PHTLS 9E Pre-Test Exam Questions And
Answers
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 - ANS 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 - ANS 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 - ANS Check if the patient has advanced
directives or a MOLST form
Which is an early finding in compartment syndrome?
- Paralysis
- Pallor
- Pulselessness
- Pain - ANS 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 - ANS 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 - ANS 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 - ANS 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 - ANS Initiate spinal motion restriction and
transport
Answers
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 - ANS 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 - ANS 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 - ANS Check if the patient has advanced
directives or a MOLST form
Which is an early finding in compartment syndrome?
- Paralysis
- Pallor
- Pulselessness
- Pain - ANS 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 - ANS 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 - ANS 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 - ANS 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 - ANS Initiate spinal motion restriction and
transport
