ATLS Pretest Questions And Answers
Question 1: A 22-year-old man is hypotensive and
tachycardic after a shotgun wound to the left shoulder. His blood pressure is initially 80/40 mm Hg. After initial fluid resuscitation his blood pressure increases to 122/84 mm Hg.His heart rate is now 100 beats per minute and his respiratory rate is 28 breaths per minute. A tube thoracostomy is performed for decreased left chest breath sounds with the return of a small amount of blood and no air leak. After chest
tube insertion, the most appropriate next step is:
CORRECT ANSWER : re-examine the chest
Question 2: A construction worker falls two stories from a
building and sustains bilateral calcaneal fractures. In the emergency department, he is alert, vital signs are normal, and he is complaining of severe pain in both heels and his lower back. Lower extremity pulses are strong and there is no other deformity. The suspected diagnosis is most likely to be
confirmed by:
CORRECT ANSWER : complete spine x-ray series
Question 3: Which of the following is true regarding the
initial resuscitation of a trauma patient?
CORRECT ANSWER : Evidence of improved perfusion after
fluid resuscitation could include improvement in Glasgow Coma Scale score on reevaluation.
Question 4: In managing a patient with a severe traumatic
brain injury, the most important initial step is to:
CORRECT ANSWER : secure the airway
Question 5: A previously healthy, 70-kg (154-pound) man
suffers an estimated acute blood loss of 2 liters. Which one of the following statements applies to this patient?
CORRECT ANSWER : An ABG would demonstrate a base
deficit between -6 and -10 mEq/L.
Question 6: The physiological hypervolemia of pregnancy has
clinical significance in the management of the severely
injured, gravid woman by:
CORRECT ANSWER : increasing the volume of blood loss to
produce maternal hypotension
Question 7: The best assessment of fluid resuscitation of the
adult burn patient is:
CORRECT ANSWER : urinary output of 0.5 mL/kg/hr
Question 8: The diagnosis of shock must include:
CORRECT ANSWER : evidence of inadequate organ
perfusion
Question 9: A 7-year-old boy is brought to the emergency
department by his parents several minutes after he fell through a window. He is bleeding profusely from a 6-cm
wound of his medial right thigh. Immediate management of
the wound should consist of:
CORRECT ANSWER : direct pressure on the wound
Question 10: For the patient with severe traumatic brain
injury, profound hypocarbia should be avoided to prevent:
CORRECT ANSWER : cerebral vasoconstriction with
diminished perfusion
Question 11: After being involved in a motor vehicle crash, a
25-year-old man is brought to a hospital that has surgery capabilities available. Computed tomography of the chest and abdomen shows an aortic injury and splenic laceration with free abdominal fluid. His blood pressure falls to 70 mm Hg