PHTLS Questions and Graded Answers.
An adult patient has an open angulated injury to the left lower leg. Distal pulses are absent. Why
should you attempt to realign the extremity?
A. Restore blood flow
B. Reduce the open fracture
C. Restore function to the leg
D. Manage the patient's pain - A. Restore blood flow
Which is an early finding in compartment syndrome?
A. Paralysis
B. Pallor
C. Pulselessness
D. Pain - D. Pain
An adult patient has partial thickness burns to his or her anterior chest and abdomen, the entire
right arm, and the palm of the left hand. What percent of the total body surface area is affected>
A. 30%
B. 29%
C. 28%
D. 25% - C. 28%
A 20 year old male was hit in the chest with a baseball bat. He complains of severe pain and
tenderness on the left side. He is unable to take a deep breath. Vital signs are BP 112/76, P 98, R
20, SpO2 98%, and ETCO2 38mmHg. What should you do?
,A. Administer oxygen via nonrebreather mask
B. Apply continuous positive airway pressure
C. Administer 100mg Ketamine
D. Administer 100mcg Fentanyl - D. Administer 100mcg Fentanyl
A 78 year old female fell 12 hours ago. Now she complains of 10/10 hip and groin pain during
movement. Vital signs are BP 98/50, P 132, R 26. What should you administer?
A. Ketamine
B. Versed
C. Normal Saline
D. NSAID - A. Ketamine
An 82 year old male fell in the shower 3 days ago and now only responds to painful stimuli. The
nurse's aide at the assisted living facility was unable to wake the patient for breakfast. Vital signs
are BP 170/72, R 26 and irregular, P 58, BGL 150 mg/dL (8.2 mmol/L), Glasgow Coma Scalw
score of 5 (E1, V1, M3). What should you do?
A. Administer mannitol via intravenous infusion
B. Start transcutaneous pacing
C. Initiate an IV and administer labetalol
D. Check if the patient has advanced directives or a MOLST form - D. Check if the
patient has advanced directives or a MOLST form
Which of the following presents the greatest risk for EMS provider fatalities?
A. Freshwater drowning
B. Active shooter incidents
C. Falling from height on-scene
, D. Motor vehicle collision either in an EMS unit or on-scene - D. Motor vehicle collision
either in an EMS unit or on-scene.
A 44 year old male was ejected from a truck traveling 36mph (60 kph). He is lying supine on the
ground and as snoring respirations. What should you do first?
A. Perform a head tilt chin-lift
B. Check his blood glucose level
C. Perform endotracheal intubation
D. Manually stabilize the cervical spine - D. Manually stabilize the cervical spine
A 24 year old construction worker amputated his thumb. How should you manage the
amputation?
A. Submerge in milk
B. Place directly on ice
C. Wrap in dry gauze
D. Wrap in moistened gauze - D. Wrap in moistened gauze
A 3 year old female was involved in a car crash with 2 2feet (61 cm) of intrusion into the
passenger compartment. She is crying and has an obvious deformed right humerus. Her car seat
has a crack on the side of impact. What should you expect?
A. Utilization of traction splint will be necessary
B. Significant energy has been distributed to this patient
C. The biggest concern would be growth plate injury
D. Treatment will require rapid management of pain prior to assessment - B. Significant
energy has been distributed to this patient
An adult patient has an open angulated injury to the left lower leg. Distal pulses are absent. Why
should you attempt to realign the extremity?
A. Restore blood flow
B. Reduce the open fracture
C. Restore function to the leg
D. Manage the patient's pain - A. Restore blood flow
Which is an early finding in compartment syndrome?
A. Paralysis
B. Pallor
C. Pulselessness
D. Pain - D. Pain
An adult patient has partial thickness burns to his or her anterior chest and abdomen, the entire
right arm, and the palm of the left hand. What percent of the total body surface area is affected>
A. 30%
B. 29%
C. 28%
D. 25% - C. 28%
A 20 year old male was hit in the chest with a baseball bat. He complains of severe pain and
tenderness on the left side. He is unable to take a deep breath. Vital signs are BP 112/76, P 98, R
20, SpO2 98%, and ETCO2 38mmHg. What should you do?
,A. Administer oxygen via nonrebreather mask
B. Apply continuous positive airway pressure
C. Administer 100mg Ketamine
D. Administer 100mcg Fentanyl - D. Administer 100mcg Fentanyl
A 78 year old female fell 12 hours ago. Now she complains of 10/10 hip and groin pain during
movement. Vital signs are BP 98/50, P 132, R 26. What should you administer?
A. Ketamine
B. Versed
C. Normal Saline
D. NSAID - A. Ketamine
An 82 year old male fell in the shower 3 days ago and now only responds to painful stimuli. The
nurse's aide at the assisted living facility was unable to wake the patient for breakfast. Vital signs
are BP 170/72, R 26 and irregular, P 58, BGL 150 mg/dL (8.2 mmol/L), Glasgow Coma Scalw
score of 5 (E1, V1, M3). What should you do?
A. Administer mannitol via intravenous infusion
B. Start transcutaneous pacing
C. Initiate an IV and administer labetalol
D. Check if the patient has advanced directives or a MOLST form - D. Check if the
patient has advanced directives or a MOLST form
Which of the following presents the greatest risk for EMS provider fatalities?
A. Freshwater drowning
B. Active shooter incidents
C. Falling from height on-scene
, D. Motor vehicle collision either in an EMS unit or on-scene - D. Motor vehicle collision
either in an EMS unit or on-scene.
A 44 year old male was ejected from a truck traveling 36mph (60 kph). He is lying supine on the
ground and as snoring respirations. What should you do first?
A. Perform a head tilt chin-lift
B. Check his blood glucose level
C. Perform endotracheal intubation
D. Manually stabilize the cervical spine - D. Manually stabilize the cervical spine
A 24 year old construction worker amputated his thumb. How should you manage the
amputation?
A. Submerge in milk
B. Place directly on ice
C. Wrap in dry gauze
D. Wrap in moistened gauze - D. Wrap in moistened gauze
A 3 year old female was involved in a car crash with 2 2feet (61 cm) of intrusion into the
passenger compartment. She is crying and has an obvious deformed right humerus. Her car seat
has a crack on the side of impact. What should you expect?
A. Utilization of traction splint will be necessary
B. Significant energy has been distributed to this patient
C. The biggest concern would be growth plate injury
D. Treatment will require rapid management of pain prior to assessment - B. Significant
energy has been distributed to this patient
