PHTLS 10TH EDITION EXAM 2026/2027
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
GRADED A+
1. You are called to the scene of an explosion and fire at a chemical plant where
you find multiple casualties.Triage has begun. Your first patient is a 40-year-old
man who was near the source of the explosion. He is unconscious and has
extensive injuries. You note gurgling respirations. Why should you use the trauma
jaw thrust maneuver first when dealing with a trauma patient?
A. It's an easy technique that always works to open the airway.
B. It allows you to open the airway with little or no movement of the head and
cervical spine.
C. Other techniques and interventions don't work as well.
D. It can relieve a variety of anatomic airway obstructions in patients who are
breathing spontaneously.
Question 1: B
Manual maneuvers like the trauma jaw thrust or chin lift are always the first airway
maneuver you should make when treating a trauma patient. In patients with
suspected head, neck, orfacial trauma, the cervical spine is maintained in a neutral
in-line position.The trauma jaw thrust maneuver allows you to open the airway
with little or no movement of the head and cervical spine.
2. The patient becomes apneic. You suspect he has a cervical injury. Which type of
airway should you use?
A. Supraglottic airway
,B. Blind nasotracheal intubation
C. Oropharyngeal airway
D. Surgical airway
Question 2: A
The supraglottic airway's greatest advantage is that it can be inserted independent
of the patient's position, which may be especially important in trauma patients with
high suspicion of cervical injury.
3. Why might it be more difficult to deal with an airway obstruction in a child?
A. Children have longer tracheas.
B. Children have larger heads and tongues so there is a greater potential for airway
obstruction.
C. Children have smaller heads, so there is less room to clear the obstruction.
D. A child's epiglottis is smaller and stiffer than an adult's.
Question 3: B
Children have larger heads and tongues as compared to an adult so there is a
greater potential for airway obstruction in a pediatric patient. You must pay special
attention to the proper positioning of a pediatric patient to maintain a patent
airway.
4. Why might you consider early mechanical ventilation via bag-mask device in a
geriatric patient?
A. Shorter tracheas in geriatric patients create the need for ventilation assistance.
B. Laxity of the rib cage makes hyperventilation more likely.
C. Geriatric patients have greatly limited physiologic reserve.
D. Geriatric patients have a greater alveolar surface area of the lungs.
, Question 4: C
Early mechanical ventilation via bag mask device or advanced airway measures
should be considered in geriatric trauma patients because of their greatly limited
physiologic reserve.
1. Which of the following requires you to develop a plan of action, initiate the
plan, reassess the plan as care for the patient moves forward, and adjust the plan as
the patient's condition or circumstances change?
A. Principles of PHTLS
B. The Golden Period
C. The XABCDE assessment
D. Critical thinking process
Question 1: D
To help achieve the PHTLS goals, you will apply your critical thinking skills in the
field. Critical thinking in medicine is a process in which the healthcare practitioner
assesses the situation, the patient, and the resources available and uses the
information to decide on and provide the best care for the patient.
2. When using the XABCDE assessment, which of the following takes precedence
over all other actions?
A. Controlling severe bleeding from a limb or other compressible site
B. Airway stabilization and assessing circulatory status
C. Exposing the body to allow a thorough evaluation
D. Ensuring adequate breathing
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
GRADED A+
1. You are called to the scene of an explosion and fire at a chemical plant where
you find multiple casualties.Triage has begun. Your first patient is a 40-year-old
man who was near the source of the explosion. He is unconscious and has
extensive injuries. You note gurgling respirations. Why should you use the trauma
jaw thrust maneuver first when dealing with a trauma patient?
A. It's an easy technique that always works to open the airway.
B. It allows you to open the airway with little or no movement of the head and
cervical spine.
C. Other techniques and interventions don't work as well.
D. It can relieve a variety of anatomic airway obstructions in patients who are
breathing spontaneously.
Question 1: B
Manual maneuvers like the trauma jaw thrust or chin lift are always the first airway
maneuver you should make when treating a trauma patient. In patients with
suspected head, neck, orfacial trauma, the cervical spine is maintained in a neutral
in-line position.The trauma jaw thrust maneuver allows you to open the airway
with little or no movement of the head and cervical spine.
2. The patient becomes apneic. You suspect he has a cervical injury. Which type of
airway should you use?
A. Supraglottic airway
,B. Blind nasotracheal intubation
C. Oropharyngeal airway
D. Surgical airway
Question 2: A
The supraglottic airway's greatest advantage is that it can be inserted independent
of the patient's position, which may be especially important in trauma patients with
high suspicion of cervical injury.
3. Why might it be more difficult to deal with an airway obstruction in a child?
A. Children have longer tracheas.
B. Children have larger heads and tongues so there is a greater potential for airway
obstruction.
C. Children have smaller heads, so there is less room to clear the obstruction.
D. A child's epiglottis is smaller and stiffer than an adult's.
Question 3: B
Children have larger heads and tongues as compared to an adult so there is a
greater potential for airway obstruction in a pediatric patient. You must pay special
attention to the proper positioning of a pediatric patient to maintain a patent
airway.
4. Why might you consider early mechanical ventilation via bag-mask device in a
geriatric patient?
A. Shorter tracheas in geriatric patients create the need for ventilation assistance.
B. Laxity of the rib cage makes hyperventilation more likely.
C. Geriatric patients have greatly limited physiologic reserve.
D. Geriatric patients have a greater alveolar surface area of the lungs.
, Question 4: C
Early mechanical ventilation via bag mask device or advanced airway measures
should be considered in geriatric trauma patients because of their greatly limited
physiologic reserve.
1. Which of the following requires you to develop a plan of action, initiate the
plan, reassess the plan as care for the patient moves forward, and adjust the plan as
the patient's condition or circumstances change?
A. Principles of PHTLS
B. The Golden Period
C. The XABCDE assessment
D. Critical thinking process
Question 1: D
To help achieve the PHTLS goals, you will apply your critical thinking skills in the
field. Critical thinking in medicine is a process in which the healthcare practitioner
assesses the situation, the patient, and the resources available and uses the
information to decide on and provide the best care for the patient.
2. When using the XABCDE assessment, which of the following takes precedence
over all other actions?
A. Controlling severe bleeding from a limb or other compressible site
B. Airway stabilization and assessing circulatory status
C. Exposing the body to allow a thorough evaluation
D. Ensuring adequate breathing
