Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) Exam Questions and Answers

What are the clinical signs of airway obstruction? - ANSWER-snoring, stridor, hoarseness or no noise at all What are the techniques for clearing an obstructed airway? - ANSWER-Suction Removal of foreign body Head tilt and chin lift Airway adjuncts - Guedel aiway Definite surgical airway How do you size a Guedel airway? - ANSWER-measuring from the centre of the mouth (between the first incisors) to the angle of the mandible How does tension pneumothorax lead to death? - ANSWER-A tension pneumothorax essential acts as an internal one-way valve - allowing air into the chest cavity but not out. This results in pressure on the mediastinum, thus decreasing venous return to the heart and eventual cardiac arrest. What are the signs of a tension pneumothorax? - ANSWER-engorged neck veins Reduced lung expansion deviation of trachea to opposite side Hyper-resonant chest decreased breath sounds on affected side Management of tension pneumothorax? - ANSWER-needle decompression in 2nd intercostal space then insertion of chest drain (definitive management) Management of open pneumothorax - ANSWER-Three-sided dressing and then insertion of chest drain What is a flail chest? - ANSWER-2 or more rib fractures in 2 or more places, thus resulting in separation of a segment of the thoracic cage Clinical sign of flail chest - ANSWER-Paradoxical movement of this part of the chest wall - indrawing on inspiration and outwards movement on expiration Beck's triad is a constellation of findings indicative of cardiac tamponade. What are they? - ANSWER-hypotension jugular venous distention muffled heart sounds Management of cardiac tamponade - ANSWER-pericardiocentesis under ultrasound guidance