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 victim of a blast injury presents with tympanic membrane rupture and no other obvious injuries. This finding is most significant because:
Answer: It is a marker for primary blast injury affecting hollow organs such as the bowel and lungs
Tympanic membrane rupture from overpressure is a reliable indicator of primary blast injury and warrants evaluation for pulmonary blast injury and hollow viscus injuries.
Which of the following best describes the role of tranexamic acid (TXA) in trauma care?
Answer: It inhibits fibrinolysis to prevent clot breakdown, reducing mortality when given within 3 hours of injury
TXA is an antifibrinolytic agent proven by the CRASH-2 trial to reduce mortality in traumatic hemorrhage when administered within 3 hours of injury.
A patient is found unconscious after a motorcycle crash. Which factor alone justifies full spinal motion restriction?
Answer: Distracting injury with midline cervical tenderness on palpation
Midline cervical spine tenderness combined with a distracting injury meets NEXUS criteria for spinal motion restriction because reliable clinical clearance is not possible.
A patient with suspected traumatic aortic injury presents with upper extremity hypertension and lower extremity pulse deficits. This pattern occurs because:
Answer: A pseudoaneurysm or aortic tear proximal to the diaphragm obstructs flow to the descending aorta
Traumatic aortic disruption near the ligamentum arteriosum creates a partial obstruction that elevates pressure proximal (upper extremities) and reduces it distally (lower extremities).
During a mass casualty incident (MCI), a victim is found apneic. After repositioning the airway, the patient remains apneic. Using START triage, this patient is categorized as:
Answer: Black (expectant/deceased)
In START triage, a patient who remains apneic after one airway repositioning maneuver is categorized as Black — expectant or deceased — to preserve resources for salvageable patients.
Which assessment correctly identifies a Class III hemorrhagic shock presentation?
Answer: Blood loss 1,500–2,000 mL, heart rate >120 bpm, decreased pulse pressure, and altered mental status
Class III hemorrhage involves 30–40% blood volume loss (~1,500–2,000 mL), producing marked tachycardia, decreased pulse pressure, and confusion from cerebral hypoperfusion.
When treating an open pneumothorax (sucking chest wound), the current evidence-based prehospital standard is to:
Answer: Apply a vented (3-sided) chest seal or commercially vented dressing
A vented chest seal allows air to escape on exhalation while preventing air entrainment on inspiration, reducing the risk of converting an open pneumothorax to a tension pneumothorax.