PHTLS 9E Pre-Test Questions And Answers | 2026
Update
/ A 28 year old female has suffered a head injury after falling from a horse. Her Glasgow
Coma Scale score is 6 (E1, V1, M4) and she has snoring respirations at 8 per minute.
Which should you do first?
- Perform drug-assisted intubation
- Administer oxygen by nasal cannula
- Place an oropharyngeal airway
- Perform a head tilt-chin lift maneuver - Answer-✅Place an oropharyngeal airway
/.A 13 year old male was riding on an all-terrain vehicle when he drove into a wire fence.
He is sitting on the ground with a towel over his lower face. He has an open jaw
fracture. What is your primary concern?
- Obstruction of the airway
- Internal hemorrhage
- Cervical spine injury
- Obtaining parental consent - Answer-✅Obstruction of the airway
/.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,
Glasgow Coma Scale score of 5 (E1, V1, M3). What should you do?
- Initiate an IV and administer labetalol
- Start transcutaneous pacing
- Check if the patient has advanced directives or a MOLST form
- Administer mannitol via intravenous infusion - Answer-✅Check if the patient has
advanced directives or a MOLST form
/.Which is an early finding in compartment syndrome?
- Paralysis
- Pallor
- Pulselessness
- Pain - Answer-✅Pain
, /.A 29 year old male was injured in a high speed motor vehicle collision with lateral
impact and intrusion into the side of a sedan. He has pale and diaphoretic skin, appears
anxious, and is coughing up blood-tinged sputum. He complains of chest pain, has
decreased breath sounds on the left lateral side, has crepitus on palpation of his ribs,
and his jugular veins are flat. Vital signs are BP 88/56, P 120, R 24, SpO2 98%. What
should you suspect?
- Tension pneumothorax
- Traumatic asphyxia
- Cardiac tamponade
- Hemothorax - Answer-✅Hemothorax
/.A 23 year old male was skateboarding down a ramp when he flipped over and landed
on his head. He is clenching his jaw and you are unable to inset an oral airway. He
thrashes his head when you attempt to provide bag-mask ventilations. His oxygen
saturation is decreasing, and his ETCO2 is increasing. What is the best option to secure
his airway and provide effective ventilations?
- Insert a nasal airway
- Pharmacologically assisted intubation
- Insert a supraglottic airway
- Video laryngoscopy - Answer-✅Pharmacologically assisted intubation
/.A 13 year old male was a restrained passenger in a car crash at highway speed. He is
alert and oriented on-scene and walking around. What should you do?
- Immobilize him to a padded splint
- Apply a c-collar and secure him to a long backboard
- Consider spinal motion restriction and assess his c-spine
- Apply a c-collar and secure him to a cot - Answer-✅Consider spinal motion restriction
and assess his c-spine
/.A 4 year old female fell down approximately 8 carpeted stairs. Her parents said she
initially complained of neck pain and a tingling sensation in all four extremities, but the
symptoms have since resolved. What should you do?
- Advise the parents to call their pediatrician if symptoms return
- Allow the parents to transport the patient in their vehicle
- Place patient in a position of comfort on a stretcher
- Initiate spinal motion restriction and transport - Answer-✅Initiate spinal motion
restriction and transport
/.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 33 mmHg. What should you do?
Update
/ A 28 year old female has suffered a head injury after falling from a horse. Her Glasgow
Coma Scale score is 6 (E1, V1, M4) and she has snoring respirations at 8 per minute.
Which should you do first?
- Perform drug-assisted intubation
- Administer oxygen by nasal cannula
- Place an oropharyngeal airway
- Perform a head tilt-chin lift maneuver - Answer-✅Place an oropharyngeal airway
/.A 13 year old male was riding on an all-terrain vehicle when he drove into a wire fence.
He is sitting on the ground with a towel over his lower face. He has an open jaw
fracture. What is your primary concern?
- Obstruction of the airway
- Internal hemorrhage
- Cervical spine injury
- Obtaining parental consent - Answer-✅Obstruction of the airway
/.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,
Glasgow Coma Scale score of 5 (E1, V1, M3). What should you do?
- Initiate an IV and administer labetalol
- Start transcutaneous pacing
- Check if the patient has advanced directives or a MOLST form
- Administer mannitol via intravenous infusion - Answer-✅Check if the patient has
advanced directives or a MOLST form
/.Which is an early finding in compartment syndrome?
- Paralysis
- Pallor
- Pulselessness
- Pain - Answer-✅Pain
, /.A 29 year old male was injured in a high speed motor vehicle collision with lateral
impact and intrusion into the side of a sedan. He has pale and diaphoretic skin, appears
anxious, and is coughing up blood-tinged sputum. He complains of chest pain, has
decreased breath sounds on the left lateral side, has crepitus on palpation of his ribs,
and his jugular veins are flat. Vital signs are BP 88/56, P 120, R 24, SpO2 98%. What
should you suspect?
- Tension pneumothorax
- Traumatic asphyxia
- Cardiac tamponade
- Hemothorax - Answer-✅Hemothorax
/.A 23 year old male was skateboarding down a ramp when he flipped over and landed
on his head. He is clenching his jaw and you are unable to inset an oral airway. He
thrashes his head when you attempt to provide bag-mask ventilations. His oxygen
saturation is decreasing, and his ETCO2 is increasing. What is the best option to secure
his airway and provide effective ventilations?
- Insert a nasal airway
- Pharmacologically assisted intubation
- Insert a supraglottic airway
- Video laryngoscopy - Answer-✅Pharmacologically assisted intubation
/.A 13 year old male was a restrained passenger in a car crash at highway speed. He is
alert and oriented on-scene and walking around. What should you do?
- Immobilize him to a padded splint
- Apply a c-collar and secure him to a long backboard
- Consider spinal motion restriction and assess his c-spine
- Apply a c-collar and secure him to a cot - Answer-✅Consider spinal motion restriction
and assess his c-spine
/.A 4 year old female fell down approximately 8 carpeted stairs. Her parents said she
initially complained of neck pain and a tingling sensation in all four extremities, but the
symptoms have since resolved. What should you do?
- Advise the parents to call their pediatrician if symptoms return
- Allow the parents to transport the patient in their vehicle
- Place patient in a position of comfort on a stretcher
- Initiate spinal motion restriction and transport - Answer-✅Initiate spinal motion
restriction and transport
/.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 33 mmHg. What should you do?
