Hemorrhage & Emergency Response Flashcards
7 cards from real CFA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Hemorrhage & Emergency Response flashcards as text
When managing a patient with suspected internal hemorrhage after blunt abdominal trauma, which finding is MOST indicative of significant blood loss?
Answer: Tachycardia with hypotension
Tachycardia combined with hypotension is a classic sign of significant internal blood loss indicating compensatory shock.
A patient sustains a femoral artery laceration. After applying direct pressure for 3 minutes, bleeding continues. What is the NEXT appropriate step?
Answer: Apply a tourniquet proximal to the wound
A tourniquet placed proximal to an arterial laceration that fails to respond to direct pressure is the correct escalation to control life-threatening extremity hemorrhage.
Which class of hemorrhagic shock corresponds to a blood loss of 750–1500 mL in a 70 kg adult?
Answer: Class II
Class II hemorrhage represents 15–30% of blood volume loss (approximately 750–1500 mL), typically showing tachycardia but near-normal blood pressure.
During a surgical case, the first assistant notices persistent oozing from a small vessel in the wound bed. The MOST appropriate immediate action is to:
Answer: Apply bipolar electrocautery to the bleeding vessel
Bipolar electrocautery precisely coagulates small vessels with minimal collateral thermal damage, making it the preferred tool for persistent intraoperative oozing.
Which hemostatic agent works by providing a physical scaffold that activates the clotting cascade when applied to a bleeding wound?
Answer: Oxidized regenerated cellulose
Oxidized regenerated cellulose (e.g., Surgicel) acts as a physical matrix that promotes platelet aggregation and activates clotting factors at the wound site.
A tourniquet has been applied to a patient's arm for hemorrhage control. The first assistant notes the time of application is critical because prolonged use beyond how long may cause irreversible limb damage?
Answer: 2 hours
Tourniquet application beyond 2 hours significantly increases the risk of nerve damage, ischemia, and irreversible tissue necrosis.
A 58-year-old patient on warfarin therapy presents with uncontrolled surgical bleeding. Which intervention MOST rapidly reverses anticoagulation?
Answer: Administer 4-factor prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC)
4-factor PCC rapidly replaces vitamin K-dependent clotting factors (II, VII, IX, X) and reverses warfarin anticoagulation within minutes.