ATLS POST TEST / ATLS STUDY
GUIDE
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS,
AND COMPREHENSIVE EXAM
PREPARATION MATERIAL 2026/2027
LATEST UPDATE
A 32-year-old man is brought to the hospital unconscious with severe
facial injuries noisy respirations after an automobile collision. In the
emergency department, he has no apparent injury to the anterior aspect
of his neck. He suddenly becomes apneic, and attempted ventilation
with a face mask is unsuccessful. Examination of his mouth reveals a
large hematoma of the pharynx with loss of normal anatomic landmarks.
Initial management of his airway should consist of:
A. Inserting an oropharyngeal - ✔✔✔ANSWER-C
Page 1 of 62
,Absence of breath sounds and dullness to percussion over the left
hemithorax are findings best explained by:
A. Left hemothorax
B. Cardiac contusion
C. Left simple pneumothorax
D. Left diaphragmatic rupture
E. Right tension pneumothorax - ✔✔✔ANSWER-A
An electrician is electrocuted by a downed power line after a
thunderstorm. He apparently made contact with the wire at the level of
the right mid-thigh. In the emergency department, his vital signs are
normal and no dysrhythmia is noted on EKG. On examination, there is
an exit wound on the bottom of the right foot. His urine is positive for
blood by dipstick but no RBCs are seen microscopically. Initial
management should include:
A. Immediate angiography
B. Aggressive fluid infusion
C. Intraven - ✔✔✔ANSWER-B
A 22-year-old man is brought to the hospital after crashing his
motorcycle into a telephone pole. He is unconscious and in profound
Page 2 of 62
,shock. He has no open wounds or obvious fractures. The cause of his
shock is MOST LIKELY caused by:
A. A subdural hematoma
B. An epidural hematoma
C. A transected lumbar spinal cord
D. A transected cervical spinal cord
E. Hemorrhage into the chest or abdomen - ✔✔✔ANSWER-E
A 42-year-old man, injured in a motor vehicle crash, suffers a closed
head injury, multiple palpable left rib fractures, and bilateral femur
fractures. He is intubated orotracheally without difficulty. Initially, his
ventilations are easily assisted with a bag-valve device. It becomes more
difficult to ventilate the patient over the next 5 minutes, and his
hemoglobin oxygen saturation level decreases from 98% to 89%. The
most appropriate next step is to:
A. Obtain a chest x-ray
B. Decrease the t - ✔✔✔ANSWER-C
Which one of the following statements concerning spine and spinal cord
trauma is true?
A. A normal lateral c-spine film excludes injury
Page 3 of 62
, B. A vertebral injury is unlikely in the absence of physical findings of a
cord injury
C. A patient with a suspected injury requires immobilization on a short
spine
D. Diaphragmatic breathing in an unconscious patient who has fallen is
a sign of spine injury
E. Determination of whether a spinal cord lesion is complete or
incomplete must be made in the primary su - ✔✔✔ANSWER-D
A 20-year-old athlete is involved in a motorcycle crash. When he
arrives in the ED, he shouts that he cannot move his legs. On physical
examination, there are no abnormalities of the chest, abdomen, or
pelvis. The patient has no sensation in his legs and cannot move them,
but his arms are moving. The patient's RR is 28 bpm, HR is 88 bpm
and BP is 80./60 mmHg. He is pale and sweaty. What is the most
likely cause of this condition?
A. Neurogenic shock
B. Cardiogenic shock
C. Abdominal hemorrhage
Page 4 of 62
GUIDE
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS,
AND COMPREHENSIVE EXAM
PREPARATION MATERIAL 2026/2027
LATEST UPDATE
A 32-year-old man is brought to the hospital unconscious with severe
facial injuries noisy respirations after an automobile collision. In the
emergency department, he has no apparent injury to the anterior aspect
of his neck. He suddenly becomes apneic, and attempted ventilation
with a face mask is unsuccessful. Examination of his mouth reveals a
large hematoma of the pharynx with loss of normal anatomic landmarks.
Initial management of his airway should consist of:
A. Inserting an oropharyngeal - ✔✔✔ANSWER-C
Page 1 of 62
,Absence of breath sounds and dullness to percussion over the left
hemithorax are findings best explained by:
A. Left hemothorax
B. Cardiac contusion
C. Left simple pneumothorax
D. Left diaphragmatic rupture
E. Right tension pneumothorax - ✔✔✔ANSWER-A
An electrician is electrocuted by a downed power line after a
thunderstorm. He apparently made contact with the wire at the level of
the right mid-thigh. In the emergency department, his vital signs are
normal and no dysrhythmia is noted on EKG. On examination, there is
an exit wound on the bottom of the right foot. His urine is positive for
blood by dipstick but no RBCs are seen microscopically. Initial
management should include:
A. Immediate angiography
B. Aggressive fluid infusion
C. Intraven - ✔✔✔ANSWER-B
A 22-year-old man is brought to the hospital after crashing his
motorcycle into a telephone pole. He is unconscious and in profound
Page 2 of 62
,shock. He has no open wounds or obvious fractures. The cause of his
shock is MOST LIKELY caused by:
A. A subdural hematoma
B. An epidural hematoma
C. A transected lumbar spinal cord
D. A transected cervical spinal cord
E. Hemorrhage into the chest or abdomen - ✔✔✔ANSWER-E
A 42-year-old man, injured in a motor vehicle crash, suffers a closed
head injury, multiple palpable left rib fractures, and bilateral femur
fractures. He is intubated orotracheally without difficulty. Initially, his
ventilations are easily assisted with a bag-valve device. It becomes more
difficult to ventilate the patient over the next 5 minutes, and his
hemoglobin oxygen saturation level decreases from 98% to 89%. The
most appropriate next step is to:
A. Obtain a chest x-ray
B. Decrease the t - ✔✔✔ANSWER-C
Which one of the following statements concerning spine and spinal cord
trauma is true?
A. A normal lateral c-spine film excludes injury
Page 3 of 62
, B. A vertebral injury is unlikely in the absence of physical findings of a
cord injury
C. A patient with a suspected injury requires immobilization on a short
spine
D. Diaphragmatic breathing in an unconscious patient who has fallen is
a sign of spine injury
E. Determination of whether a spinal cord lesion is complete or
incomplete must be made in the primary su - ✔✔✔ANSWER-D
A 20-year-old athlete is involved in a motorcycle crash. When he
arrives in the ED, he shouts that he cannot move his legs. On physical
examination, there are no abnormalities of the chest, abdomen, or
pelvis. The patient has no sensation in his legs and cannot move them,
but his arms are moving. The patient's RR is 28 bpm, HR is 88 bpm
and BP is 80./60 mmHg. He is pale and sweaty. What is the most
likely cause of this condition?
A. Neurogenic shock
B. Cardiogenic shock
C. Abdominal hemorrhage
Page 4 of 62
