ATLS Pretest questions and answers

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 initial 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: CORRECT ANSWERS: re-examine the chest 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: CORRECT ANSWERS: complete spine x-ray series Which of the following is true regarding the initial resuscitation of a trauma patient? CORRECT ANSWERS: Evidence of improved perfusion after fluid resuscitation could include improvement in Glasgow Coma Scale score on reevaluation. In managing a patient with a severe traumatic brain injury, the most important initial step is to: CORRECT ANSWERS: secure the airway 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? CORRECT ANSWERS: An ABG would demonstrate a base deficit between -6 and -10 mEq/L. The physiological hypervolemia of pregnancy has clinical significance in the management of the severely injured, gravid woman by: CORRECT ANSWERS: increasing the volume of blood loss to produce maternal hypotension The best assessment of fluid resuscitation of the adult burn patient is: CORRECT ANSWERS: urinary output of 0.5 mL/kg/hr The diagnosis of shock must include: CORRECT ANSWERS: evidence of inadequate organ perfusion A 7-year-old boy is brought to the emergency department by his parents several minutes after he fell through a window. He is bleeding profusely from a 6-cm wound of his medial right thigh. Immediate management of the wound should consist of: CORRECT ANSWERS: direct pressure on the wound For the patient with severe traumatic brain injury, profound hypocarbia should be avoided to prevent: CORRECT ANSWERS: cerebral vasoconstriction with diminished perfusion