Abdominal and Pelvic Trauma Flashcards
7 cards from real PHTLS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Abdominal and Pelvic Trauma flashcards as text
Kehr's sign, which is referred pain to the left shoulder, is classically associated with injury to which organ?
Answer: Spleen
Kehr's sign occurs when blood from a splenic injury irritates the diaphragm, causing referred pain along the phrenic nerve to the left shoulder.
A 32-year-old pregnant trauma patient (28 weeks) is hypotensive after an MVC. After airway management, the MOST important positioning intervention is:
Answer: Left lateral tilt of 15–30 degrees
Left lateral tilt relieves aortocaval compression by the gravid uterus, improving venous return and cardiac output.
Which mechanism of injury is MOST associated with pancreatic trauma?
Answer: Bicycle handlebar injury to the epigastrium
Handlebar injuries deliver a focused compressive force to the epigastrium, crushing the pancreas against the lumbar spine.
When estimating blood loss from a pelvic fracture, which statement is MOST accurate?
Answer: Open-book pelvic fractures can result in 2–4 liters of blood loss
Open-book pelvic fractures dramatically increase pelvic volume, allowing hemorrhage of 2–4 liters into the retroperitoneal space.
A patient with blunt abdominal trauma has gross hematuria. This finding MOST likely indicates injury to which structure?
Answer: Urinary tract (kidney, ureter, or bladder)
Gross hematuria following trauma is a hallmark indicator of urinary tract injury, most commonly involving the kidneys or bladder.
In PHTLS, the preferred approach to fluid resuscitation in a patient with suspected intra-abdominal hemorrhage and a palpable radial pulse is:
Answer: Permissive hypotension, targeting a systolic BP of 80–90 mmHg
Permissive hypotension (SBP 80–90 mmHg) is preferred to avoid diluting clotting factors and disrupting forming clots before surgical hemorrhage control.
Which physical exam finding is the LEAST reliable in evaluating abdominal trauma in an intoxicated patient?
Answer: Abdominal tenderness on palpation
Alcohol and drugs blunt pain perception, making abdominal tenderness an unreliable sign in intoxicated trauma patients.
How this page was made: written with AI tools and published by Nathan Beja, founder of Practice Test Geeks, who is responsible for its content. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy
Sources & references
Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy