Pre Hospital Trauma Life Support
(PHTLS) | Emergency Medical Services |
Comprehensive Practice Questions With
Answers And Rationales
Introduction:
This document contains an extensive collection of PHTLS-style
review questions with correct answers and clear rationales,
covering core prehospital trauma care concepts. Topics include
airway management, shock, traumatic brain injury,
hemorrhage control, spinal motion restriction, burns, pediatric
and geriatric trauma, and the XABCDE assessment approach.
The material is well suited for exam preparation, skills
refreshment, and reinforcing critical thinking in emergency
medical services and prehospital trauma care.
Exam Questions and Answers with Rationales:
A 24-year-old male presents with an altered mental status
after shoveling rock on a hot summer's day. He is confused,
has dry skin, and his behavior is confused and erratic. He will
not allow the provider to touch him and is shivering. Which
condition is the patient likely suffering?
A. Heat exhaustion
,B. Hypoglycemia
C. Heat stroke
D. Dehydration -Answer:-C.
Prehospital providers discover CSF fluid draining from a
patient's nose and ears. This finding is most commonly
associated with which type of skull fracture?
A. Depressed
B. Linear
C. Basilar
D. Closed -Answer:-C.
While monitoring a patient with a flail chest segment, which of
the following is the earliest sign of deterioration?
A. Pulse rate increase
B. Respiratory rate increase
C. Oxygen saturation decrease
D. Blood pressure decrease -Answer:-B.
Prehospital providers are assessing an 82-year-old male who
fell out of bed two weeks ago. He has had increasing difficulty
speaking, irritability, weakness, and a drastic change in his
,ability to walk. He is most likely experiencing which of the
following?
A. Subdural hematoma
B. Stroke
C. Epidural hematoma
D. Hemorrhagic stroke -Answer:-A.
A construction worker fell from a three-story building, landing
on his head and upper torso. Upon assessment, prehospital
providers discover a large amount of blood coming from one
ear canal. Which of the following is the most appropriate
action?
A. Apply a pressure dressing to the ear.
B. Allow the blood to collect in a loosely applied dressing.
C. Pack the ear canal with gauze bandages.
D. Assess for the presence of cerebral spinal fluid. -Answer:-B.
Which of the following motor responses is indicative of the
most severe traumatic brain injury?
A. Purposeful movement
B. Decorticate posturing
C. Nonpurposeful movement
, D. Decerebrate posturing -Answer:-D.
Prehospital providers are treating an adult female who spilled
a small cup of hot coffee and sustained partial-thickness burns
to the front of her abdomen and right leg. The patient ran cool
water over her burns to help relieve the pain. Which of the
following interventions is the most appropriate next step?
A. Cover burned area with moist sterile dressings.
B. Cover burned area with dry sterile dressings.
C. Apply ice packs.
D. Apply antibiotic ointment. -Answer:-B.
At what point does the prehospital provider's assessment
begin?
A. Before arriving at the scene
B. Initial patient contact
C. Arrival at the scene
D. General impression -Answer:-A.
A 24-year-old male is found motionless on the side of the road
after being struck by a vehicle. As the prehospital providers
approach the patient, they notice he is lying in a puddle of
(PHTLS) | Emergency Medical Services |
Comprehensive Practice Questions With
Answers And Rationales
Introduction:
This document contains an extensive collection of PHTLS-style
review questions with correct answers and clear rationales,
covering core prehospital trauma care concepts. Topics include
airway management, shock, traumatic brain injury,
hemorrhage control, spinal motion restriction, burns, pediatric
and geriatric trauma, and the XABCDE assessment approach.
The material is well suited for exam preparation, skills
refreshment, and reinforcing critical thinking in emergency
medical services and prehospital trauma care.
Exam Questions and Answers with Rationales:
A 24-year-old male presents with an altered mental status
after shoveling rock on a hot summer's day. He is confused,
has dry skin, and his behavior is confused and erratic. He will
not allow the provider to touch him and is shivering. Which
condition is the patient likely suffering?
A. Heat exhaustion
,B. Hypoglycemia
C. Heat stroke
D. Dehydration -Answer:-C.
Prehospital providers discover CSF fluid draining from a
patient's nose and ears. This finding is most commonly
associated with which type of skull fracture?
A. Depressed
B. Linear
C. Basilar
D. Closed -Answer:-C.
While monitoring a patient with a flail chest segment, which of
the following is the earliest sign of deterioration?
A. Pulse rate increase
B. Respiratory rate increase
C. Oxygen saturation decrease
D. Blood pressure decrease -Answer:-B.
Prehospital providers are assessing an 82-year-old male who
fell out of bed two weeks ago. He has had increasing difficulty
speaking, irritability, weakness, and a drastic change in his
,ability to walk. He is most likely experiencing which of the
following?
A. Subdural hematoma
B. Stroke
C. Epidural hematoma
D. Hemorrhagic stroke -Answer:-A.
A construction worker fell from a three-story building, landing
on his head and upper torso. Upon assessment, prehospital
providers discover a large amount of blood coming from one
ear canal. Which of the following is the most appropriate
action?
A. Apply a pressure dressing to the ear.
B. Allow the blood to collect in a loosely applied dressing.
C. Pack the ear canal with gauze bandages.
D. Assess for the presence of cerebral spinal fluid. -Answer:-B.
Which of the following motor responses is indicative of the
most severe traumatic brain injury?
A. Purposeful movement
B. Decorticate posturing
C. Nonpurposeful movement
, D. Decerebrate posturing -Answer:-D.
Prehospital providers are treating an adult female who spilled
a small cup of hot coffee and sustained partial-thickness burns
to the front of her abdomen and right leg. The patient ran cool
water over her burns to help relieve the pain. Which of the
following interventions is the most appropriate next step?
A. Cover burned area with moist sterile dressings.
B. Cover burned area with dry sterile dressings.
C. Apply ice packs.
D. Apply antibiotic ointment. -Answer:-B.
At what point does the prehospital provider's assessment
begin?
A. Before arriving at the scene
B. Initial patient contact
C. Arrival at the scene
D. General impression -Answer:-A.
A 24-year-old male is found motionless on the side of the road
after being struck by a vehicle. As the prehospital providers
approach the patient, they notice he is lying in a puddle of
