POST TEST ATLS EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS 100% PASS 2026/2027
Which of the following is the recommended Method for treatment frostbite?
A. Vasodilators
B. Anticigulants
C. Warm (40 degrees) water
D. Padding and elevation
E. Application of heat from a hairdryer - ANS C. Warm (40 degrees) water
Which of the following physical findings suggest a cause of hypotension other than spinal cord
injury?
A. Priapism
B. Bradycardia
C. Diaphragmatic breathing
D. Presence of deep tendon reflexes
E. Ability to flex forearms but not extend them - ANS D. Presence of deep tendon reflexes.
Spinal shock refers to loss of muscle toe (flaccidty) and loss of reflexes.
The primary indication for transferring A patient to a higher level trauma center is:
A. Unavailibility of surgeon or operating staff
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,B. Multiple system injuries, including severe head injury
C. Resource limitations as determined by the transferring doctor
D. Resource limitations as determined by the hospital administration
E. Widened mediastinum on chest x-ray following blunt trauma - ANS C. Resource limitations
as determined by the transferring doctor
A young man sustains a rifle wound to the mid-abdomen. He is brought promptly to the ED by
prehospital personnel. His skin is cool and diaphoretic, and his systolic blood pressure is
58mmHg. Warmed crystalloid fluids are initiated without improvement in his vital signs. The
next, most appropriate, step is to perform:
A. a laparotomy
B. An abdominal CT-scan
C. Diagnostic laparoscopy
D. Abdominal ultrasonography
E. A diagnostic peritoneal lavage - ANS A. Laparotomy because of hemodynamic abnormality
A 42-year-old man is trapped from the waist down beneath his overturned tractor for several
hours before medical assistance arrives. He is awake and alert until just before arriving in the
ED. He is now unconscious and responds only to painful stimuli by moaning. His pupils are 3mm
in diameter and symmetrically reactive to light. Prehospital personnel indicate that they have
not seen the patient move either of his lower extremities. On examination in the ED, no
movement of his lower extremities are detected, even in response to painful stimuli. The most
likely cause for this finding is:
A. An epidural hematoma
B. A pelvic fracture
C. Central cord syndrome
D. Intracerebral hemorrhage
E. Bilateral compartment syndrome - ANS E. Bilateral compartment syndrome
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,A 6-year-o boy is struck by an automobile and brought to the ED. He is lethargic, but withdraws
purposefully from painful stimuli. His blood pressure is 90mmHg systolic, heart rate 140 beats
per minute and his respiratory rate is 36 breaths per minute. The preferred route of venous
access in this patient is:
A. Percutaneous femoral vein cannulation
B. Cutdown on the saphenous vein at the ankle
C. Intraosseous catheter placement in the proximal tibia
D. Percutaneous peripheral veins in the upper extremities
E. Central venous access via the subclavian or internal jugular vein - ANS D. Percutaneous
peripheral veins in the upper extremities
A young man sustains a gunshot wound to the abdomen and is brought promptly to the ED by
prehospital personnel. His skin is cool and diaphoretic, and he is confused. His pulse is thready
and his femoral pulse is only weakly palpable. The definitive treatment in managing this patient
is to:
A. Administer O-negative blood
B. Apply external warming devices
C. Control internal hemorrhage operatively
D. Apply a pneumatic antishock garment (PASG)
E. Infuse large volumes of intravenous crystalloid solutions. - ANS C. Control internal
hemorrhage operatively
Regarding shock in the child, which of the following is FALSE?
A. Vital signs are age-related
B. Children have greater physiologic reserves than do adults
C. Tachycardia is the primary physiologic response to hypovolemia
D. The absolute volume of blood loss required to produce shock is the same as in adults
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, E. An initial fluid bolus for resuscitation should approximate 20ml/kg Ringers Lactate - ANS D.
The absolute volume of blood loss required to produce shock is the same as in adults
A 33-year-old man is struck by a car travelling at 56km/h (35mph). He has obvious fractures of
the left tibia near the knee, pain in the pelvic area, and severe dyspnea. His heart rate is 182
beats per minute, and his respiratory rate is 48 breaths per minute with no breath sounds heard
in the left chest. A tension pneumothorax is relieved by immediate needle decompression and
tube thoracostomy. Subsequently, his heart rate decreases to 144 beats per minute, his
respirartory rate decreases to 36 breaths per minute and his blood pressure is 81/53 mmHg.
Warmed Ringers lactate is adminstered intravenously. The next priority should be to:
A. Perform external fixation of the pelvis
B. Obtain abdominal and pelvic CT-scans
C. Perform arterial embolization of the pelvic vessel
D. Perform diagnostic peritoneal lavage or FAST
E. Perform a urethrogram and cystogram - ANS D. Perform diagnostic peritoneal lavage or
FAST
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-mask 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 tidal volume
C. Decrease PEEP
D. Increase the rate of assisted ventilations
E. Perform needle decompression of the left chest. - ANS A. Obtain a chest x-ray
A 30-year-old man sustains a severely comminuted, open, distal right femur fracture in a
motorcycle crash. The wound is actively bleeding. Normal sensation is present over the lateral
@2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED 4
AND ANSWERS 100% PASS 2026/2027
Which of the following is the recommended Method for treatment frostbite?
