Pediatric Trauma Flashcards
7 cards from real TNCC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning โ missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Pediatric Trauma flashcards as text
An 8-year-old pedestrian struck by a vehicle presents with lower extremity fractures and an altered level of consciousness. This injury pattern is best described by which eponym?
Answer: Waddell's triad
Waddell's triad describes the classic pediatric pedestrian injury pattern: lower extremity fracture, thoracoabdominal injury, and head injury.
Which of the following is the most reliable indicator of adequate fluid resuscitation in a pediatric trauma patient?
Answer: Urine output of 1 mL/kg/hr
Urine output of 1 mL/kg/hr indicates adequate renal perfusion and is the most reliable ongoing indicator of resuscitation adequacy in pediatric patients.
A 4-year-old with suspected non-accidental trauma has a spiral fracture of the humerus. What additional finding would most increase suspicion for child abuse?
Answer: Injuries in various stages of healing
Multiple injuries in various stages of healing on a child is a hallmark indicator of repeated inflicted trauma and strongly suggests non-accidental injury.
In pediatric trauma, which location is preferred for intraosseous (IO) access when IV access cannot be rapidly established?
Answer: Proximal tibia
The proximal tibia is the preferred primary IO site in children due to the large, flat, easily palpable surface and thin cortex.
A 10-year-old with significant thoracic trauma develops absent breath sounds on the left and tracheal deviation to the right. The immediate priority intervention is:
Answer: Needle decompression of the left chest
Tension pneumothorax is a clinical diagnosis requiring immediate needle decompression; delaying for imaging risks rapid cardiovascular collapse.
Which Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) modification is used when assessing verbal response in pre-verbal infants in pediatric trauma?
Answer: A pediatric GCS replaces coos/babble with age-appropriate speech
A modified pediatric GCS replaces verbal responses with age-appropriate criteria such as cooing, babbling, and crying to account for developmental language ability.
A 6-year-old is intubated after head trauma with a GCS of 7. Which endotracheal tube size is most appropriate using the standard age-based formula?
Answer: 5.0 mm cuffed
For a 6-year-old, the formula (age/4) + 4 = 5.5, but current PALS guidelines recommend cuffed tubes; (age/4) + 3.5 = 5.0 mm cuffed is appropriate.