A+ VERIFIED
PREHOSPITAL TRAUMA CERTIFICATION · OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT
PHTLS 10th Edition Final Exam — Complete
Official Exam
50 Questions Full Rationales Verified Answers 10th Edition
50 5 100%
QUESTIONS SECTIONS RATIONALES
Complete coverage Core exam domains Every answer explained
WHAT THIS COVERS
01 Scene Size-Up & Initial Assessment
02 Airway, Breathing & Circulation
03 Head, Spinal & Thoracic Trauma
04 Abdominal, Musculoskeletal & Burn Trauma
05 Special Populations & Transport
ABOUT THIS ASSESSMENT
Build mastery in prehospital trauma life support — from scene size-up and initial assessment to airway, breathing, circulation,
head, spinal, thoracic, abdominal, musculoskeletal, and burn trauma, special populations, and transport decisions. This original
study bank targets application and analysis skills for the PHTLS 10th Edition Final Exam, with full rationales for every answer.
For review use only; not an institutional proctored assessment.
PASSING SCORE LEVEL FORMAT
80% Advanced (Prehospital Trauma Certification) Application / Analysis
STUVIA ACTUAL EXAM Page 1
, SECTION 1: Scene Size-Up & Initial Assessment
Q1. You arrive at a multi-vehicle collision on a two-lane highway at dusk. Two cars are involved; one is overturned with
fuel leaking onto the roadway. Bystanders are attempting to pull an unresponsive driver from the overturned vehicle.
Your first priority action is to:
A. Establish a safe zone, control traffic, and request additional resources before approaching
B. Direct bystanders to continue extrication while you set up triage
C. Immediately extricate the unresponsive driver to begin primary survey
D. Begin triage of all visible patients from a distance of 50 feet
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Scene safety is the absolute first priority in PHTLS. An overturned vehicle with fuel leak and uncontrolled bystanders creates fire and
secondary crash hazards. Approaching or allowing extrication before securing the scene places rescuers and patients at unnecessary risk.
Resource request and traffic control are part of initial scene size-up.
Q2. A 28-year-old motorcyclist is found 40 feet from his bike after colliding with a guardrail. He is conscious, complaining
of abdominal pain, and has a deformed left femur. Based on kinematics, which injury pattern should you anticipate
as most likely?
A. Cervical spine injury as the single most probable finding
B. Primarily soft-tissue injuries from sliding on asphalt
C. Significant energy transfer with possible multi-system trauma including pelvic or solid-organ injury
D. Isolated femoral fracture without internal injury
Correct Answer: C
Rationale:
High-energy mechanisms such as motorcycle crashes with ejection imply major force transmission. The combination of ejection distance,
abdominal pain, and long-bone deformity raises suspicion for multi-system trauma. Isolated findings are less likely; kinematics drive the
search for occult injuries during primary and secondary surveys.
Q3. During the primary survey of a trauma patient you note a patent airway, equal breath sounds, strong radial pulses,
and a GCS of 13. The patient is speaking in short sentences. Your next immediate action in the XABCDE sequence
is to:
A. Complete a full head-to-toe secondary survey before any interventions
B. Control any life-threatening external hemorrhage and assess for signs of shock
C. Apply a cervical collar and backboard immediately
D. Obtain a detailed SAMPLE history from bystanders
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
XABCDE prioritizes exsanguinating hemorrhage control first, followed by airway, breathing, circulation. Even with a speaking patient and
strong radials, external bleeding must be stopped and perfusion assessed early. Secondary survey and history occur only after life threats
are addressed.
STUVIA ACTUAL EXAM · Page 2
, SECTION 1: Scene Size-Up & Initial Assessment
Q4. At a mass-casualty incident involving a collapsed structure, you are performing triage using the START method. An
adult patient is found walking, has a respiratory rate of 28, capillary refill of 3 seconds, and is able to follow simple
commands. How should this patient be tagged?
A. Delayed (yellow)
B. Expectant (black)
C. Immediate (red)
D. Minimal (green)
Correct Answer: D
Rationale:
In START triage, any patient who can walk is initially categorized as Minimal (green) and directed to a secondary triage area. Respiratory
rate and perfusion are assessed only in non-ambulatory patients. This rapid sorting maximizes resource allocation to those who cannot
walk.
Q5. You are assessing a 45-year-old restrained driver involved in a frontal impact at highway speed. The airbag
deployed. The patient has a seat-belt sign across the abdomen and is hypotensive. Which kinematic principle best
explains the likelihood of intra-abdominal injury?
A. Rapid deceleration produces shear forces and compression of solid and hollow organs
B. Airbag deployment eliminates the risk of internal injury
C. Frontal impacts primarily cause only extremity trauma
D. The seat belt prevents all energy transfer to the abdomen
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Rapid deceleration creates differential movement between fixed and mobile abdominal structures, producing shear and compressive forces.
A seat-belt sign is a classic marker of significant force transmission and correlates with intra-abdominal injury. Airbags reduce but do not
eliminate risk.
Q6. A trauma patient is found unresponsive after a fall from a second-story roof. During the primary survey the airway is
partially obstructed by blood and the patient has snoring respirations. Your immediate next action is to:
A. Begin bag-mask ventilation before clearing the airway
B. Perform a jaw-thrust maneuver while maintaining cervical spine precautions and suction the airway
C. Insert a nasopharyngeal airway without cervical protection
D. Proceed directly to endotracheal intubation without positioning
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
Airway patency is the first priority after hemorrhage control in XABCDE. In trauma, the jaw-thrust is preferred over head-tilt/chin-lift to
protect the cervical spine. Suctioning removes blood that is obstructing the airway. Positioning and clearing precede definitive airway
placement.
