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ATLS Practice Test 2
Questions
1. A 22-year-old man sustains a gunshot wound to the left chest and is transported to a small
community hospital at which surgical capabilities are not available. In the emergency department,
a chest tube is inserted and 700 mL of blood is evacuated. The trauma center accepts the patient
in transfer. Just before the patient is placed in the ambulance for transfer, his blood pressure
decreases to 80/68 mm Hg and his heart rate increases to 136 beats per minute. The next step
should be to
a. clamp the chest tube.
b. cancel the patient's transfer.
c. perform an emergency department thoracotomy.
d. repeat the primary survey and proceed with transfer.
e. delay the transfer until the referring doctor can contact a thoracic surgeon.
2. A young woman sustains a severe head injury as the result of a motor vehicle crash. In the
emergency department, her GCS is 6. Her blood pressure is 140/90 mm Hg and her heart rate is
80 beats per minute. She is intubated and mechanically ventilated. Her pupils are 3 mm in size
and equally reactive to light. There is no other apparent injury. The most important principle to
follow in the early management of her head injury is to
a. avoid hypotension.
b. administer an osmotic diuretic.
c. aggressively treat systemic hypertension.
d. reduce metabolic requirements of the brain.
e. distinguish between intracranial hematoma and cerebral edema.
3. A 6-year-old boy walking across the street is struck by the front bumper of a sports utility vehicle
traveling at 32 kph (20 mph). Which one of the following statements is TRUE?
a. A flail chest is probable.
b. A symptomatic cardiac contusion is expected.
c. A pulmonary contusion may be present in the absence of rib fractures.
d. Transection of the thoracic aorta is more likely than in an adult patient.
e. Rib fractures are commonly found in children with this mechanism of injury.
4. A 39-year-old man is admitted to the emergency department after an automobile collision. He is
cyanotic, has insufficient respiratory effort, and has a GCS Score of 6. His full beard makes it
difficult to fit the oxygen facemask to his face. The most appropriate next step is to
1
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a. perform a surgical cricothyroidotomy.
b. attempt nasotracheal intubation.
c. ventilate him with a bag-mask device until c-spine injury can be excluded.
d. attempt orotracheal intubation using two people and inline stabilization of the cervical
spine.
e. ventilate the patient with a bag-mask device until his beard can be shaved for better mask
fit.
5. A 42-year-old man is struck on the left temple during an assault. He has immediate blurring of
vision in the left eye and progressive worsening over the next several hours. On examination 6
hours after injury his left visual acuity is counting fingers at 1 meter; right visual acuity is 20/20.
The left pupil is sluggish with an afferent pupillary defect. The anterior segment appears normal
and there is no evidence of globe rupture. Computed tomography of the head and orbit reveals a
linear fracture of the left optic canal with a small bony fragment abutting the optic nerve within
the optic canal but without hematoma elsewhere. There are no other life-threatening injuries.
Which management strategy is most appropriate?
a. Immediate surgical optic canal decompression to remove the bony fragment and
decompress the optic nerve.
b. High-dose intravenous corticosteroid pulse therapy alone and observation for neurologic
recovery.
c. Emergent lateral canthotomy and cantholysis to reduce orbital pressure before definitive
treatment.
d. Conservative management with close observation and outpatient low-dose oral
corticosteroids.
e. Urgent transfer for hyperbaric oxygen therapy as the primary intervention.
6. The following are contraindications for tetanus toxoid administration
a. History of neurological reaction or severe hypersensitivity to the product.
b. Local side effects.
c. Muscular spasms.
d. Pregnancy.
e. All of the above.
7. After being involved in a motor vehicle crash, a 25-year-old man is brought to a hospital with a
general surgeon on duty. He has a GCS of 13 and complains of abdominal pain. His blood
pressure was 80 mm Hg systolic by palpation on arrival at the hospital, but increases to 110/70
mm Hg with the administration of 2 liters of balanced blood products. His heart rate remains 120
beats per minute. Computed tomography shows a splenic laceration with free abdominal fluid.
His blood pressure falls to 70 mm Hg after CT. The next step is
a. contrast angiography.
b. transfer to a higher level trauma center.
c. exploratory laparotomy.
d. transfuse packed red blood cells.
e. transesophageal echocardiography.
