ATLS: Thoracic Trauma Exam Questions and Answers | Latest Update 2026 | Graded A+

ATLS: Thoracic Trauma Exam Questions and Answers | Latest Update 2026 | Graded A+ hypoxia - answer-Because _____ is the most serious consequence of chest injury, the goal of early intervention is to prevent or correct ______. airway control or decompression of the chest with a needle, finger, or tube. - answer-Most lifethreatening thoracic injuries can be treated with _______ Posterior - answer-________ dislocation of the clavicular head occasionally leads to airway obstruction. carina - answer-Injury to the trachea or a major bronchus is an unusual but potentially fatal condition. The majority of tracheobronchial tree injuries occur within 1 inch (2.54 cm) of the ______. tracheobronchial - answer-Incomplete expansion of the lung and continued large air leak after placement of a chest tube suggests a _______ injury and placement of more than one chest tube may be necessary to overcome the significant air leak. Bronchoscopy - answer-______ confirms the diagnosis of tracheobronchial injury . If tracheobronchial injury is suspected, obtain immediate surgical consultation. fiber-optically assisted - answer-Intubation of patients with tracheobronchial injuries is frequently difficult because of anatomic distortion from paratracheal hematoma, associated oropharyngeal injuries, and/or the tracheobronchial injury itself. Advanced airway skills, such as __________ endotracheal tube placement past the tear site or selective intubation of the unaffected bronchus, may be pneumothorax - answer-Tension pneumothorax, ______ (sucking chest wound), and massive hemothorax are the major thoracic injuries that affect breathing. Tension pneumothorax - answer-________ develops when a "one-way valve" air leak occurs from the lung or through the chest wall. Air is forced into the pleural space with no means of escape, eventually collapsing the affected lung. opposite - answer-In tension pneumo the mediastinum is displaced to the _____ side, decreasing venous return and compressing the _____ lung. obstructive - answer-Shock from a tension pneumothorax (often classified as _____ shock) results from marked decrease in venous return, causing a reduction in cardiac output mechanical positive-pressure ventilation in patients with visceral pleural injury. - answer-The most common cause of tension pneumothorax is _______ subclavian or internal jugular venous catheter - answer-Tension pneumothorax also can complicate a simple pneumothorax following penetrating or blunt chest trauma in which a parenchymal lung injury fails to seal, or after attempted ______ insertion pleural - answer-Tension pneumothorax is a clinical diagnosis reflecting air under pressure in the affected ______ space. Do not delay treatment to obtain radiologic confirmation. hemodynamic collapse - answer-Patients who are spontaneously breathing often manifest extreme tachypnea and air hunger, whereas patients who are mechanically ventilated manifest ______ away - answer-Tension pneumothorax have Tracheal deviation _____ from the side of the injury tension pneumothorax - answer-A hyperresonant note on percussion, deviated trachea, distended neck veins, and absent breath sounds are signs of _____ FAST (eFAST) examination. - answer-When ultrasound is available, tension pneumothorax can be diagnosed using an extended ______thoracostomy - answer-For tension pneumothorax to the variable thickness of the chest wall, kinking of the catheter, and other technical or anatomic complications, needle decompression may not be successful. In this case, finger _______ is an alternative approach Chest wall thickness - answer-_______ influences the likelihood of success with needle decompression. 8 - answer-Evidence suggests that a 5-cm over-the-needle catheter will reach the pleural space 50% of the time, whereas an ___-cm over- the-needle catheter will reach the pleural space 90% of the time. S fifth interspace, slightly anterior to the midaxillary line - answer-Recent evidence supports tx for tension pneumo is placing the large, over-the-needle catheter at the ________ simple pneumothorax. - answer-Successful needle decompression converts tension pneumothorax to a ______ Tube thoracostomy - answer-______ is mandatory after needle or finger decompression of the chest. sucking - answer-Large injuries to the chest wall that remain open can result in an open pneumothorax, also known as a ______ chest wound promptly close the defect with a sterile dressing large enough to overlap the wound's edges. - answerFor initial management of an open pneumothorax, ___________ three - answer-In open pneumothorax a Tape is securely on only _____ sides to provide a flutter-valve effect, As the patient breathes in, the dressing occludes the wound, preventing air from entering, during exhalation the open end of the dressing allows air to escape from the pleural space. chest tube - answer-Definitive management of open pneumothorax is placing a _______ as soon as possible. Subsequent definitive surgical closure of the wound is frequently required. 1500 - answer-The accumulation of _____ ml of blood in one side of the chest with a massive hemothorax can significantly compromise respiratory efforts by compressing the lung and preventing adequate oxygenation and ventilation.