PHTLS CORE EXAM TEST UPDATED QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
✔✔Hypotension due to a spinal cord injury is a result of what physiologic mechanism?
Select one:
a.
Loss of sympathetic tone causing vasodilation
b.
Increased capillary permeability
c.
Increased sympathetic tone causing vasoconstriction
d.
Increased intrathoracic pressure - ✔✔Loss of sympathetic tone causing vasodilation
✔✔A 30-year-old male is injured in a terror bombing. He experiences traumatic
amputation of his left leg at knee level. An improvised tourniquet was put in place by
bystanders. The victim is conscious and in severe pain. Your first action should be to do
which of the following?
Select one:
a.
Provide IV analgesia
b.
Put on pressure dressing
c.
Confirm the tourniquet was properly applied
d.
Check the airway - ✔✔Confirm the tourniquet was properly placed
✔✔The secondary survey should be accomplished:
Select one:
a.
Never on a critical patient
b.
Before transport
c.
,When time and situation allow
d.
Before moving the patient - ✔✔When time and situation allow
✔✔Which of the following best guides the decision to provide spinal immobilization?
Select one:
a.
History and complaint
b.
Obvious signs of associated injury
c.
Patient's age and presence of pressure sores
d.
Mechanism alone - ✔✔History and complaint
✔✔Prehospital providers have treated a sucking chest wound with an occlusive
dressing. During transport to the hospital, the patient develops increasing respiratory
distress with increased respirations and absent lung sounds are noted on repeat
auscultation. What is the most appropriate next intervention?
Select one:
a.
Release and reapply the occlusive dressing
b.
Perform needle decompression
c.
Provide positive-pressure ventilation
d.
Perform endotracheal intubation - ✔✔The correct answer is: Release and reapply the
occlusive dressing
✔✔__________ is the earliest sign of deterioration in a patient with a flail chest.
Select one:
a.
Respiratory rate increase
b.
, Oxygen saturation decrease
c.
Pulse rate increase
d.
Blood pressure decrease - ✔✔Respiratory rate increase
✔✔In a multi-system trauma patient what is considered the best method for confirming
proper placement of an endotracheal tube?
Select one:
a.
Auscultation of the left upper abdominal quadrant
b.
Waveform capnography
c.
Presence of bilateral breath sounds
d.
Pulse oximetry - ✔✔Waveform capnography
✔✔You respond to a reported assault at a local bar. On arrival, you find a 46-year-old
male in the bathroom floor with snoring respirations at 4 times per minute and obvious
facial injuries. Pupils reveal the R pupil is 4mm and the L pupil is 7mm and non-reactive.
What is the most appropriate first step?
Select one:
a.
Jaw thrust maneuver
b.
Pharmacologically assisted intubation
c.
Perform nasotracheal intubation
d.
Perform a surgical crocothyrotomy - ✔✔Jaw Thrust Maneuver
✔✔You are called to treat a patient who was knocked unconscious when he slipped and
fell on a wet floor, striking his head. It is now several hours later. He is awake but
confused, does not recall the incident, and is vomiting with a headache. Which of the
following injuries is most likely?
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
✔✔Hypotension due to a spinal cord injury is a result of what physiologic mechanism?
Select one:
a.
Loss of sympathetic tone causing vasodilation
b.
Increased capillary permeability
c.
Increased sympathetic tone causing vasoconstriction
d.
Increased intrathoracic pressure - ✔✔Loss of sympathetic tone causing vasodilation
✔✔A 30-year-old male is injured in a terror bombing. He experiences traumatic
amputation of his left leg at knee level. An improvised tourniquet was put in place by
bystanders. The victim is conscious and in severe pain. Your first action should be to do
which of the following?
Select one:
a.
Provide IV analgesia
b.
Put on pressure dressing
c.
Confirm the tourniquet was properly applied
d.
Check the airway - ✔✔Confirm the tourniquet was properly placed
✔✔The secondary survey should be accomplished:
Select one:
a.
Never on a critical patient
b.
Before transport
c.
,When time and situation allow
d.
Before moving the patient - ✔✔When time and situation allow
✔✔Which of the following best guides the decision to provide spinal immobilization?
Select one:
a.
History and complaint
b.
Obvious signs of associated injury
c.
Patient's age and presence of pressure sores
d.
Mechanism alone - ✔✔History and complaint
✔✔Prehospital providers have treated a sucking chest wound with an occlusive
dressing. During transport to the hospital, the patient develops increasing respiratory
distress with increased respirations and absent lung sounds are noted on repeat
auscultation. What is the most appropriate next intervention?
Select one:
a.
Release and reapply the occlusive dressing
b.
Perform needle decompression
c.
Provide positive-pressure ventilation
d.
Perform endotracheal intubation - ✔✔The correct answer is: Release and reapply the
occlusive dressing
✔✔__________ is the earliest sign of deterioration in a patient with a flail chest.
Select one:
a.
Respiratory rate increase
b.
, Oxygen saturation decrease
c.
Pulse rate increase
d.
Blood pressure decrease - ✔✔Respiratory rate increase
✔✔In a multi-system trauma patient what is considered the best method for confirming
proper placement of an endotracheal tube?
Select one:
a.
Auscultation of the left upper abdominal quadrant
b.
Waveform capnography
c.
Presence of bilateral breath sounds
d.
Pulse oximetry - ✔✔Waveform capnography
✔✔You respond to a reported assault at a local bar. On arrival, you find a 46-year-old
male in the bathroom floor with snoring respirations at 4 times per minute and obvious
facial injuries. Pupils reveal the R pupil is 4mm and the L pupil is 7mm and non-reactive.
What is the most appropriate first step?
Select one:
a.
Jaw thrust maneuver
b.
Pharmacologically assisted intubation
c.
Perform nasotracheal intubation
d.
Perform a surgical crocothyrotomy - ✔✔Jaw Thrust Maneuver
✔✔You are called to treat a patient who was knocked unconscious when he slipped and
fell on a wet floor, striking his head. It is now several hours later. He is awake but
confused, does not recall the incident, and is vomiting with a headache. Which of the
following injuries is most likely?
