Trauma & Emergency Surgery Flashcards
7 cards from real CST 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 & Emergency Surgery flashcards as text
A blunt trauma patient with hemodynamic instability and a FAST exam positive for free fluid most likely requires:
Answer: Immediate operative intervention (exploratory laparotomy)
A hemodynamically unstable trauma patient with positive FAST (free intraperitoneal fluid) requires immediate surgical exploration without delay for CT imaging.
Which suture is most appropriate for rapid fascial closure during damage control surgery when a planned re-exploration is anticipated?
Answer: Running #1 looped PDS or nylon (Smead-Jones)
Running looped PDS or nylon in a mass closure technique provides rapid, strong fascial closure while allowing reopening for planned re-exploration.
During an emergency splenectomy for trauma, the scrub tech should anticipate ligation of which vessel first to control hemorrhage?
Answer: Splenic artery at the splenic hilum
Early ligation of the splenic artery at the hilum reduces inflow and blood loss, making the splenectomy safer and faster.
A trauma patient requiring emergency exploratory laparotomy is found to have a bowel injury with gross contamination. The initial damage control decision is to:
Answer: Resect the injured bowel and leave ends stapled, defer anastomosis
In damage control, injured bowel is resected and stapled closed (discontinuity resection) without anastomosis; reconstruction is deferred until the patient is stabilized.
Which blood product is given FIRST in a massive transfusion protocol (MTP) for trauma?
Answer: Packed red blood cells (pRBCs) with concurrent FFP in a 1:1 ratio
Massive transfusion protocols use balanced resuscitation with pRBCs and FFP (and platelets) in a 1:1:1 ratio to prevent coagulopathy while replacing volume.
The Zone III of retroperitoneal hematoma in blunt trauma is located in the:
Answer: Pelvic (infraperitoneal) region
Zone III retroperitoneal hematomas are pelvic in origin, typically from pelvic fractures, and are generally managed non-operatively or with angioembolization.
During an emergency cesarean section performed for maternal trauma, the scrub tech should anticipate which additional team being present in the OR?
Answer: Neonatal resuscitation team
A neonatal resuscitation team (NICU nurses and neonatologist) must be present in the OR during emergency cesarean section to immediately manage the potentially compromised neonate.