Shock Recognition Flashcards
7 cards from real TNCC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Shock Recognition flashcards as text
An unrestrained driver strikes the steering column at high speed and arrives with HR 118, BP 100/70, muffled heart tones, and no breath sounds on the left. The PRIORITY intervention is:
Answer: Needle decompression of the left chest
Absent breath sounds on one side after thoracic trauma indicate tension pneumothorax, which requires immediate needle decompression before other interventions.
Which coagulopathy triad, commonly seen in severe hemorrhagic shock, worsens outcomes and must be aggressively reversed?
Answer: Hypothermia, acidosis, and coagulopathy
The lethal triad of hypothermia, acidosis, and coagulopathy creates a self-reinforcing cycle that dramatically increases mortality in trauma patients.
A trauma patient's BP is 90/60 after 2L of crystalloid. The NEXT BEST step per current TNCC guidelines is:
Answer: Initiate massive transfusion protocol with blood products
Current TNCC guidelines favor balanced resuscitation with blood products (1:1:1 pRBC:FFP:platelets) over continued crystalloid when hemorrhagic shock persists.
Septic shock differs from hemorrhagic shock in that it MOST commonly presents with:
Answer: Warm, flushed skin in early stages
Early septic (distributive) shock causes massive vasodilation, resulting in warm, flushed skin — in contrast to the cool, clammy skin seen in hemorrhagic shock.
Which of the following is the PRIMARY mechanism of shock in a patient with a massive pulmonary embolism?
Answer: Obstruction of right ventricular outflow causing obstructive shock
Massive PE obstructs right ventricular outflow, increases right heart afterload, reduces cardiac output, and causes obstructive shock.
When assessing a trauma patient for early signs of shock, which combination of findings suggests compensated shock?
Answer: Normal BP, tachycardia, anxiety, and narrowed pulse pressure
In compensated shock, BP is maintained by compensatory vasoconstriction (narrowed pulse pressure) and increased heart rate, while the patient remains anxious.
Which trauma mechanism is MOST likely to cause neurogenic shock?
Answer: Penetrating injury to the cervical spinal cord
Cervical spinal cord injuries disrupt descending sympathetic pathways, causing loss of vascular tone and the classic presentation of neurogenic shock.