STUVIA ACTUAL EXAM · Page 3
PREHOSPITAL TRAUMA CERTIFICATION · OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT
PHTLS 10th Edition Final Exam — Complete
Official Exam
50 Questions Full Rationales Verified Answers 10th Edition
50 5 100%
QUESTIONS SECTIONS RATIONALES
Complete coverage Core exam domains Every answer explained
WHAT THIS COVERS
01 Scene Size-Up & Initial Assessment
02 Airway, Breathing & Circulation
03 Head, Spinal & Thoracic Trauma
04 Abdominal, Musculoskeletal & Burn Trauma
05 Special Populations & Transport
ABOUT THIS ASSESSMENT
Build mastery in prehospital trauma life support — from scene size-up and initial assessment to airway, breathing, circulation,
head, spinal, thoracic, abdominal, musculoskeletal, and burn trauma, special populations, and transport decisions. This original
study bank targets application and analysis skills for the PHTLS 10th Edition Final Exam, with full rationales for every answer.
For review use only; not an institutional proctored assessment.
PASSING SCORE LEVEL FORMAT
80% Advanced (Prehospital Trauma Certification) Application / Analysis
STUVIA ACTUAL EXAM Page 1
, SECTION 1: Scene Size-Up & Initial Assessment
Q1. You arrive at a multi-vehicle collision on a two-lane highway at dusk. Two cars are involved; one is overturned with
fuel leaking onto the roadway. Bystanders are attempting to pull an unresponsive driver from the overturned vehicle.
Your first priority action is to:
A. Establish a safe zone, control traffic, and request additional resources before approaching
B. Direct bystanders to continue extrication while you set up triage
C. Immediately extricate the unresponsive driver to begin primary survey
D. Begin triage of all visible patients from a distance of 50 feet
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Scene safety is the absolute first priority in PHTLS. An overturned vehicle with fuel leak and uncontrolled bystanders creates fire and
secondary crash hazards. Approaching or allowing extrication before securing the scene places rescuers and patients at unnecessary risk.
Resource request and traffic control are part of initial scene size-up.
Q2. A 28-year-old motorcyclist is found 40 feet from his bike after colliding with a guardrail. He is conscious, complaining
of abdominal pain, and has a deformed left femur. Based on kinematics, which injury pattern should you anticipate
as most likely?
A. Cervical spine injury as the single most probable finding
B. Primarily soft-tissue injuries from sliding on asphalt
C. Significant energy transfer with possible multi-system trauma including pelvic or solid-organ injury
D. Isolated femoral fracture without internal injury
Correct Answer: C
Rationale:
High-energy mechanisms such as motorcycle crashes with ejection imply major force transmission. The combination of ejection distance,
abdominal pain, and long-bone deformity raises suspicion for multi-system trauma. Isolated findings are less likely; kinematics drive the
search for occult injuries during primary and secondary surveys.
Q3. During the primary survey of a trauma patient you note a patent airway, equal breath sounds, strong radial pulses,
and a GCS of 13. The patient is speaking in short sentences. Your next immediate action in the XABCDE sequence
is to:
A. Complete a full head-to-toe secondary survey before any interventions
B. Control any life-threatening external hemorrhage and assess for signs of shock
C. Apply a cervical collar and backboard immediately
D. Obtain a detailed SAMPLE history from bystanders
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
XABCDE prioritizes exsanguinating hemorrhage control first, followed by airway, breathing, circulation. Even with a speaking patient and
strong radials, external bleeding must be stopped and perfusion assessed early. Secondary survey and history occur only after life threats
are addressed.
STUVIA ACTUAL EXAM · Page 2
, SECTION 1: Scene Size-Up & Initial Assessment
Q4. At a mass-casualty incident involving a collapsed structure, you are performing triage using the START method. An
adult patient is found walking, has a respiratory rate of 28, capillary refill of 3 seconds, and is able to follow simple
commands. How should this patient be tagged?
A. Delayed (yellow)
B. Expectant (black)
C. Immediate (red)
D. Minimal (green)
Correct Answer: D
Rationale:
In START triage, any patient who can walk is initially categorized as Minimal (green) and directed to a secondary triage area. Respiratory
rate and perfusion are assessed only in non-ambulatory patients. This rapid sorting maximizes resource allocation to those who cannot
walk.
Q5. You are assessing a 45-year-old restrained driver involved in a frontal impact at highway speed. The airbag
deployed. The patient has a seat-belt sign across the abdomen and is hypotensive. Which kinematic principle best
explains the likelihood of intra-abdominal injury?
A. Rapid deceleration produces shear forces and compression of solid and hollow organs
B. Airbag deployment eliminates the risk of internal injury
C. Frontal impacts primarily cause only extremity trauma
D. The seat belt prevents all energy transfer to the abdomen
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Rapid deceleration creates differential movement between fixed and mobile abdominal structures, producing shear and compressive forces.
A seat-belt sign is a classic marker of significant force transmission and correlates with intra-abdominal injury. Airbags reduce but do not
eliminate risk.
Q6. A trauma patient is found unresponsive after a fall from a second-story roof. During the primary survey the airway is
partially obstructed by blood and the patient has snoring respirations. Your immediate next action is to:
A. Begin bag-mask ventilation before clearing the airway
B. Perform a jaw-thrust maneuver while maintaining cervical spine precautions and suction the airway
C. Insert a nasopharyngeal airway without cervical protection
D. Proceed directly to endotracheal intubation without positioning
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
Airway patency is the first priority after hemorrhage control in XABCDE. In trauma, the jaw-thrust is preferred over head-tilt/chin-lift to
protect the cervical spine. Suctioning removes blood that is obstructing the airway. Positioning and clearing precede definitive airway
placement.
STUVIA ACTUAL EXAM · Page 3
