Trauma and Shock Management Flashcards
7 cards from real AEMCA 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 and Shock Management flashcards as text
A patient is found unresponsive after a high-speed MVA. During your rapid trauma assessment you note distended neck veins, absent breath sounds on the left, and hypotension. Which condition does this triad most suggest?
Answer: Tension pneumothorax
Tension pneumothorax classically presents with absent breath sounds on the affected side, jugular venous distension, hypotension, and tracheal deviation.
During a scene size-up of an industrial accident, you note a worker with a large open wound to the thigh with arterial spurting. After BSI, what is your immediate priority?
Answer: Apply a tourniquet proximal to the wound
Arterial hemorrhage from an extremity requires immediate tourniquet application to control life-threatening bleeding before any other intervention.
Which type of shock is most commonly associated with a cervical spinal cord injury at C5?
Answer: Neurogenic shock
High cervical cord injuries disrupt sympathetic tone, causing vasodilation and bradycardia — the hallmarks of neurogenic shock.
A patient in compensated hemorrhagic shock will most likely demonstrate which early sign?
Answer: Tachycardia with normal blood pressure
In compensated shock the body maintains blood pressure through tachycardia and vasoconstriction, so tachycardia is the earliest reliable indicator.
When performing needle decompression for suspected tension pneumothorax, which landmark is the preferred insertion site?
Answer: 2nd intercostal space, midclavicular line
The 2nd intercostal space at the midclavicular line is the standard landmark for needle decompression to avoid neurovascular bundles and major vessels.
You are treating a patient with blunt abdominal trauma who is hypotensive. Which organ is statistically most commonly injured in blunt abdominal trauma?
Answer: Spleen
The spleen is the most commonly injured solid organ in blunt abdominal trauma due to its location, vascularity, and fragile capsule.
A patient with penetrating chest trauma has a sucking chest wound. After sealing it with a vented chest seal, the patient deteriorates with worsening hypotension and absent breath sounds on the same side. What should you do next?
Answer: Burp or remove the seal to release trapped air
Deterioration after sealing a sucking chest wound suggests developing tension pneumothorax; burping or removing the seal allows trapped air to escape.