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TNCC PRE-COURSE STUDY GUIDE EXAM NEWEST 2026
VERSION ALL QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS |
RATED A+ | NEW AND REVISED
1. Why is it important to understand biomechanics as it relates to types of
energy forces and MOI?: Understanding how energy forces attect the human body is useful for better
anticipating ettects of trauma on a person
2. What are common MOIs that result in trauma: blunt, penetrating, blast
3. What injuries are expected in each stage of a blast (explosion): Primary (direct
blast ettects) - pulmonary barotrauma, tympanic membrane rupture, abdominal hemorrhage/perforation, globe
rupture, mild TBI
Secondary (projectiles) - penetrating or blunt injuries, eye penetration
Tertiary (propulsion of body onto hard surface) - blunt/penetrating injury, fracture, traumatic amputation, closed/open TBI
Quaternary (heat/fume/combustion) - burns, crush injury, asthma, COPD, angina, hyperglycemia, hypertension
Quinary (hazardous materials) - depends on agent (bacteria, radiation, chemical etc)
4. Why is it important to use a systemic approach to the initial assessment of
a trauma patient?: To maximize outcomes and reduce the risk of undiscovered injuries.
5. What is included in the preparation for a trauma patient?: 1. Activate the Trauma
Team and assign roles
2. Prepare the room/equipment
3 - Don PPE
4 - Consider safety threats
5 - Decontamination
6. What information is obtained in the general impression?: overall status and
identifica- tion of hemorrhage; identify all life threatening injuries; AVPU
7. What does the A-J mnemonic stand for?: A - airway/alertness
B - breathing/ventilation
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C - circulation, control of hemorrhage
D - disability (neuro status)
E - exposure and environmental control
F - full set of vitals/family presence
G - get adjusts/give comfort
L - labs
M - monitor cardiac status
N - nasogastric/orogastric
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O - oxygenation
P - pain
H - history/head to toe
I - inspect posterior
J - just keep reevaluating
8. What does alertness include in airway assessment?: In airway assessment, alertness is
assessed using the AVPU scale, where "A" stands for alert, meaning the patient is awake, aware, and oriented
AVPU Scale:
This is a quick and easy method to assess a patient's level of consciousness. A (Alert): The patient is awake, aware, and
oriented to person, place, and time. V (Verbal): The patient responds to verbal stimuli, such as being spoken to. P (Pain):
The patient responds only to painful stimuli, like a sternal rub. U (Unresponsive): The patient does not respond to any
stimuli.
9. When an intervention is taken during the primary survey, what must
the nurse do after the intervention?: reassess
10. What are the components of a secondary survey?: history, head-to-toe assessment,
inspect posterior surfaces, reassessment
11. What should nurse reevaluate?: all aspects of the primary and secondary assessments
V - vitals
I - injuries/interventions
P - primary survey
P - pain
12. What are the differences in ventilation, diffusion and perfusion?: Ventilation:
a mechanical process of breathing, involving the movement of air into and out of the lungs through the airways
Dittusion - movement of gases across a membrane (from higher to lower concentration)
Perfusion - movement of blood through the circulatory system
13. What are possible causes of airway obstruction in the trauma patient?:
altered consciousness - tongue falling posteriorly into oropharynx, blood/vomit/fluids unable to be cleared
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maxillofacial trauma - edema, secretions, bleeding, dislodeged teeth/dentures
neck/larangeal trauma - vascular injuries resulting in hematomas
TNCC PRE-COURSE STUDY GUIDE EXAM NEWEST 2026
VERSION ALL QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS |
RATED A+ | NEW AND REVISED
1. Why is it important to understand biomechanics as it relates to types of
energy forces and MOI?: Understanding how energy forces attect the human body is useful for better
anticipating ettects of trauma on a person
2. What are common MOIs that result in trauma: blunt, penetrating, blast
3. What injuries are expected in each stage of a blast (explosion): Primary (direct
blast ettects) - pulmonary barotrauma, tympanic membrane rupture, abdominal hemorrhage/perforation, globe
rupture, mild TBI
Secondary (projectiles) - penetrating or blunt injuries, eye penetration
Tertiary (propulsion of body onto hard surface) - blunt/penetrating injury, fracture, traumatic amputation, closed/open TBI
Quaternary (heat/fume/combustion) - burns, crush injury, asthma, COPD, angina, hyperglycemia, hypertension
Quinary (hazardous materials) - depends on agent (bacteria, radiation, chemical etc)
4. Why is it important to use a systemic approach to the initial assessment of
a trauma patient?: To maximize outcomes and reduce the risk of undiscovered injuries.
5. What is included in the preparation for a trauma patient?: 1. Activate the Trauma
Team and assign roles
2. Prepare the room/equipment
3 - Don PPE
4 - Consider safety threats
5 - Decontamination
6. What information is obtained in the general impression?: overall status and
identifica- tion of hemorrhage; identify all life threatening injuries; AVPU
7. What does the A-J mnemonic stand for?: A - airway/alertness
B - breathing/ventilation
,2|Page
C - circulation, control of hemorrhage
D - disability (neuro status)
E - exposure and environmental control
F - full set of vitals/family presence
G - get adjusts/give comfort
L - labs
M - monitor cardiac status
N - nasogastric/orogastric
,3|Page
O - oxygenation
P - pain
H - history/head to toe
I - inspect posterior
J - just keep reevaluating
8. What does alertness include in airway assessment?: In airway assessment, alertness is
assessed using the AVPU scale, where "A" stands for alert, meaning the patient is awake, aware, and oriented
AVPU Scale:
This is a quick and easy method to assess a patient's level of consciousness. A (Alert): The patient is awake, aware, and
oriented to person, place, and time. V (Verbal): The patient responds to verbal stimuli, such as being spoken to. P (Pain):
The patient responds only to painful stimuli, like a sternal rub. U (Unresponsive): The patient does not respond to any
stimuli.
9. When an intervention is taken during the primary survey, what must
the nurse do after the intervention?: reassess
10. What are the components of a secondary survey?: history, head-to-toe assessment,
inspect posterior surfaces, reassessment
11. What should nurse reevaluate?: all aspects of the primary and secondary assessments
V - vitals
I - injuries/interventions
P - primary survey
P - pain
12. What are the differences in ventilation, diffusion and perfusion?: Ventilation:
a mechanical process of breathing, involving the movement of air into and out of the lungs through the airways
Dittusion - movement of gases across a membrane (from higher to lower concentration)
Perfusion - movement of blood through the circulatory system
13. What are possible causes of airway obstruction in the trauma patient?:
altered consciousness - tongue falling posteriorly into oropharynx, blood/vomit/fluids unable to be cleared
,4|Page
maxillofacial trauma - edema, secretions, bleeding, dislodeged teeth/dentures
neck/larangeal trauma - vascular injuries resulting in hematomas