A. Vasodilators
B. Anticigulants
C. Warm (40 degrees) water
D. Padding and elevation
E. Application of heat from a hairdryer - ANS C. Warm (40 degrees) water
Which of the following physical findings suggest a cause of hypotension other than spinal cord
injury?
A. Priapism
B. Bradycardia
C. Diaphragmatic breathing
D. Presence of deep tendon reflexes
E. Ability to flex forearms but not extend them - ANS D. Presence of deep tendon reflexes.
Spinal shock refers to loss of muscle toe (flaccidty) and loss of reflexes.
The primary indication for transferring A patient to a higher level trauma center is:
A. Unavailibility of surgeon or operating staff
@2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED 1
,B. Multiple system injuries, including severe head injury
C. Resource limitations as determined by the transferring doctor
D. Resource limitations as determined by the hospital administration
E. Widened mediastinum on chest x-ray following blunt trauma - ANS C. Resource limitations
as determined by the transferring doctor
A young man sustains a rifle wound to the mid-abdomen. He is brought promptly to the ED by
prehospital personnel. His skin is cool and diaphoretic, and his systolic blood pressure is
58mmHg. Warmed crystalloid fluids are initiated without improvement in his vital signs. The
next, most appropriate, step is to perform:
A. a laparotomy
B. An abdominal CT-scan
C. Diagnostic laparoscopy
D. Abdominal ultrasonography
E. A diagnostic peritoneal lavage - ANS A. Laparotomy because of hemodynamic abnormality
A 42-year-old man is trapped from the waist down beneath his overturned tractor for several
hours before medical assistance arrives. He is awake and alert until just before arriving in the
ED. He is now unconscious and responds only to painful stimuli by moaning. His pupils are 3mm
in diameter and symmetrically reactive to light. Prehospital personnel indicate that they have
not seen the patient move either of his lower extremities. On examination in the ED, no
movement of his lower extremities are detected, even in response to painful stimuli. The most
likely cause for this finding is:
A. An epidural hematoma
B. A pelvic fracture
C. Central cord syndrome
D. Intracerebral hemorrhage
E. Bilateral compartment syndrome - ANS E. Bilateral compartment syndrome
@2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED 2
,A 6-year-o boy is struck by an automobile and brought to the ED. He is lethargic, but withdraws
purposefully from painful stimuli. His blood pressure is 90mmHg systolic, heart rate 140 beats
per minute and his respiratory rate is 36 breaths per minute. The preferred route of venous
access in this patient is:
A. Percutaneous femoral vein cannulation
B. Cutdown on the saphenous vein at the ankle
C. Intraosseous catheter placement in the proximal tibia
D. Percutaneous peripheral veins in the upper extremities
E. Central venous access via the subclavian or internal jugular vein - ANS D. Percutaneous
peripheral veins in the upper extremities
A young man sustains a gunshot wound to the abdomen and is brought promptly to the ED by
prehospital personnel. His skin is cool and diaphoretic, and he is confused. His pulse is thready
and his femoral pulse is only weakly palpable. The definitive treatment in managing this patient
is to:
A. Administer O-negative blood
B. Apply external warming devices
C. Control internal hemorrhage operatively
D. Apply a pneumatic antishock garment (PASG)
E. Infuse large volumes of intravenous crystalloid solutions. - ANS C. Control internal
hemorrhage operatively
Regarding shock in the child, which of the following is FALSE?
A. Vital signs are age-related
B. Children have greater physiologic reserves than do adults
C. Tachycardia is the primary physiologic response to hypovolemia
D. The absolute volume of blood loss required to produce shock is the same as in adults
@2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED 3
, E. An initial fluid bolus for resuscitation should approximate 20ml/kg Ringers Lactate - ANS D.
The absolute volume of blood loss required to produce shock is the same as in adults
A 33-year-old man is struck by a car travelling at 56km/h (35mph). He has obvious fractures of
the left tibia near the knee, pain in the pelvic area, and severe dyspnea. His heart rate is 182
beats per minute, and his respiratory rate is 48 breaths per minute with no breath sounds heard
in the left chest. A tension pneumothorax is relieved by immediate needle decompression and
tube thoracostomy. Subsequently, his heart rate decreases to 144 beats per minute, his
respirartory rate decreases to 36 breaths per minute and his blood pressure is 81/53 mmHg.
Warmed Ringers lactate is adminstered intravenously. The next priority should be to:
A. Perform external fixation of the pelvis
B. Obtain abdominal and pelvic CT-scans
C. Perform arterial embolization of the pelvic vessel
D. Perform diagnostic peritoneal lavage or FAST
E. Perform a urethrogram and cystogram - ANS D. Perform diagnostic peritoneal lavage or
FAST
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-mask 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 tidal volume
C. Decrease PEEP
D. Increase the rate of assisted ventilations
E. Perform needle decompression of the left chest. - ANS A. Obtain a chest x-ray
A 30-year-old man sustains a severely comminuted, open, distal right femur fracture in a
motorcycle crash. The wound is actively bleeding. Normal sensation is present over the lateral
@2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED 4
