Trauma Management & Intervention Flashcards
7 cards from real CPR practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Trauma Management & Intervention flashcards as text
A paramedic suspects cardiac tamponade following a stab wound to the chest. Which triad of findings supports this diagnosis?
Answer: Hypotension, muffled heart sounds, and jugular venous distension (Beck's triad)
Beck's triad — hypotension, muffled heart sounds, and JVD — classically indicates cardiac tamponade caused by blood accumulation in the pericardial sac.
When performing a needle thoracostomy for tension pneumothorax, the traditional landmark on a male adult is:
Answer: 2nd intercostal space, midclavicular line, above the 3rd rib
The classic landmark is the 2nd ICS at the midclavicular line, inserting just above the 3rd rib to avoid the neurovascular bundle running below each rib.
A trauma patient has a GCS of 8 and active facial bleeding. After cervical spine precautions, what is the priority airway intervention?
Answer: Rapid sequence intubation (RSI) with in-line stabilization
GCS ≤8 with active airway compromise requires definitive airway management; RSI with manual in-line stabilization allows intubation while protecting the cervical spine.
Which burn pattern is most consistent with non-accidental trauma (abuse) in a pediatric patient?
Answer: Symmetrical scald burns with a distinct tide line on bilateral lower extremities
Forcible immersion scalds produce symmetrical, sharply demarcated burns with a tide line, inconsistent with accidental splash injuries, and are a hallmark of inflicted burns.
A patient sustained blunt abdominal trauma and now has referred pain to the left shoulder while supine. This finding most suggests:
Answer: Splenic laceration causing diaphragmatic irritation (Kehr's sign)
Kehr's sign is left shoulder pain caused by blood irritating the left hemidiaphragm from splenic injury, mediated by the phrenic nerve (C3-C5).
The 'load and go' philosophy is most appropriate for which trauma patient?
Answer: Patient with penetrating abdominal injury, GCS 12, and hypotension not responding to initial fluids
Penetrating abdominal injury with hemodynamic instability unresponsive to initial resuscitation requires immediate surgical intervention, making rapid transport the priority.
A construction worker fell 20 feet and presents with midshaft femur fracture. Estimated blood loss into the thigh can be as high as:
Answer: 1,000–1,500 mL
A closed midshaft femur fracture can sequester 1,000–1,500 mL of blood into the thigh compartment, representing a significant hemorrhagic risk.