What determines triage priority? - ANS Severity of illness or injury and the need for
additional resources.
2026 STUDY MATERIAL @COPYRIGHT RESERVED 1
,What baseline data is collected during triage? - ANS Full vital signs including pain assessment,
history of the current event and past medical history, neurologic findings, weight, allergies,
intimate partner violence screening, and other diagnostic data.
What is important for making accurate triage decisions? - ANS Asking appropriate
assessment questions.
What pneumonics are used for pain assessment? - ANS OPRQST and OLD CARTS.
What does OPRQST stand for? - ANS Onset, Provoke or Palliate, Quality or Character, Region
and Radiation, Signs/Symptoms/Severity, Timing/duration/intensity.
What does OLD CARTS stand for? - ANS Onset, Location, Duration, Character, Aggravating
factors, Relieving factors, Timing, Severity.
What severity rating systems are used in emergency departments? - ANS Emergency Severity
Index (ESI) and Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS).
Which triage system is most commonly used in the United States? - ANS Emergency Severity
Index (ESI).
How many levels exist in the ESI triage system? - ANS Five levels.
What does ESI Level 1 indicate? - ANS The most urgent patients requiring immediate life-
saving intervention.
What does ESI Level 5 indicate? - ANS The least urgent patients requiring minimal resources.
What is the goal time for triage assessment? - ANS Less than 5 minutes.
2026 STUDY MATERIAL @COPYRIGHT RESERVED 2
, What is the correct order of the primary trauma survey? - ANS Airway, Breathing, Circulation,
Disability, Exposure (ABCDE).
What assessment sequence is used when excessive bleeding is present? - ANS CABC
(Circulation first).
What are the priorities of airway management? - ANS Establish, protect, and maintain airway
patency.
What are the priorities of breathing assessment? - ANS Provide adequate ventilation and
initiate resuscitation measures when necessary.
What precautions must be taken in trauma patients when assessing breathing? - ANS Cervical
spine protection and chest injury evaluation.
What is assessed during circulation evaluation? - ANS Cardiac output, bleeding control, shock
prevention, and effective circulation.
What complications should circulation management prevent? - ANS Shock and hypothermia.
What peripheral assessment is performed during circulation evaluation? - ANS Peripheral
pulses.
What is done if an extremity is pulseless? - ANS Immediate closed reduction of fractures or
dislocations.
What neurologic scale is used during the primary trauma survey? - ANS AVPU scale.
What does AVPU stand for? - ANS Alert, responds to Voice, responds to Pain, Unresponsive.
2026 STUDY MATERIAL @COPYRIGHT RESERVED 3
FINAL(MODEL9&10)EMERGENCY
CARE & TRIAGE: KEY CONCEPTS AND
CONDITIONS. EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS 100% PASS.
What are common reasons people seek emergency department care? - ANS Abdominal pain,
chest pain, breathing difficulty, injuries (especially falls in older adults), headache, fever, and
pain.
What is triage? - ANS Triage means 'to sort' patients into priority levels based on the severity
of illness or injury.
What is the role of the triage nurse? - ANS The triage nurse acts as the 'gatekeeper' and
rapidly assesses patients to assign treatment priority.
What factors are assessed by the triage nurse? - ANS Chief complaint, vital signs, overall
appearance and mentation, pain level, and psychosocial needs.
What determines triage priority? - ANS Severity of illness or injury and the need for
additional resources.
2026 STUDY MATERIAL @COPYRIGHT RESERVED 1
,What baseline data is collected during triage? - ANS Full vital signs including pain assessment,
history of the current event and past medical history, neurologic findings, weight, allergies,
intimate partner violence screening, and other diagnostic data.
What is important for making accurate triage decisions? - ANS Asking appropriate
assessment questions.
What pneumonics are used for pain assessment? - ANS OPRQST and OLD CARTS.
What does OPRQST stand for? - ANS Onset, Provoke or Palliate, Quality or Character, Region
and Radiation, Signs/Symptoms/Severity, Timing/duration/intensity.
What does OLD CARTS stand for? - ANS Onset, Location, Duration, Character, Aggravating
factors, Relieving factors, Timing, Severity.
What severity rating systems are used in emergency departments? - ANS Emergency Severity
Index (ESI) and Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS).
Which triage system is most commonly used in the United States? - ANS Emergency Severity
Index (ESI).
How many levels exist in the ESI triage system? - ANS Five levels.
What does ESI Level 1 indicate? - ANS The most urgent patients requiring immediate life-
saving intervention.
What does ESI Level 5 indicate? - ANS The least urgent patients requiring minimal resources.
What is the goal time for triage assessment? - ANS Less than 5 minutes.
2026 STUDY MATERIAL @COPYRIGHT RESERVED 2
, What is the correct order of the primary trauma survey? - ANS Airway, Breathing, Circulation,
Disability, Exposure (ABCDE).
What assessment sequence is used when excessive bleeding is present? - ANS CABC
(Circulation first).
What are the priorities of airway management? - ANS Establish, protect, and maintain airway
patency.
What are the priorities of breathing assessment? - ANS Provide adequate ventilation and
initiate resuscitation measures when necessary.
What precautions must be taken in trauma patients when assessing breathing? - ANS Cervical
spine protection and chest injury evaluation.
What is assessed during circulation evaluation? - ANS Cardiac output, bleeding control, shock
prevention, and effective circulation.
What complications should circulation management prevent? - ANS Shock and hypothermia.
What peripheral assessment is performed during circulation evaluation? - ANS Peripheral
pulses.
What is done if an extremity is pulseless? - ANS Immediate closed reduction of fractures or
dislocations.
What neurologic scale is used during the primary trauma survey? - ANS AVPU scale.
What does AVPU stand for? - ANS Alert, responds to Voice, responds to Pain, Unresponsive.
2026 STUDY MATERIAL @COPYRIGHT RESERVED 3
