Trauma Care Flashcards
7 cards from real CPEN 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 Care flashcards as text
A 3-year-old presents with bilateral black eyes (raccoon eyes) and clear fluid from the nose after a fall. What injury should be suspected?
Answer: Basilar skull fracture
Raccoon eyes and CSF rhinorrhea are classic signs of a basilar skull fracture.
Which is the preferred initial fluid resuscitation volume for hemorrhagic shock in a pediatric trauma patient?
Answer: 20 mL/kg isotonic crystalloid
ATLS and pediatric trauma guidelines recommend 20 mL/kg of isotonic crystalloid as the initial fluid bolus for hemorrhagic shock.
A 12-year-old hit by a car is combative, tachycardic, and has absent breath sounds on the left. After needle decompression, a chest tube is placed. The MOST common complication of chest tube insertion in children is:
Answer: Tube malposition
Tube malposition (too shallow, too deep, or kinked) is the most common complication of chest tube insertion in pediatric patients.
Pediatric trauma patients are at higher risk for hypothermia than adults primarily because:
Answer: They have a larger body surface area relative to body mass
Children have a higher ratio of body surface area to mass, leading to rapid heat loss and greater risk of hypothermia.
A 6-year-old sustained a stab wound to the right upper quadrant. On FAST exam, free fluid is noted in Morrison's pouch. This finding indicates:
Answer: Hemoperitoneum
Free fluid in Morrison's pouch (hepatorenal space) on FAST exam represents hemoperitoneum until proven otherwise.
Which of the following is the MOST reliable early sign of shock in a pediatric trauma patient?
Answer: Tachycardia
Tachycardia is the earliest and most sensitive sign of shock in children because they compensate by increasing heart rate before blood pressure falls.
When using the Broselow tape for a pediatric trauma patient, what does it primarily estimate?
Answer: Weight-based drug doses and equipment sizes
The Broselow tape uses the child's length to estimate weight and provide color-coded drug dosing and equipment size recommendations.