ATC Acute Care 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An athlete sustains a suspected cervical spine injury and is unresponsive. What is the FIRST priority?
- Remove the helmet immediately
- Establish an airway while maintaining cervical spine stabilization (Correct answer)
- Check for extremity movement
- Apply a cervical collar
Correct answer: Establish an airway while maintaining cervical spine stabilization
Airway management takes priority in an unresponsive athlete while maintaining inline cervical spine stabilization to prevent further injury.
Question 2: Which type of shock is characterized by vasodilation and hypotension following a severe allergic reaction?
- Hypovolemic shock
- Cardiogenic shock
- Anaphylactic shock (Correct answer)
- Neurogenic shock
Correct answer: Anaphylactic shock
Anaphylactic shock results from a severe allergic response causing widespread vasodilation, histamine release, and potentially life-threatening hypotension.
Question 3: When assessing a potentially fractured long bone, the athletic trainer notes point tenderness, deformity, and crepitus. The next step should be:
- Have the athlete walk to the sideline
- Perform a stress test
- Immobilize the limb and refer for imaging (Correct answer)
- Apply heat to reduce swelling
Correct answer: Immobilize the limb and refer for imaging
Suspected fractures should be immobilized in the position found and referred for radiographic imaging to confirm diagnosis and rule out displacement.
Question 4: An athlete with heat exhaustion should be treated by:
- Ice bath immersion immediately
- Moving to a cool environment and oral rehydration if conscious (Correct answer)
- Applying only cold packs to the neck
- Returning to play after 10 minutes of rest
Correct answer: Moving to a cool environment and oral rehydration if conscious
Heat exhaustion treatment involves moving the athlete to a cool environment, removing excess clothing, and providing oral fluids if they are conscious and able to swallow.
Question 5: The 'golden hour' concept in trauma care refers to:
- The time to perform all orthopedic tests
- The critical window for definitive care to optimize survival outcomes (Correct answer)
- The 60 minutes allowed before returning to play
- The duration of an ice application
Correct answer: The critical window for definitive care to optimize survival outcomes
The golden hour represents the critical period after a traumatic injury during which prompt medical intervention significantly improves the chance of survival.
Question 6: What is the primary concern when splinting a lower leg fracture in the field?
- Reducing the fracture before splinting
- Immobilizing the joint above and below the fracture site (Correct answer)
- Applying a compression wrap tightly
- Ensuring the athlete can bear weight
Correct answer: Immobilizing the joint above and below the fracture site
Proper field splinting requires immobilizing the joints proximal and distal to the fracture to prevent movement at the injury site.
Question 7: A football player is found unresponsive on the field with no breathing. The athletic trainer should:
- Wait for EMS before beginning CPR
- Begin CPR at a ratio of 30 compressions to 2 breaths (Correct answer)
- Only perform rescue breaths
- Remove all equipment before starting care
Correct answer: Begin CPR at a ratio of 30 compressions to 2 breaths
CPR should be initiated immediately using a 30:2 compression-to-ventilation ratio while EMS is activated and an AED is retrieved.
ATC Acute Care 2
An athlete sustains a suspected cervical spine injury and is unresponsive.
What is the FIRST priority?