Free ITLS Adult Basic Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In a rear-impact motor vehicle crash, which area of the spine is most susceptible to injury?
- Cervical (Correct answer)
- Thoracic
- Lumbar
- Sacral-coccygeal
Correct answer: Cervical
Explanation: <br> The sudden increase in acceleration produces posterior displacement of the occupants and possible hyperextension of the cervical spine if the headrest is not properly adjusted. The potential for cervical spine injuries is great.
Question 2: Prolonged scene times may reflect:
- A decrease in death rates
- Delivery of better care
- Accomplishment of interventions
- Ineffective team collaboration (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Ineffective team collaboration
Explanation: <br> When immediate interventions are needed, delegate them to your team members while you continue the assessment. This is an important concept that immediately addresses problems encountered and yet does not interrupt the assessment sequence and does not increase scene time. Teamwork is essential to good patient outcomes.
Question 3: Which of the following indicates a state of hyperventilation?
- An adult respiratory rate greater than 20 per minute
- A tidal volume of less than 400 mL
- An oxygen saturation greater than 94%
- An end-tidal carbon dioxide level less than 30 mmHg (Correct answer)
Correct answer: An end-tidal carbon dioxide level less than 30 mmHg
Explanation: <br> A carbon dioxide level below 35 mmHg indicates hyperventilation.
Question 4: A 54-year-old male is involved in a motor vehicle collision. The steering wheel is bent. During your initial assessment, you note his skin is pale, radial pulses are present, and breath sounds are clear. The patient is tender over his sternum and complains of chest pain. Which intrathoracic injury should you suspect given the above findings?
- Cardiac contusion (Correct answer)
- Traumatic aortic rupture
- Flail chest
- Tension pneumothorax
Correct answer: Cardiac contusion
Explanation: <br> Bruising of the heart is basically the same injury as an acute myocardial infarction.
Question 5: Which of the following is considered one of the four essential components to maintain normal perfusion?
- Serum lactate levels
- ETCO2 levels
- SaO2 levels
- Fluid levels (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Fluid levels
Explanation: <br> It is important to remember that blood pressure requires a “steady state” activity of all the preceding factors. The heart must be pumping, the blood volume must be adequate, the blood vessels must be intact, and the lungs must be oxygenating the blood.
Question 6: As intracerebral pressure rises after an isolated head injury, what does the systolic blood pressure do?
- Stays the same
- Decreases
- Increases (Correct answer)
- Changes randomly
Correct answer: Increases
Explanation: <br> When the ICP increases, the systemic blood pressure increases to try to preserve blood flow to the brain. The body senses the rise in systemic blood pressure, and this triggers a drop in the pulse rate as the body tries to lower the systemic blood pressure
Question 7: Which of the following mechanisms of injury does not commonly cause damage to the spinal cord?
- Hyperextension
- Hyperflexion
- Lateral stress (Correct answer)
- Compression
Correct answer: Lateral stress
Explanation: <br> Certain mechanisms of trauma can overcome the protective properties, injuring the spinal column and cord. The most common mechanisms are hyperextension, hyperflexion, compression, and rotation. Less commonly, lateral stress or distraction will injure the cord.
Question 8: When performing the ITLS Primary Survey, the team leader may minimize errors by:
- Performing all interventions
- Limiting crew roles
- Permitting the crew to continue the assessment
- Delegating interventions (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Delegating interventions
Explanation: <br> This team approach makes the most efficient use of time and allows you to rapidly perform the initial assessment without becoming distracted by performing the necessary interventions yourself, which can interrupt your thought process and cause errors.
Question 9: You have placed an NPA in your patient and now observe mild hemorrhage from the nares. You should:
- Immediately remove the NPA and pack the nose with gauze
- Immediately remove the NPA and reinsert it on the opposite nare
- Leave the NPA in place so as not to disturb the clot or reactivate bleeding (Correct answer)
- Contact medical control as an NPA will not cause hemorrhage
Correct answer: Leave the NPA in place so as not to disturb the clot or reactivate bleeding
Explanation: <br> Mild hemorrhage from the nose after insertion of the airway is not an indication to remove it. In fact, it is probably better to keep an NPA in place so as not to disturb the clot or reactivate the bleeding
Question 10: A 27-year-old male with blunt chest trauma from a motor vehicle collision was successfully intubated at the scene. While ventilating the patient, you note resistance with an absence of right chest wall movement. You should suspect a:
- Flail chest
- Gastric distention
- Mucus obstruction
- Tension pneumothorax (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Tension pneumothorax
Explanation: <br> The development of decreased lung compliance (difficulty in squeezing the bag-mask device) in the intubated patient should always alert you to the possibility of a tension pneumothorax.
Question 11: Which of the following assessment findings is associated with neurogenic shock?
- Increased pulse, cool clammy skin
- Increased pulse, normal skin color, and temperature
- Decreased pulse, cool clammy skin
- Decreased pulse, normal skin color, and temperature (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Decreased pulse, normal skin color, and temperature
Explanation: <br> A lack of catecholamine release prevents tachycardia, pallor, and sweating. Instead, vasodilation will cause decreased blood pressure, the heart rate will remain normal, or slow and the skin will remain pink, warm, and dry.
Free ITLS Adult Basic Questions and Answers 1
In a rear-impact motor vehicle crash, which area of the spine is most susceptible to injury?