ATLS Exam Questions and Answers
2025 (100% Correct)
Most common cause of shock in a trauma patient - ANSWER - Hemorrhage
Earliest measurable circulatory sign of shock (in most cases) - ANSWER - Tachycardia,
cutaneous vasoconstriction (cool to touch)
Contraindicated in management of hemorrhagic shock - ANSWER - Vasopressors
(worsen tissue perfusion)
Compensatory mechanisms can prevent a measurable fall in systolic pressure until up
to ______ of a patient's blood volume is lost. - ANSWER - 30%
Diagnosis of tachycardia by age - ANSWER - Infant: > 160
Pre-school age: > 140
School age to puberty: > 120
Adult: > 100
May limit body's ability to increase HR - ANSWER - Use of beta-adrenergic blocking
agents
Elderly: limited cardiac response to catecholamine stimulation
Presence of pacemaker
Normal blood volume of adult
Normal blood volume of child - ANSWER - Adult: ~ 7% of body weight
Child: ~ 8-9% of body weight
Fractured tibia or humerus can result in ______ loss of blood
Fractured femur can result in ______ loss of blood - ANSWER - Tibia/humerus: <
750mL
Femur: 1500mL
Initial isotonic fluid amount given to shock patients based on weight - ANSWER - < 40
kg: 20mL/kg
Adult: 1L
Prime indicator of resuscitation and patient response - ANSWER - Urinary output
, Adequate urinary output in patients receiving volume replacement during resuscitation -
ANSWER - < 1 year old: 2 mL/kg/hr
Pediatric: 1 mL/kg/hr
Adult: 0.5 mL/kg/hr
Do not use ___________ to treat metabolic acidosis from hypovolemic shock -
ANSWER - Sodium bicarbonate
Required treatment in transient responders or nonresponders to initial shock
management - ANSWER - Type O pRBCs (if crossmated blood unavailable)
AB plasma
Rh-negative pRBCs preferred in females of child-bearing age
Heated temperature of infused crystalloid fluids to prevent hypothermia - ANSWER - 39
C or 102.2 F
Definition of massive transfusion - ANSWER - > 10 Units of pRBCs within first 24 hours
of admission
OR
> 4 Units of pRBCs in 1 hour
Most common complication of hemorrhagic shock - ANSWER - Inadequate volume
replacement
Most common cause of poor response to fluid therapy in patient's with shock -
ANSWER - Undiagnosed source of bleeding
_____% of blunt chest injuries and ______% of penetrating chest injuries require
operative management - ANSWER - Blunt chest: < 10%
Penetrating chest: 15-30%
Most serious consequence of chest injury - ANSWER - Hypoxia
Location where majority of tracheobronchial tree injuries occur - ANSWER - Within 1
inch (2.54 cm) of the carina
Physical exam findings of chest injury and/or hypoxia - ANSWER - -Increased
respiratory rate
-Changes in breathing pattern (progressively shallow respirations)
-Cyanosis (late finding)
Conditions in which PEA can be found on EKG - ANSWER - Cardiac tamponade
Tension pneumothorax
Profound hypovolemia
2025 (100% Correct)
Most common cause of shock in a trauma patient - ANSWER - Hemorrhage
Earliest measurable circulatory sign of shock (in most cases) - ANSWER - Tachycardia,
cutaneous vasoconstriction (cool to touch)
Contraindicated in management of hemorrhagic shock - ANSWER - Vasopressors
(worsen tissue perfusion)
Compensatory mechanisms can prevent a measurable fall in systolic pressure until up
to ______ of a patient's blood volume is lost. - ANSWER - 30%
Diagnosis of tachycardia by age - ANSWER - Infant: > 160
Pre-school age: > 140
School age to puberty: > 120
Adult: > 100
May limit body's ability to increase HR - ANSWER - Use of beta-adrenergic blocking
agents
Elderly: limited cardiac response to catecholamine stimulation
Presence of pacemaker
Normal blood volume of adult
Normal blood volume of child - ANSWER - Adult: ~ 7% of body weight
Child: ~ 8-9% of body weight
Fractured tibia or humerus can result in ______ loss of blood
Fractured femur can result in ______ loss of blood - ANSWER - Tibia/humerus: <
750mL
Femur: 1500mL
Initial isotonic fluid amount given to shock patients based on weight - ANSWER - < 40
kg: 20mL/kg
Adult: 1L
Prime indicator of resuscitation and patient response - ANSWER - Urinary output
, Adequate urinary output in patients receiving volume replacement during resuscitation -
ANSWER - < 1 year old: 2 mL/kg/hr
Pediatric: 1 mL/kg/hr
Adult: 0.5 mL/kg/hr
Do not use ___________ to treat metabolic acidosis from hypovolemic shock -
ANSWER - Sodium bicarbonate
Required treatment in transient responders or nonresponders to initial shock
management - ANSWER - Type O pRBCs (if crossmated blood unavailable)
AB plasma
Rh-negative pRBCs preferred in females of child-bearing age
Heated temperature of infused crystalloid fluids to prevent hypothermia - ANSWER - 39
C or 102.2 F
Definition of massive transfusion - ANSWER - > 10 Units of pRBCs within first 24 hours
of admission
OR
> 4 Units of pRBCs in 1 hour
Most common complication of hemorrhagic shock - ANSWER - Inadequate volume
replacement
Most common cause of poor response to fluid therapy in patient's with shock -
ANSWER - Undiagnosed source of bleeding
_____% of blunt chest injuries and ______% of penetrating chest injuries require
operative management - ANSWER - Blunt chest: < 10%
Penetrating chest: 15-30%
Most serious consequence of chest injury - ANSWER - Hypoxia
Location where majority of tracheobronchial tree injuries occur - ANSWER - Within 1
inch (2.54 cm) of the carina
Physical exam findings of chest injury and/or hypoxia - ANSWER - -Increased
respiratory rate
-Changes in breathing pattern (progressively shallow respirations)
-Cyanosis (late finding)
Conditions in which PEA can be found on EKG - ANSWER - Cardiac tamponade
Tension pneumothorax
Profound hypovolemia
