Trauma Management & Injury Care Flashcards

A snowboarder sustains a wrist injury after falling on an outstretched hand. The anatomical snuffbox is tender on palpation. You should suspect:

Answer: Scaphoid fracture

Tenderness in the anatomical snuffbox after a FOOSH mechanism is the classic sign of a scaphoid fracture, which requires splinting and X-ray.

During a head-to-toe assessment of a trauma patient, you note Battle's sign. This finding suggests:

Answer: Posterior skull base (basilar skull) fracture

Battle's sign (ecchymosis over the mastoid process) is a late indicator of basilar skull fracture and indicates significant head trauma.

A patient with a suspected spinal injury in the wilderness has clear, urgent airway compromise. You should:

Answer: Use a jaw-thrust maneuver while a second rescuer maintains in-line stabilization

Airway management is always the priority; the jaw-thrust with in-line stabilization addresses both the airway and spinal precautions simultaneously.

You are treating a patient for a traumatic amputation of two fingers. After controlling hemorrhage, the amputated parts should be:

Answer: Wrapped in a dry sterile dressing and placed in a sealed bag kept cool but not frozen

Amputated parts are wrapped dry (not wet) to prevent maceration and placed in a cool container — direct ice contact causes freeze injury to tissues.

A mountain rescue patient has a sucking chest wound. After applying a vented chest seal, the patient's condition deteriorates rapidly with increasing respiratory distress. Your next step is:

Answer: Burp or temporarily lift the seal to release pressure (needle decompression if trained)

Deterioration after sealing a chest wound suggests a developing tension pneumothorax; burping the seal or needle decompression relieves trapped air.

Which of the following splinting materials provides the MOST rigid immobilization in a backcountry setting?

Answer: Traction splint for a femur fracture

A traction splint provides rigid mechanical traction and immobilization specifically designed for femur fractures, superior to improvised materials.

A patient struck by a falling tree branch presents with ecchymosis over the flank and complaint of left upper quadrant pain radiating to the left shoulder. You suspect:

Answer: Splenic injury with Kehr's sign

Kehr's sign is referred left shoulder pain caused by diaphragmatic irritation from blood pooling beneath it due to splenic injury.