AWLS Final Test Exam Questions and Answers.
What is the purpose of the blood sweep during the primary survey?
a. To clear the scene of blood by sweeping it away
b. To identify sites of major bleeding
c. To stop bleeding from most wounds
d. All of the above - Correct Answer b. To identify sites of major bleeding
You are rock climbing with several of your friends when there is a rock slide and 3 of your
friends fall 10 to 20 feet to the bottom of the cliff. There are also 2 other people who were
injured by falling debris soon afterwards while standing at the bottom of the cliff and
looking up. Which one of the following is correct in terms of managing this situation?
a. You should move all of the injured people away from the base of the cliff
b. You should not move anybody as there is a risk of spinal injury by moving them
c. You should put an overhead shade over those at the base of the cliff but not move them
d. You should leave all patients where they are lying and leave immediately to get help -
Correct Answer a. You should move all of the injured people away from the base of the
cliff
A hiker falls down a steep embankment 100 feet and lands at the bottom. She is pale but
awake. She has a thready carotid pulse of 130 beats / minute and complains of feeling
very thirsty. Which one of the following best explains her increased heart rate, paleness
and thready pulse?
a. Abrasions on her lower legs and hands that are dirty but have no active bleeding
b. Deformity of her left wrist without any significant swelling
c. Deformity, pain and swelling in her right ankle
d. Severe tenderness on palpation of her abdomen - Correct Answer d. Severe
tenderness on palpation of her abdomen
Which one of the following is NOT correct in regards to obtaining a history from a patient in
the secondary survey?
,a. S = Signs and Symptoms
b. A = Allergies
c. M = Medications
d. P = Past medical history
e. L = Last meal
f. E = Exposure to elements - Correct Answer f. E = Exposure to elements
You are three days into a weeklong backpacking trip when someone in your group
develops worsening abdominal pain. After preforming a thorough assessment, you
suspect constipation to be the cause and elect to watch the patient overnight. How
frequently should you re-assess the victim?
a. Every 15 minutes
b. Just reassess in the morning
c. Never, you already made your assessment
d. Whenever a change in patient condition or environment occurs - Correct Answer d.
Whenever a change in patient condition or environment occurs
Which one of the following is NOT an area that is concerning for occult blood loss in the
trauma victim?
a. Abdomen
b. Buttocks
c. Chest
d. Pelvis - Correct Answer b. Buttocks
You are snowshoeing in the mountains during winter. It has been in the mid 20's most of
the day when you come upon a 35 year-old man off to the side of the trail. He is breathing
and has a strong regular pulse but is very confused and slow to respond to you. He does
not complain of anything. Which one of the following is a potential etiology for his altered
mental status?
a. Hypoglycemia due to too much insulin
,b. Seizure with a post-seizure confusion
c. Intoxication with alcohol
d. All of the above should be considered - Correct Answer d. All of the above should be
considered
You arrive at the scene of a drowning event. The victim has been pulled from the water
and is lying on his back. On your initial assessment the victim is completely unresponsive
without any sign of life. Which one of the following is the most appropriate next step in the
management of the victim?
a. Initiate CPR with chest compressions only
b. Initiate CPR starting with 2-rescue breaths
c. Perform a blood sweep
d. Start rewarming the patient using blankets and body heat - Correct Answer b. Initiate
CPR starting with 2-rescue breaths
Which one of the following is not correct for the Primary Assessment?
a. M - Massive hemorrhage management
b. A - Airway with cervical spine stabilization
c. R - Respiration
d. C - Circulation
e. H - Hemorrhage assessment - Correct Answer e. H - Hemorrhage assessment
Which type of wound is least likely to become infected, and thus would be the best
candidate for backcountry closure?
a. A cut from a knife leading to a 2 cm forearm laceration
b. A crush injury caused when mountain biker strikes the ground with his lower leg
c. A puncture wound through the plantar surface of the foot caused by a piece of broken
glass at a campground
d. A stab wound to the abdomen inflicted by a pocket knife - Correct Answer a. A cut from
a knife leading to a 2 cm forearm laceration
, All of these would be acceptable topical antimicrobials except
a. Bacitracin
b. Mupirocin
c. LET (lidocaine, epinephrine, tetracaine)
d. Silvadene - Correct Answer c. LET (lidocaine, epinephrine, tetracaine)
Which burn does NOT require evacuation?
a. A camper wakes up when his tent has caught on fire because he didn't properly put out
his campfire. He is able to evacuate from the tent, but he is coughing frequently and has
singed nose-hairs
b. A patient with burns on the forearm after attempting to treat a snakebite by placing
jumper cables adjacent to the area and starting the car
c. A patient with 4 centimeters of erythema only which is located on the dorsum of the
forearmafter brushing against hot firewood
d. A patient with diabetic neuropathy and blistering of the plantar surface of the foot after
stepping on hot coals - Correct Answer c. A patient with 4 centimeters of erythema only
which is located on the dorsum of the forearm after brushing against hot firewood
Which is necessary to evaluate when examining a wound in the wilderness?
a. Location, extent, and depth of the wound
b. Presence or absence of foreign body
c. Bone, tendon, or joint involvement
d. All of the above - Correct Answer d. All of the above
Which wound requires evacuation?
a. A 2 day old puncture wound of the foot that has developed surrounding erythema and is
extremely painful to walk on, despite the administration of prophylactic antibiotics
What is the purpose of the blood sweep during the primary survey?
