PHTLS BLOCK EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Level 1 Trauma Center - ✔Regional Trauma Center, All types of specialty surgical care
24/7, (Surgical suites, Surgeons, Blood, CT, X-Ray ... all in house), Tertiary - all levels
of care
Ex... County USC, Cedars, UCLA- Ronald Regan, UCLA- Harbor General
Level 2 Trauma Center - ✔Area Trauma Center,
Most common trauma emergencies with surgical capabilities 24/7, (can handle most
common types of trauma)
Ex.... St. Francis
Level 3 Trauma Center - ✔Community Trauma Center,
Specialized ED and some surgical capability
(the speciality staff is on call and has 30 mins to get to hospital)
Level 4 Trauma Center - ✔small community hospitals, (they have to stabilize and
transfer)
Have ER DR but no surgeon
What are run sheets used for? - ✔QI, Research, Trauma Registry,
What are the 4 E's? - ✔Engineering -(roads, airbags, pool alarms)
Enforcement -(laws)
Education -(safety classes)
Economics -(government grants)
What is an injury? - ✔being hurt or killed
What is trauma? - ✔inflicted wounds or injury
What is an accident? - ✔an event that is unforeseen or without apparent cause
What is a disease? - ✔an unhealthy condition, illness, or disorder
Why is the Highway Safety Act of 1966 important? - ✔lead to development of EMS
"White Paper" - Accidental Death & Disability, The Neglected Disease of a Modern
Society
Why is the American College of Surgeons important? - ✔1990: trauma care systems
planning and development act
(established guidelines, funding and state-level leadership for the development of
trauma systems)
, PHTLS BLOCK EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What are the leading causes of death in adults & children? - ✔Adults - MVC
Children - Falls
In trauma how many die in 1st hr? - ✔50%
Fix = Injury Prevention
In trauma how many die in 4 hrs? - ✔30%
Fix = good prehospital and hospital care
In trauma how many die days or weeks later? - ✔20% (due to hypoxia, hypotension,
end organ failure)
Fix = aggressive shock management
What is Precrash? - ✔Age, medical hx, drugs, alcohol
What are the 3 phases of a Crash? - ✔1. car into tree
2. person into steering wheel
3. organs into body
What is the main purpose of car restraints? - ✔to slow the occupant down with the
vehicle
Platinum 10 mins are used for what? - ✔1. identify life-threats
2. perform key interventions
3. rapid extrication were indicated
4. timely transport to an appropriate facility
5. early notification to the receiving facility
Trauma is the leading cause of death in what age group? - ✔1 - 44
What is anatomical trauma criteria? - ✔Specific injuries (bi-lat femur fx)
What is mechanical trauma criteria? - ✔Type of incident / MOI (blunt head, penetrating
trauma, PSI)
What is physiological trauma criteria? - ✔vitals signs (ALOC, hypotension GCS < 15)
What is newtons 1st law? - ✔Body at rest will remain at rest and a body in motion will
remain in motion until acted upon by an outside force
What is law of conservation? - ✔Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can
change forms.
Car breaks = friction = heat = fire
Level 1 Trauma Center - ✔Regional Trauma Center, All types of specialty surgical care
24/7, (Surgical suites, Surgeons, Blood, CT, X-Ray ... all in house), Tertiary - all levels
of care
Ex... County USC, Cedars, UCLA- Ronald Regan, UCLA- Harbor General
Level 2 Trauma Center - ✔Area Trauma Center,
Most common trauma emergencies with surgical capabilities 24/7, (can handle most
common types of trauma)
Ex.... St. Francis
Level 3 Trauma Center - ✔Community Trauma Center,
Specialized ED and some surgical capability
(the speciality staff is on call and has 30 mins to get to hospital)
Level 4 Trauma Center - ✔small community hospitals, (they have to stabilize and
transfer)
Have ER DR but no surgeon
What are run sheets used for? - ✔QI, Research, Trauma Registry,
What are the 4 E's? - ✔Engineering -(roads, airbags, pool alarms)
Enforcement -(laws)
Education -(safety classes)
Economics -(government grants)
What is an injury? - ✔being hurt or killed
What is trauma? - ✔inflicted wounds or injury
What is an accident? - ✔an event that is unforeseen or without apparent cause
What is a disease? - ✔an unhealthy condition, illness, or disorder
Why is the Highway Safety Act of 1966 important? - ✔lead to development of EMS
"White Paper" - Accidental Death & Disability, The Neglected Disease of a Modern
Society
Why is the American College of Surgeons important? - ✔1990: trauma care systems
planning and development act
(established guidelines, funding and state-level leadership for the development of
trauma systems)
, PHTLS BLOCK EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What are the leading causes of death in adults & children? - ✔Adults - MVC
Children - Falls
In trauma how many die in 1st hr? - ✔50%
Fix = Injury Prevention
In trauma how many die in 4 hrs? - ✔30%
Fix = good prehospital and hospital care
In trauma how many die days or weeks later? - ✔20% (due to hypoxia, hypotension,
end organ failure)
Fix = aggressive shock management
What is Precrash? - ✔Age, medical hx, drugs, alcohol
What are the 3 phases of a Crash? - ✔1. car into tree
2. person into steering wheel
3. organs into body
What is the main purpose of car restraints? - ✔to slow the occupant down with the
vehicle
Platinum 10 mins are used for what? - ✔1. identify life-threats
2. perform key interventions
3. rapid extrication were indicated
4. timely transport to an appropriate facility
5. early notification to the receiving facility
Trauma is the leading cause of death in what age group? - ✔1 - 44
What is anatomical trauma criteria? - ✔Specific injuries (bi-lat femur fx)
What is mechanical trauma criteria? - ✔Type of incident / MOI (blunt head, penetrating
trauma, PSI)
What is physiological trauma criteria? - ✔vitals signs (ALOC, hypotension GCS < 15)
What is newtons 1st law? - ✔Body at rest will remain at rest and a body in motion will
remain in motion until acted upon by an outside force
What is law of conservation? - ✔Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can
change forms.
Car breaks = friction = heat = fire
