ATLS Pretest Practice Exam Questions and
Answers Latest 2025 Top Rated A+
Which one of the following is the most effective method for
initially treating frostbite?
moist heat
A 32-year-old man's right leg is trapped beneath his
overturned car for nearly 2 hours before he is extricated. On
arrival in the emergency department, his right lower
extremity is cool, mottled, insensate, and motionless.
Despite normal vital signs, pulses cannot be palpated below
the right femoral artery and the muscles of the lower
extremity are firm and hard. During the management of this
patient, which of the following is most likely to improve the
chances for limb salvage?
surgical consultation for right lower extremity fasciotomy
A patient arrives in the emergency department after being
beaten about the head and face with a wooden club. He is
comatose and has a palpable depressed skull fracture. His
face is swollen and ecchymotic. He has gurgling respirations
and vomitus on his face and clothing. The most appropriate
step after providing supplemental oxygen and elevating his
jaw is to:
suction the oropharynx
A 22-year-old man sustains a gunshot wound to the left chest
and is transported to a small community hospital no surgical
capabilities are 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:
repeat the primary survey and proceed with transfer
,A 64-year-old man involved in a high-speed car crash, is
resuscitated initially in a small hospital without surgical
capabilities. He has a closed head injury with a GCS score of
13. He has a widened mediastinum on chest x-ray with
fractures of left ribs 2 through 4, but no pneumothorax. After
initiating fluid resuscitation, his blood pressure is 110/74 mm
Hg, heart rate is 100 beats per minute, and respiratory rate is
18 breaths per minute. He has gross hematuria and a pelvic
fracture. You decide to transfer this patient to a facility
capable of providing a higher level of care. The facility is 128
km (80 miles) away. Before transfer, you should first:
call the receiving hospital and speak to the surgeon on call
Hemorrhage of 20% of the patient's blood volume is
associated usually with:
tachycardia
Which one of the following statements concerning
intraosseous infusion is TRUE?
Aspiration of bone marrow confirms appropriate positioning of the
needle.
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:
avoid hypotension
A 33-year-old woman is involved in a head-on motor vehicle
crash. It took 30 minutes to extricate her from the car. Upon
arrival in the emergency department, her heart rate is 120
beats per minute, BP is 90/70 mm Hg, respiratory rate is 16
breaths per minute, and her GCS score is 15. Examination
reveals bilaterally equal breath sounds, anterior chest wall
ecchymosis, and distended neck veins. Her abdomen is flat,
,soft, and not tender. Her pelvis is stable. Palpable distal
pulses are found in all 4 extremities. Of the following, the
most likely diagnosis is:
cardiac tamponade
A hemodynamically normal 10-year-old girl is hospitalized for
observation after a Grade III (moderately severe) splenic
injury has been confirmed by computed tomography (CT).
Which of the following mandates prompt celiotomy
(laparotomy)?
development of peritonitis on physical exam
A 40-year-old woman who was a restrained driver in a motor
vehicle crash is evaluated in the emergency department. She
is hemodynamically normal and found to be paraplegic at the
level of T10. Which of the following are true regarding her
evaluation and management?
Log rolling using 4 people is a safe approach to restrict spinal
motion when moving her.
A trauma patient presents to your emergency department
with inspiratory stridor and a suspected c-spine injury.
Oxygen saturation is 88% on high-flow oxygen via a
nonrebreathing mask. The most appropriate next step is to:
restrict cervical motion and establish a definitive airway
When applying the Rule of Nines to infants:
The head is proportionally larger in infants than in adults.
A healthy young male is brought to the emergency
department following a motor vehicle crash. His vital signs
are a blood pressure of 84/60, pulse 123, GCS 10. The patient
moans when his pelvis is palpated. After initiating fluid
resuscitation, the next step in management is:
placement of a pelvic binder
Which one of the following situations requires Rh
immunoglobulin administration to an injured woman?
positive pregnancy test, Rh negative, and has torso trauma
A 22-year-old female athlete is stabbed in her left chest at the
third interspace in the anterior axillary line. On admission to
, the emergency department and 15 minutes after the incident,
she is awake and alert. Her heart rate is 100 beats per minute,
blood pressure 80/60 mm Hg, and respiratory rate 20 breaths
per minute. A chest x-ray reveals a large left hemothorax. A
left chest tube is placed with an immediate return of 1600 mL
of blood. The next management step for this patient is:
prepare for an exploratory thoracotomy
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 about
this patient?
A pulmonary contusion may be present in the absence of rib
fractures.
Assessed first in trauma patient
Airway
(*)Degree of burn that is characterized by bone involvement
Fourth
Complications of head trauma
Intracerebral hematoma
Extradural hematoma
Brain abscess
Most common cause of laryngotracheal stenosis
Trauma
Intervention that can help prevent development of acute
renal failure
Infusion of normal saline
A 26-year-old male is resuscitated with blood transfusion
after a motor vehicle collision that was complicated by a
fractured pelvis. A few hours later, the patient becomes
febrile, hypotensive with a normal CVP, and oliguric. Upon
examination, the patient is found to be bleeding from the NG
tube and IV sites. Which of the following is the most likely
diagnosis?
