ATLS Test 1 Questions and Answers
1.A 22-year-old man is hypotensive and tachycardic after a shotgun wound
to the left shoulder. His blood pressure is initially 80/40 mm Hg. After initia
fluid resuscitation his blood pressure increases to 122/84 mm Hg. His heart
rate is now 100 beats per minute and his respiratory rate is 28 breaths per
minute. A tube thoracostomy is performed for decreased left chest breath
sounds with the return of a small amount of blood and no air leak. After
chest tube insertion, the most appropriate next step is
Select one:
a.
reexamine the chest
b.
perform an aortogram
c.
obtain a CT scan of the chest
d.
obtain arterial blood gas analyses
e.
perform transesophageal echocardiography:
ANS A) Reexamine the chest
2.A construction worker falls two stories from a building and sustains
bilateral calcaneal fractures. In the emergency department, he is alert, vital
signs are normal, and he is complaining of severe pain in both heels and his
lower back. Lower extremity pulses are strong and there is no other
deformity. The suspected diagnosis is most likely to be confirmed by:
Select one:
a.
angiography
b.
compartment pressures
,c.
retrograde
urethrogram d.
Doppler ultrasound studies
e.
complete spine x-ray series:
ANS e) Complete spine x-ray series
3.Which of the following is true regarding the initial resuscitation of a
trauma patient?
Select one:
a.
A patient that presents with a torso gunshot wound and is hypotensive shoul
receive crystalloid fluid resuscitation until the blood pressure is normal
b.
Evidence of improved perfusion after fluid resuscitation could include im-
provement in Glasgow coma scale score on reevaluation
c.
Massive transfusion is defined as transfusion of more than >10 of packed red
blood cells and plasma in 24 hours
d.
When tranexamic acid is administered by pre-hospital providers a second
dose is required within 24 hours
e.
Fluid resuscitation is far more important than bleeding control in trauma
patients:
ANS b.
Evidence of improved perfusion after fluid resuscitation could include
improvement in Glasgow coma scale score on reevaluation
4.In managing a patient with a severe traumatic brain injury, the most
important initial step is to:
Select one:
,a.
Secure the airway
b.
obtain a c-spine film
c.
support the circulation
d.
control scalp hemorrhage
e.
determine the GCS score
Feedback
Your answer is: ANS a.
Secure the airway
5.A previously healthy, 70-kg (154-pound) man suffers an estimated
acute blood loss of 2 liters.
Which one of the following statements applies to this patient?
Select one:
a.
His pulse pressure will be widened.
b.
His urinary output will be at the lower limits of normal.
c.
He will have tachycardia, but no change in his systolic blood pressure.
d.
An ABG would demonstrate a base deficit between -6 and -10 mEq/L
e.
His systolic blood pressure will be maintained with an elevated diastolic
pressure
ANS d.
An ABG would demonstrate a base deficit between -6 and -10 mEq/L
6.The physiologic hypervolemia of pregnancy has clinical significance in
, the management of the severely injured, gravid woman by:
Select one:
a.
reducing the need for blood transfusion
b.
resulting in an elevated hematocrit
c.
complicating the management of closed head injury
d.
reducing the volume of crystalloid required for
resuscitation e.
increasing the volume of blood loss to produce maternal hypotension:
ANS e. increasing the volume of blood loss to produce maternal
hypotension
7.The best assessment of fluid resuscitation of the adult burn patient
is: Select one:
a.
Urine output of 0.5 mL/kg/hr
b.
normalization of blood pressure
c.
normalization of the heart rate
d.
measuring a normal central venous pressure
e.
providing 4 mL/kg/percent body burn/24 hours of crystalloid fluid:
ANS a. Urine output of 0.5 mL/kg/hr
8.The diagnosis of shock must
include: Select one:
a.
hypoxemia
1.A 22-year-old man is hypotensive and tachycardic after a shotgun wound
to the left shoulder. His blood pressure is initially 80/40 mm Hg. After initia
fluid resuscitation his blood pressure increases to 122/84 mm Hg. His heart
rate is now 100 beats per minute and his respiratory rate is 28 breaths per
minute. A tube thoracostomy is performed for decreased left chest breath
sounds with the return of a small amount of blood and no air leak. After
chest tube insertion, the most appropriate next step is
Select one:
a.
reexamine the chest
b.
perform an aortogram
c.
obtain a CT scan of the chest
d.
obtain arterial blood gas analyses
e.
perform transesophageal echocardiography:
ANS A) Reexamine the chest
2.A construction worker falls two stories from a building and sustains
bilateral calcaneal fractures. In the emergency department, he is alert, vital
signs are normal, and he is complaining of severe pain in both heels and his
lower back. Lower extremity pulses are strong and there is no other
deformity. The suspected diagnosis is most likely to be confirmed by:
Select one:
a.
angiography
b.
compartment pressures
,c.
retrograde
urethrogram d.
Doppler ultrasound studies
e.
complete spine x-ray series:
ANS e) Complete spine x-ray series
3.Which of the following is true regarding the initial resuscitation of a
trauma patient?
Select one:
a.
A patient that presents with a torso gunshot wound and is hypotensive shoul
receive crystalloid fluid resuscitation until the blood pressure is normal
b.
Evidence of improved perfusion after fluid resuscitation could include im-
provement in Glasgow coma scale score on reevaluation
c.
Massive transfusion is defined as transfusion of more than >10 of packed red
blood cells and plasma in 24 hours
d.
When tranexamic acid is administered by pre-hospital providers a second
dose is required within 24 hours
e.
Fluid resuscitation is far more important than bleeding control in trauma
patients:
ANS b.
Evidence of improved perfusion after fluid resuscitation could include
improvement in Glasgow coma scale score on reevaluation
4.In managing a patient with a severe traumatic brain injury, the most
important initial step is to:
Select one:
,a.
Secure the airway
b.
obtain a c-spine film
c.
support the circulation
d.
control scalp hemorrhage
e.
determine the GCS score
Feedback
Your answer is: ANS a.
Secure the airway
5.A previously healthy, 70-kg (154-pound) man suffers an estimated
acute blood loss of 2 liters.
Which one of the following statements applies to this patient?
Select one:
a.
His pulse pressure will be widened.
b.
His urinary output will be at the lower limits of normal.
c.
He will have tachycardia, but no change in his systolic blood pressure.
d.
An ABG would demonstrate a base deficit between -6 and -10 mEq/L
e.
His systolic blood pressure will be maintained with an elevated diastolic
pressure
ANS d.
An ABG would demonstrate a base deficit between -6 and -10 mEq/L
6.The physiologic hypervolemia of pregnancy has clinical significance in
, the management of the severely injured, gravid woman by:
Select one:
a.
reducing the need for blood transfusion
b.
resulting in an elevated hematocrit
c.
complicating the management of closed head injury
d.
reducing the volume of crystalloid required for
resuscitation e.
increasing the volume of blood loss to produce maternal hypotension:
ANS e. increasing the volume of blood loss to produce maternal
hypotension
7.The best assessment of fluid resuscitation of the adult burn patient
is: Select one:
a.
Urine output of 0.5 mL/kg/hr
b.
normalization of blood pressure
c.
normalization of the heart rate
d.
measuring a normal central venous pressure
e.
providing 4 mL/kg/percent body burn/24 hours of crystalloid fluid:
ANS a. Urine output of 0.5 mL/kg/hr
8.The diagnosis of shock must
include: Select one:
a.
hypoxemia
