ATLS PRETEST EXAM 2026 TEST SCRIPT
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ 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:
Answer: complete spine x-ray series
◉ Which of the following is true regarding the initial resuscitation of
a trauma patient?
Answer: Evidence of improved perfusion after fluid resuscitation
could include improvement in Glasgow Coma Scale score on
reevaluation.
◉ In managing a patient with a severe traumatic brain injury, the
most important initial step is to:
Answer: secure the airway
◉ 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?
, Answer: An ABG would demonstrate a base deficit between -6 and -
10 mEq/L.
◉ The physiological hypervolemia of pregnancy has clinical
significance in the management of the severely injured, gravid
woman by:
Answer: increasing the volume of blood loss to produce maternal
hypotension
◉ The best assessment of fluid resuscitation of the adult burn
patient is:
Answer: urinary output of 0.5 mL/kg/hr
◉ The diagnosis of shock must include:
Answer: evidence of inadequate organ perfusion
◉ A 7-year-old boy is brought to the emergency department by his
parents several minutes after he fell through a window. He is
bleeding profusely from a 6-cm wound of his medial right thigh.
Immediate management of the wound should consist of:
Answer: direct pressure on the wound
◉ For the patient with severe traumatic brain injury, profound
hypocarbia should be avoided to prevent:
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ 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:
Answer: complete spine x-ray series
◉ Which of the following is true regarding the initial resuscitation of
a trauma patient?
Answer: Evidence of improved perfusion after fluid resuscitation
could include improvement in Glasgow Coma Scale score on
reevaluation.
◉ In managing a patient with a severe traumatic brain injury, the
most important initial step is to:
Answer: secure the airway
◉ 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?
, Answer: An ABG would demonstrate a base deficit between -6 and -
10 mEq/L.
◉ The physiological hypervolemia of pregnancy has clinical
significance in the management of the severely injured, gravid
woman by:
Answer: increasing the volume of blood loss to produce maternal
hypotension
◉ The best assessment of fluid resuscitation of the adult burn
patient is:
Answer: urinary output of 0.5 mL/kg/hr
◉ The diagnosis of shock must include:
Answer: evidence of inadequate organ perfusion
◉ A 7-year-old boy is brought to the emergency department by his
parents several minutes after he fell through a window. He is
bleeding profusely from a 6-cm wound of his medial right thigh.
Immediate management of the wound should consist of:
Answer: direct pressure on the wound
◉ For the patient with severe traumatic brain injury, profound
hypocarbia should be avoided to prevent:
