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ATLS Post Test MCQ Practice Exam: 40
Questions & Answers Guide
_______________________________________________
**Question 1**
A 22-year-old male is brought to the emergency department after a motorcycle crash.
He is tachycardic, hypotensive, and has significantly diminished breath sounds on the
right side with distended neck veins. What is the most appropriate immediate
intervention?
o Obtain a portable chest x-ray
o Perform a focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) exam
☑ Perform a needle decompression or finger thoracostomy on the right chest
o Administer a 1-liter bolus of warmed normal saline
________________________________________________
**Question 2**
Which clinical finding is most consistent with neurogenic shock rather than hemorrhagic
shock?
o Tachycardia and cool, clammy skin
o Altered mental status and tachypnea
☑ Bradycardia and warm, dry skin
o Narrowed pulse pressure and delayed capillary refill
________________________________________________
, **Question 3**
A patient arrives after being struck in the head with a baseball bat. He experienced a
brief loss of consciousness, woke up and talked to paramedics, but is now becoming
progressively obtunded. A CT scan of the head would most likely reveal which of the
following?
o A crescent-shaped hemorrhage crossing suture lines
☑ A biconvex (lens-shaped) hemorrhage not crossing suture lines
o Diffuse punctate hemorrhages at the gray-white matter junction
o Blood in the basal cisterns and sulci
________________________________________________
**Question 4**
Beck’s triad is the classic clinical presentation of cardiac tamponade. Which of the
following makes up Beck’s triad?
☑ Hypotension, muffled heart sounds, and distended neck veins
o Hypertension, bradycardia, and irregular respirations
o Hypotension, tracheal deviation, and absent breath sounds
o Tachycardia, narrowed pulse pressure, and cool extremities
________________________________________________
**Question 5**
When initiating a massive transfusion protocol for a severely bleeding trauma patient,
what is the optimal ratio of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) to fresh frozen plasma
(FFP) to platelets?
o 3:1:1
o 2:1:1
☑ 1:1:1
o 1:2:2
ATLS Post Test MCQ Practice Exam: 40
Questions & Answers Guide
_______________________________________________
**Question 1**
A 22-year-old male is brought to the emergency department after a motorcycle crash.
He is tachycardic, hypotensive, and has significantly diminished breath sounds on the
right side with distended neck veins. What is the most appropriate immediate
intervention?
o Obtain a portable chest x-ray
o Perform a focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) exam
☑ Perform a needle decompression or finger thoracostomy on the right chest
o Administer a 1-liter bolus of warmed normal saline
________________________________________________
**Question 2**
Which clinical finding is most consistent with neurogenic shock rather than hemorrhagic
shock?
o Tachycardia and cool, clammy skin
o Altered mental status and tachypnea
☑ Bradycardia and warm, dry skin
o Narrowed pulse pressure and delayed capillary refill
________________________________________________
, **Question 3**
A patient arrives after being struck in the head with a baseball bat. He experienced a
brief loss of consciousness, woke up and talked to paramedics, but is now becoming
progressively obtunded. A CT scan of the head would most likely reveal which of the
following?
o A crescent-shaped hemorrhage crossing suture lines
☑ A biconvex (lens-shaped) hemorrhage not crossing suture lines
o Diffuse punctate hemorrhages at the gray-white matter junction
o Blood in the basal cisterns and sulci
________________________________________________
**Question 4**
Beck’s triad is the classic clinical presentation of cardiac tamponade. Which of the
following makes up Beck’s triad?
☑ Hypotension, muffled heart sounds, and distended neck veins
o Hypertension, bradycardia, and irregular respirations
o Hypotension, tracheal deviation, and absent breath sounds
o Tachycardia, narrowed pulse pressure, and cool extremities
________________________________________________
**Question 5**
When initiating a massive transfusion protocol for a severely bleeding trauma patient,
what is the optimal ratio of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) to fresh frozen plasma
(FFP) to platelets?
o 3:1:1
o 2:1:1
☑ 1:1:1
o 1:2:2
