ATLS10 2019/2020 Post-Test
ATLS10 exam questions with answers (answers outlined!!)
1. A 24-year-old male pedestrian, struck by an automobile, is admitted to the
emergency department 1 hour after injury. His blood pressure is 80/60
mmHg, heart rate 140 beats per minute and respiratory rate is 36 per
minute. He is lethargic. Oxygen is delivered via face mask, and two large-
caliber IVs are initiated. Arterial blood gases are obtained. His PaO2 is 118
mmHg (15.7 kPa), PaCO2 is 30 mmHg (4.0 kPa), and pH is7.21. The
treatment of his acid-base disorder is best accomplished by:
a. Hyperventilation
b. Restoration of normal perfusion
c. Initiation of low-dose dopamine
d. Administration of sodium bicarbonate
e. Initiation of phenylepinephrine infusion
2. The highest priority in managing a patient whose injuries include closed
extremity fractures is:
a. Assesing limb perfusion
b. Preventing necrosis of the skin
c. Decompressing compartment syndrome
d. Addressing respiratory insufficiency Identifying crush syndrome
3. A 34-year-old female is involved in a motor vehicle crash is brought to the
emergency department. She is talking, but her voice is hoarse and on
exposure she has diagonal bruising of the chest and anterior neck. What is
the next step?
a. Direct laryngoscopy to exclude laryngeal trauma
b. Oxygen by non-rebreathing mask
c. Protecting the spine by making her lie down
d. Palpation of the anterior neck
e. Attaching a pulse oximeter to her finger
4. A 30-year-old male sustains a gunshot wound to the right lower chest,
midway between the nipple and the costal margin. He is brought by
ambulance to a hospital that has full surgical capabilities. In the emergency
department he is endotracheally intubated, fluid resuscitation is initiated
through two large-caliber IV lines, and a closed tube thoracostomy is
, performed, with the return of 200 ml of blood. A chest xray reveals correct
placement of the chest tube and a small residual hemothorax. His blodd
pressure is now 70/0 mmHg, and his heart rate is 140 beats per minute. His
hypotension is most likely due to:
a. Tension pneumothorax
b. Massive hemothorax
c. Pericardial tamponade
d. Intraabdominal bleeding
e. Insufficient isotonic crystalloid infusion
5. A 20-year-old athlete is involved in a motorcycle crash after having ridden
for hours on a very hot day. When he arrives in the emergency department,
he shouts that he cannot move his legs. On physical examination, there are
no abnormalities of the chest, abdomen, or pelvis. The patient has no
sensation in his legs and cannot move them, but his arms are moving. The
patient’s respiratory rate is 22, heart rate is 88, and blood pressure is 80/60
mmHg. He is pale and sweaty. What is the most likely cause of his
hypotension?
a. Neurogenic shock
b. Cardiac tamponade
c. Myocardial contusion
d. Hyperthermia
e. Hemorrhagic shock
6. Comapred with adults, children have:
a. A longer, wider, funnel-shaped airway
b. A less pliable, calcified skeleton
c. Greater mobility of mediastinal structures
d. A relatively smaller head and larger jaw
e. Anterior displacement of C5 on C6
7. Which one of the findings below requires a definitive airway in trauma
patients?
a. Facial lacerations
b. Repeated vomiting
c. Partial thickness facial burns, cough, and hoarseness
d. Sternal fracture
e. Glascow Coma Scale score of 12
ATLS10 exam questions with answers (answers outlined!!)
1. A 24-year-old male pedestrian, struck by an automobile, is admitted to the
emergency department 1 hour after injury. His blood pressure is 80/60
mmHg, heart rate 140 beats per minute and respiratory rate is 36 per
minute. He is lethargic. Oxygen is delivered via face mask, and two large-
caliber IVs are initiated. Arterial blood gases are obtained. His PaO2 is 118
mmHg (15.7 kPa), PaCO2 is 30 mmHg (4.0 kPa), and pH is7.21. The
treatment of his acid-base disorder is best accomplished by:
a. Hyperventilation
b. Restoration of normal perfusion
c. Initiation of low-dose dopamine
d. Administration of sodium bicarbonate
e. Initiation of phenylepinephrine infusion
2. The highest priority in managing a patient whose injuries include closed
extremity fractures is:
a. Assesing limb perfusion
b. Preventing necrosis of the skin
c. Decompressing compartment syndrome
d. Addressing respiratory insufficiency Identifying crush syndrome
3. A 34-year-old female is involved in a motor vehicle crash is brought to the
emergency department. She is talking, but her voice is hoarse and on
exposure she has diagonal bruising of the chest and anterior neck. What is
the next step?
a. Direct laryngoscopy to exclude laryngeal trauma
b. Oxygen by non-rebreathing mask
c. Protecting the spine by making her lie down
d. Palpation of the anterior neck
e. Attaching a pulse oximeter to her finger
4. A 30-year-old male sustains a gunshot wound to the right lower chest,
midway between the nipple and the costal margin. He is brought by
ambulance to a hospital that has full surgical capabilities. In the emergency
department he is endotracheally intubated, fluid resuscitation is initiated
through two large-caliber IV lines, and a closed tube thoracostomy is
, performed, with the return of 200 ml of blood. A chest xray reveals correct
placement of the chest tube and a small residual hemothorax. His blodd
pressure is now 70/0 mmHg, and his heart rate is 140 beats per minute. His
hypotension is most likely due to:
a. Tension pneumothorax
b. Massive hemothorax
c. Pericardial tamponade
d. Intraabdominal bleeding
e. Insufficient isotonic crystalloid infusion
5. A 20-year-old athlete is involved in a motorcycle crash after having ridden
for hours on a very hot day. When he arrives in the emergency department,
he shouts that he cannot move his legs. On physical examination, there are
no abnormalities of the chest, abdomen, or pelvis. The patient has no
sensation in his legs and cannot move them, but his arms are moving. The
patient’s respiratory rate is 22, heart rate is 88, and blood pressure is 80/60
mmHg. He is pale and sweaty. What is the most likely cause of his
hypotension?
a. Neurogenic shock
b. Cardiac tamponade
c. Myocardial contusion
d. Hyperthermia
e. Hemorrhagic shock
6. Comapred with adults, children have:
a. A longer, wider, funnel-shaped airway
b. A less pliable, calcified skeleton
c. Greater mobility of mediastinal structures
d. A relatively smaller head and larger jaw
e. Anterior displacement of C5 on C6
7. Which one of the findings below requires a definitive airway in trauma
patients?
a. Facial lacerations
b. Repeated vomiting
c. Partial thickness facial burns, cough, and hoarseness
d. Sternal fracture
e. Glascow Coma Scale score of 12