2
ATLS Practice Test 2
Questions
1. A 22-year-old man sustains a gunshot wound to the left chest and is transported to a small
community hospital at which surgical capabilities are not available. In the emergency department,
a chest tube is inserted and 700 mL of blood is evacuated. The trauma center accepts the patient
in transfer. Just before the patient is placed in the ambulance for transfer, his blood pressure
decreases to 80/68 mm Hg and his heart rate increases to 136 beats per minute. The next step
should be to
a. clamp the chest tube.
b. cancel the patient's transfer.
c. perform an emergency department thoracotomy.
d. repeat the primary survey and proceed with transfer.
e. delay the transfer until the referring doctor can contact a thoracic surgeon.
2. A young woman sustains a severe head injury as the result of a motor vehicle crash. In the
emergency department, her GCS is 6. Her blood pressure is 140/90 mm Hg and her heart rate is
80 beats per minute. She is intubated and mechanically ventilated. Her pupils are 3 mm in size
and equally reactive to light. There is no other apparent injury. The most important principle to
follow in the early management of her head injury is to
a. avoid hypotension.
b. administer an osmotic diuretic.
c. aggressively treat systemic hypertension.
d. reduce metabolic requirements of the brain.
e. distinguish between intracranial hematoma and cerebral edema.
3. A 6-year-old boy walking across the street is struck by the front bumper of a sports utility vehicle
traveling at 32 kph (20 mph). Which one of the following statements is TRUE?
a. A flail chest is probable.
b. A symptomatic cardiac contusion is expected.
c. A pulmonary contusion may be present in the absence of rib fractures.
d. Transection of the thoracic aorta is more likely than in an adult patient.
e. Rib fractures are commonly found in children with this mechanism of injury.
4. A 39-year-old man is admitted to the emergency department after an automobile collision. He is
cyanotic, has insufficient respiratory effort, and has a GCS Score of 6. His full beard makes it
difficult to fit the oxygen facemask to his face. The most appropriate next step is to
1
, mcatest.wixsite.com/atls
a. perform a surgical cricothyroidotomy.
b. attempt nasotracheal intubation.
c. ventilate him with a bag-mask device until c-spine injury can be excluded.
d. attempt orotracheal intubation using two people and inline stabilization of the cervical
spine.
e. ventilate the patient with a bag-mask device until his beard can be shaved for better mask
fit.
5. A 42-year-old man is struck on the left temple during an assault. He has immediate blurring of
vision in the left eye and progressive worsening over the next several hours. On examination 6
hours after injury his left visual acuity is counting fingers at 1 meter; right visual acuity is 20/20.
The left pupil is sluggish with an afferent pupillary defect. The anterior segment appears normal
and there is no evidence of globe rupture. Computed tomography of the head and orbit reveals a
linear fracture of the left optic canal with a small bony fragment abutting the optic nerve within
the optic canal but without hematoma elsewhere. There are no other life-threatening injuries.
Which management strategy is most appropriate?
a. Immediate surgical optic canal decompression to remove the bony fragment and
decompress the optic nerve.
b. High-dose intravenous corticosteroid pulse therapy alone and observation for neurologic
recovery.
c. Emergent lateral canthotomy and cantholysis to reduce orbital pressure before definitive
treatment.
d. Conservative management with close observation and outpatient low-dose oral
corticosteroids.
e. Urgent transfer for hyperbaric oxygen therapy as the primary intervention.
6. The following are contraindications for tetanus toxoid administration
a. History of neurological reaction or severe hypersensitivity to the product.
b. Local side effects.
c. Muscular spasms.
d. Pregnancy.
e. All of the above.
7. After being involved in a motor vehicle crash, a 25-year-old man is brought to a hospital with a
general surgeon on duty. He has a GCS of 13 and complains of abdominal pain. His blood
pressure was 80 mm Hg systolic by palpation on arrival at the hospital, but increases to 110/70
mm Hg with the administration of 2 liters of balanced blood products. His heart rate remains 120
beats per minute. Computed tomography shows a splenic laceration with free abdominal fluid.
His blood pressure falls to 70 mm Hg after CT. The next step is
a. contrast angiography.
b. transfer to a higher level trauma center.
c. exploratory laparotomy.
d. transfuse packed red blood cells.
e. transesophageal echocardiography.
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