Trauma Assessment and Management Flashcards
7 cards from real Paramedics Exam 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 Assessment and Management flashcards as text
A patient has a sucking chest wound. After applying a vented chest seal, the patient's condition deteriorates with increasing respiratory distress and hypotension. The next step is:
Answer: Remove or burp the chest seal and reassess for tension pneumothorax
Deterioration after chest seal application suggests conversion to tension pneumothorax; temporarily lifting (burping) the seal releases trapped air and is the first response.
Which pediatric anatomical difference is MOST important to consider when managing a child's airway after blunt head trauma?
Answer: The occiput is proportionally larger, causing passive neck flexion when supine
A child's large occiput causes the head to flex forward when supine, potentially obstructing the airway; a padding roll under the shoulders maintains a neutral position.
In a patient with suspected spinal injury who is combative and cannot be immobilized safely, the best approach is:
Answer: Use chemical restraint and then immobilize once sedated
Chemical restraint followed by appropriate spinal motion restriction is safer than forceful immobilization, which can cause additional injury to both patient and providers.
Which wound characteristic from a gunshot wound BEST indicates a high-velocity (rifle) injury versus a low-velocity (handgun) injury?
Answer: Large irregular exit wound with significant surrounding tissue destruction
High-velocity rounds transfer far more kinetic energy, creating a temporary cavity and causing large, irregular exit wounds with extensive tissue damage.
A construction worker fell onto an impaled rebar through his thigh. Prehospital management of the impaled object should be:
Answer: Stabilize it in place and control bleeding around it
Impaled objects should never be removed in the field; they are stabilized in place because removal can cause massive uncontrolled hemorrhage.
The revised trauma score (RTS) is calculated using which three parameters?
Answer: Glasgow Coma Scale, systolic blood pressure, and respiratory rate
The RTS combines GCS, systolic blood pressure, and respiratory rate, each coded and weighted to produce a score that correlates with survival probability.
A patient with a crush injury to the lower extremities is trapped for 4 hours and has just been extricated. The PRIMARY concern during initial assessment is:
Answer: Reperfusion-related hyperkalemia causing cardiac dysrhythmia
Crush syndrome releases potassium and myoglobin from damaged muscle; upon reperfusion, sudden hyperkalemia can cause life-threatening cardiac dysrhythmias.