Trauma 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 Management flashcards as text
A motorcyclist ejected at high speed has bruising across the flank and a rigid abdomen. Which organ injury is most suspected?
Answer: Splenic laceration
Flank bruising (Grey Turner's sign), combined with peritoneal signs, strongly suggests splenic laceration, the most commonly injured solid organ in blunt abdominal trauma.
After needle decompression of a tension pneumothorax, the patient's condition does not improve. What is the next step?
Answer: Perform a finger thoracostomy
If needle decompression fails to relieve tension pneumothorax, a finger thoracostomy provides a definitive prehospital decompression by creating an open chest wall opening.
Which mechanism is associated with a Chance fracture of the lumbar spine?
Answer: Lap belt restraint in a high-speed MVC
A Chance fracture is a flexion-distraction injury associated with lap belt use during high-speed collisions, causing the vertebra to split horizontally.
In the context of traumatic cardiac arrest, which reversible cause should be addressed first?
Answer: Tension pneumothorax
Tension pneumothorax is the most rapidly correctable cause of traumatic cardiac arrest and should be immediately decompressed bilaterally during resuscitation.
A patient struck by a vehicle has anterior neck ecchymosis, hoarseness, and subcutaneous emphysema. What is the priority intervention?
Answer: Early definitive airway via RSI
Laryngeal fracture can rapidly progress to complete airway obstruction; early RSI or surgical airway is indicated before edema eliminates the airway.
Which finding best differentiates a hemothorax from a tension pneumothorax in a trauma patient?
Answer: Dull percussion on the affected side
Dull percussion on the affected side indicates fluid (hemothorax), while tension pneumothorax produces hyperresonance due to air accumulation.
What is the target end-tidal CO2 range for a ventilated traumatic brain injury patient without signs of herniation?
Answer: 35–45 mmHg
Normocapnia (ETCO2 35–45 mmHg) is the target for TBI patients to avoid secondary injury from hypocapnia-induced vasoconstriction or hypercapnia-induced vasodilation.