OEC Chapter 23 Test questions with
complete solutions
Which of the following statements indicates that the speaker understands chest trauma? - correct
answer ✔✔"Internal chest injuries are more difficult to assess and manage than are the more obvious
external chest injuries."
Which of the following phrases best describes a flail chest segment? - correct answer ✔✔Two or more
adjacent ribs that have been broken in two or more places.
A patient has sustained an injury to his mediastinum. Based on the anatomy of his chest, which of the
following structures may have been injured? - correct answer ✔✔A.The esophagus
B. A bronchus
C. The lungs
(answer C is correct)
D.
The diaphragm
You have placed an occlusive dressing on a puncture wound on the right side of the chest of a 33-year-
old woman. During your ongoing assessment your primary concern is monitoring the injury for: - correct
answer ✔✔Tension pneumothorax
Beck's triad consists of which three significant clinical findings? - correct answer ✔✔Distended neck
veins, muffled heart sounds, and pulsus paradox
Injuries at which level of the spinal cord can affect the phrenic nerves and therefore respiration? -
correct answer ✔✔C3-C5
, You are assisting at an accident scene and are asked to apply a dressing over a sucking chest wound on
the patient's left anterior chest wall. Which of the following items would you use? - correct answer
✔✔Vaseline gauze
An OEC candidate asks you to explain a pneumothorax. Your response should be that it occurs when: -
correct answer ✔✔Air accumulates between the inner chest wall and the outside of the lung, causing
the lung to collapse.
You are treating a 16-year-old male who was skiing out of control and ran off the trail and into the
woods. When you arrive, he is alert and complaining of pain in his right lower chest. Upon examination
you note that he has impaled himself with a tree branch. He tells you he will feel better if you just
remove the branch. Based on your training as an OEC technician, you would respond by making which of
the following statements? - correct answer ✔✔"We need to leave the branch in place until we get you to
a hospital."
You are managing a patient with a large flail segment in the right lateral chest. The immediate threat to
this patient's life is: - correct answer ✔✔Hypoxia
You are following the L.A.P. method to examine the chest of a 38-year-old trauma patient. To assess for
thoracic cage instability, you would apply moderate downward pressure on the sternum while asking the
patient to take a deep breath, and then you would: - correct answer ✔✔apply moderate inward pressure
on the lateral walls of the rib cage and ask the patient to take a deep breath.
All of the following are true about the anatomy and physiology of the chest EXCEPT: - correct answer
✔✔A.
The thoracic cage encompasses the heart, lungs, and mediastinum.
B.
The mediastinum consists of the heart, aorta, vena cava, trachea, esophagus, thymus gland, and nerves.
C.
The thorax is enclosed by the bony rib cage, sternum, thoracic spine, and diaphragm.
D.
The thorax includes the area from the mandible to the costal margin.
(Answer D is Correct)
complete solutions
Which of the following statements indicates that the speaker understands chest trauma? - correct
answer ✔✔"Internal chest injuries are more difficult to assess and manage than are the more obvious
external chest injuries."
Which of the following phrases best describes a flail chest segment? - correct answer ✔✔Two or more
adjacent ribs that have been broken in two or more places.
A patient has sustained an injury to his mediastinum. Based on the anatomy of his chest, which of the
following structures may have been injured? - correct answer ✔✔A.The esophagus
B. A bronchus
C. The lungs
(answer C is correct)
D.
The diaphragm
You have placed an occlusive dressing on a puncture wound on the right side of the chest of a 33-year-
old woman. During your ongoing assessment your primary concern is monitoring the injury for: - correct
answer ✔✔Tension pneumothorax
Beck's triad consists of which three significant clinical findings? - correct answer ✔✔Distended neck
veins, muffled heart sounds, and pulsus paradox
Injuries at which level of the spinal cord can affect the phrenic nerves and therefore respiration? -
correct answer ✔✔C3-C5
, You are assisting at an accident scene and are asked to apply a dressing over a sucking chest wound on
the patient's left anterior chest wall. Which of the following items would you use? - correct answer
✔✔Vaseline gauze
An OEC candidate asks you to explain a pneumothorax. Your response should be that it occurs when: -
correct answer ✔✔Air accumulates between the inner chest wall and the outside of the lung, causing
the lung to collapse.
You are treating a 16-year-old male who was skiing out of control and ran off the trail and into the
woods. When you arrive, he is alert and complaining of pain in his right lower chest. Upon examination
you note that he has impaled himself with a tree branch. He tells you he will feel better if you just
remove the branch. Based on your training as an OEC technician, you would respond by making which of
the following statements? - correct answer ✔✔"We need to leave the branch in place until we get you to
a hospital."
You are managing a patient with a large flail segment in the right lateral chest. The immediate threat to
this patient's life is: - correct answer ✔✔Hypoxia
You are following the L.A.P. method to examine the chest of a 38-year-old trauma patient. To assess for
thoracic cage instability, you would apply moderate downward pressure on the sternum while asking the
patient to take a deep breath, and then you would: - correct answer ✔✔apply moderate inward pressure
on the lateral walls of the rib cage and ask the patient to take a deep breath.
All of the following are true about the anatomy and physiology of the chest EXCEPT: - correct answer
✔✔A.
The thoracic cage encompasses the heart, lungs, and mediastinum.
B.
The mediastinum consists of the heart, aorta, vena cava, trachea, esophagus, thymus gland, and nerves.
C.
The thorax is enclosed by the bony rib cage, sternum, thoracic spine, and diaphragm.
D.
The thorax includes the area from the mandible to the costal margin.
(Answer D is Correct)