a. To clear the scene of blood by sweeping it away
b. To identify sites of major bleeding
c. To stop bleeding from most wounds
d. All of the above - Correct Answer b. To identify sites of major bleeding
You are rock climbing with several of your friends when there is a rock slide and 3 of your
friends fall 10 to 20 feet to the bottom of the cliff. There are also 2 other people who were
injured by falling debris soon afterwards while standing at the bottom of the cliff and
looking up. Which one of the following is correct in terms of managing this situation?
a. You should move all of the injured people away from the base of the cliff
b. You should not move anybody as there is a risk of spinal injury by moving them
c. You should put an overhead shade over those at the base of the cliff but not move them
d. You should leave all patients where they are lying and leave immediately to get help -
Correct Answer a. You should move all of the injured people away from the base of the
cliff
A hiker falls down a steep embankment 100 feet and lands at the bottom. She is pale but
awake. She has a thready carotid pulse of 130 beats / minute and complains of feeling
very thirsty. Which one of the following best explains her increased heart rate, paleness
and thready pulse?
a. Abrasions on her lower legs and hands that are dirty but have no active bleeding
b. Deformity of her left wrist without any significant swelling
c. Deformity, pain and swelling in her right ankle
d. Severe tenderness on palpation of her abdomen - Correct Answer d. Severe
tenderness on palpation of her abdomen
Which one of the following is NOT correct in regards to obtaining a history from a patient in
the secondary survey?
,a. S = Signs and Symptoms
b. A = Allergies
c. M = Medications
d. P = Past medical history
e. L = Last meal
f. E = Exposure to elements - Correct Answer f. E = Exposure to elements
You are three days into a weeklong backpacking trip when someone in your group
develops worsening abdominal pain. After preforming a thorough assessment, you
suspect constipation to be the cause and elect to watch the patient overnight. How
frequently should you re-assess the victim?
a. Every 15 minutes
b. Just reassess in the morning
c. Never, you already made your assessment
d. Whenever a change in patient condition or environment occurs - Correct Answer d.
Whenever a change in patient condition or environment occurs
Which one of the following is NOT an area that is concerning for occult blood loss in the
trauma victim?
a. Abdomen
b. Buttocks
c. Chest
d. Pelvis - Correct Answer b. Buttocks
You are snowshoeing in the mountains during winter. It has been in the mid 20's most of
the day when you come upon a 35 year-old man off to the side of the trail. He is breathing
and has a strong regular pulse but is very confused and slow to respond to you. He does
not complain of anything. Which one of the following is a potential etiology for his altered
mental status?
a. Hypoglycemia due to too much insulin
,b. Seizure with a post-seizure confusion
c. Intoxication with alcohol
d. All of the above should be considered - Correct Answer d. All of the above should be
considered
You arrive at the scene of a drowning event. The victim has been pulled from the water
and is lying on his back. On your initial assessment the victim is completely unresponsive
without any sign of life. Which one of the following is the most appropriate next step in the
management of the victim?
a. Initiate CPR with chest compressions only
b. Initiate CPR starting with 2-rescue breaths
c. Perform a blood sweep
d. Start rewarming the patient using blankets and body heat - Correct Answer b. Initiate
CPR starting with 2-rescue breaths
Which one of the following is not correct for the Primary Assessment?
a. M - Massive hemorrhage management
b. A - Airway with cervical spine stabilization
c. R - Respiration
d. C - Circulation
e. H - Hemorrhage assessment - Correct Answer e. H - Hemorrhage assessment
Which type of wound is least likely to become infected, and thus would be the best
candidate for backcountry closure?
a. A cut from a knife leading to a 2 cm forearm laceration
b. A crush injury caused when mountain biker strikes the ground with his lower leg
c. A puncture wound through the plantar surface of the foot caused by a piece of broken
glass at a campground
d. A stab wound to the abdomen inflicted by a pocket knife - Correct Answer a. A cut from
a knife leading to a 2 cm forearm laceration
, All of these would be acceptable topical antimicrobials except
a. Bacitracin
b. Mupirocin
c. LET (lidocaine, epinephrine, tetracaine)
d. Silvadene - Correct Answer c. LET (lidocaine, epinephrine, tetracaine)
Which burn does NOT require evacuation?
a. A camper wakes up when his tent has caught on fire because he didn't properly put out
his campfire. He is able to evacuate from the tent, but he is coughing frequently and has
singed nose-hairs
b. A patient with burns on the forearm after attempting to treat a snakebite by placing
jumper cables adjacent to the area and starting the car
c. A patient with 4 centimeters of erythema only which is located on the dorsum of the
forearmafter brushing against hot firewood
d. A patient with diabetic neuropathy and blistering of the plantar surface of the foot after
stepping on hot coals - Correct Answer c. A patient with 4 centimeters of erythema only
which is located on the dorsum of the forearm after brushing against hot firewood
Which is necessary to evaluate when examining a wound in the wilderness?
a. Location, extent, and depth of the wound
b. Presence or absence of foreign body
c. Bone, tendon, or joint involvement
d. All of the above - Correct Answer d. All of the above
Which wound requires evacuation?
a. A 2 day old puncture wound of the foot that has developed surrounding erythema and is
extremely painful to walk on, despite the administration of prophylactic antibiotics