A. Hemorrhagic shock
B. Acute adrenal insufficiency
Answers Latest 2025 Top Rated A+
Which one of the following is the most effective method for
initially treating frostbite?
moist heat
A 32-year-old man's right leg is trapped beneath his
overturned car for nearly 2 hours before he is extricated. On
arrival in the emergency department, his right lower
extremity is cool, mottled, insensate, and motionless.
Despite normal vital signs, pulses cannot be palpated below
the right femoral artery and the muscles of the lower
extremity are firm and hard. During the management of this
patient, which of the following is most likely to improve the
chances for limb salvage?
surgical consultation for right lower extremity fasciotomy
A patient arrives in the emergency department after being
beaten about the head and face with a wooden club. He is
comatose and has a palpable depressed skull fracture. His
face is swollen and ecchymotic. He has gurgling respirations
and vomitus on his face and clothing. The most appropriate
step after providing supplemental oxygen and elevating his
jaw is to:
suction the oropharynx
A 22-year-old man sustains a gunshot wound to the left chest
and is transported to a small community hospital no surgical
capabilities are 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:
repeat the primary survey and proceed with transfer
,A 64-year-old man involved in a high-speed car crash, is
resuscitated initially in a small hospital without surgical
capabilities. He has a closed head injury with a GCS score of
13. He has a widened mediastinum on chest x-ray with
fractures of left ribs 2 through 4, but no pneumothorax. After
initiating fluid resuscitation, his blood pressure is 110/74 mm
Hg, heart rate is 100 beats per minute, and respiratory rate is
18 breaths per minute. He has gross hematuria and a pelvic
fracture. You decide to transfer this patient to a facility
capable of providing a higher level of care. The facility is 128
km (80 miles) away. Before transfer, you should first:
call the receiving hospital and speak to the surgeon on call
Hemorrhage of 20% of the patient's blood volume is
associated usually with:
tachycardia
Which one of the following statements concerning
intraosseous infusion is TRUE?
Aspiration of bone marrow confirms appropriate positioning of the
needle.
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:
avoid hypotension
A 33-year-old woman is involved in a head-on motor vehicle
crash. It took 30 minutes to extricate her from the car. Upon
arrival in the emergency department, her heart rate is 120
beats per minute, BP is 90/70 mm Hg, respiratory rate is 16
breaths per minute, and her GCS score is 15. Examination
reveals bilaterally equal breath sounds, anterior chest wall
ecchymosis, and distended neck veins. Her abdomen is flat,
,soft, and not tender. Her pelvis is stable. Palpable distal
pulses are found in all 4 extremities. Of the following, the
most likely diagnosis is:
cardiac tamponade
A hemodynamically normal 10-year-old girl is hospitalized for
observation after a Grade III (moderately severe) splenic
injury has been confirmed by computed tomography (CT).
Which of the following mandates prompt celiotomy
(laparotomy)?
development of peritonitis on physical exam
A 40-year-old woman who was a restrained driver in a motor
vehicle crash is evaluated in the emergency department. She
is hemodynamically normal and found to be paraplegic at the
level of T10. Which of the following are true regarding her
evaluation and management?
Log rolling using 4 people is a safe approach to restrict spinal
motion when moving her.
A trauma patient presents to your emergency department
with inspiratory stridor and a suspected c-spine injury.
Oxygen saturation is 88% on high-flow oxygen via a
nonrebreathing mask. The most appropriate next step is to:
restrict cervical motion and establish a definitive airway
When applying the Rule of Nines to infants:
The head is proportionally larger in infants than in adults.
A healthy young male is brought to the emergency
department following a motor vehicle crash. His vital signs
are a blood pressure of 84/60, pulse 123, GCS 10. The patient
moans when his pelvis is palpated. After initiating fluid
resuscitation, the next step in management is:
placement of a pelvic binder
Which one of the following situations requires Rh
immunoglobulin administration to an injured woman?
positive pregnancy test, Rh negative, and has torso trauma
A 22-year-old female athlete is stabbed in her left chest at the
third interspace in the anterior axillary line. On admission to
, the emergency department and 15 minutes after the incident,
she is awake and alert. Her heart rate is 100 beats per minute,
blood pressure 80/60 mm Hg, and respiratory rate 20 breaths
per minute. A chest x-ray reveals a large left hemothorax. A
left chest tube is placed with an immediate return of 1600 mL
of blood. The next management step for this patient is:
prepare for an exploratory thoracotomy
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 about
this patient?
A pulmonary contusion may be present in the absence of rib
fractures.
Assessed first in trauma patient
Airway
(*)Degree of burn that is characterized by bone involvement
Fourth
Complications of head trauma
Intracerebral hematoma
Extradural hematoma
Brain abscess
Most common cause of laryngotracheal stenosis
Trauma
Intervention that can help prevent development of acute
renal failure
Infusion of normal saline
A 26-year-old male is resuscitated with blood transfusion
after a motor vehicle collision that was complicated by a
fractured pelvis. A few hours later, the patient becomes
febrile, hypotensive with a normal CVP, and oliguric. Upon
examination, the patient is found to be bleeding from the NG
tube and IV sites. Which of the following is the most likely
diagnosis?
A. Hemorrhagic shock
B. Acute adrenal insufficiency
