Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) 1
Questions with Verified Correct Answers
Trauma and worldwide prevalence
18% of world's total diseases
Leading cause of death due to injury worldwide
Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs)
____________ people die every minute due to injuries or violence
>9
5.8 million yearly from unintentional injury/violence
Blunt trauma: injury pattern
compressive/shearing forces
Acceleration/deceleration forces of blunt trauma
Stretching/tearing injuries to organs/vessels/ligaments/structural anchoring points
Direct/crush forces to organs/bones in blunt force trauma
Bruising
Rupture
Fractures
Fractures may do what to other structures?
Lacerate them
,Examples of blunt force trauma
Car accidents
Falls
Assaults
Penetrating trauma
open wounds from:
gunshots, stabbings, explosion/blast injuries, impalements
Exploration of penetrating trauma
Local vs. OR exploration
Chest injuries inside cardiac box are most concerning (heart, lungs, great vessels,
diaphragm)
Abd penetrating wounds that violate fascia = surgical
Removing a penetrating object
NEVER in the trauma bay
Gunshot wound: entry and exit
Never assume entry and exit wounds
Assume # bullet holes = number of bullets
, ATLS
Advanced trauma life support
Revised every 4 years to keep up with changes
Safe, reliable, and systematic method for assessing and initially managing the trauma patient
Three underlying concepts of ATLS
Treat greatest threat to life first
Never allow lack of definitive diagnosis to impede application of an indicated treatment
Detailed history is not essential to begin eval of a patient with acute injury
Initial ATLS assessment and management
Preparation
Triage
Primary survey (ABCDE) with immediate resuscitation of patients with life-threatening
injuries
Adjuncts to primary survey and resuscitation
Consider need for transfer
Secondary survey (head-to-toe eval and history)
Questions with Verified Correct Answers
Trauma and worldwide prevalence
18% of world's total diseases
Leading cause of death due to injury worldwide
Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs)
____________ people die every minute due to injuries or violence
>9
5.8 million yearly from unintentional injury/violence
Blunt trauma: injury pattern
compressive/shearing forces
Acceleration/deceleration forces of blunt trauma
Stretching/tearing injuries to organs/vessels/ligaments/structural anchoring points
Direct/crush forces to organs/bones in blunt force trauma
Bruising
Rupture
Fractures
Fractures may do what to other structures?
Lacerate them
,Examples of blunt force trauma
Car accidents
Falls
Assaults
Penetrating trauma
open wounds from:
gunshots, stabbings, explosion/blast injuries, impalements
Exploration of penetrating trauma
Local vs. OR exploration
Chest injuries inside cardiac box are most concerning (heart, lungs, great vessels,
diaphragm)
Abd penetrating wounds that violate fascia = surgical
Removing a penetrating object
NEVER in the trauma bay
Gunshot wound: entry and exit
Never assume entry and exit wounds
Assume # bullet holes = number of bullets
, ATLS
Advanced trauma life support
Revised every 4 years to keep up with changes
Safe, reliable, and systematic method for assessing and initially managing the trauma patient
Three underlying concepts of ATLS
Treat greatest threat to life first
Never allow lack of definitive diagnosis to impede application of an indicated treatment
Detailed history is not essential to begin eval of a patient with acute injury
Initial ATLS assessment and management
Preparation
Triage
Primary survey (ABCDE) with immediate resuscitation of patients with life-threatening
injuries
Adjuncts to primary survey and resuscitation
Consider need for transfer
Secondary survey (head-to-toe eval and history)
