Musculoskeletal and Surface Trauma Flashcards
6 cards from real TNCC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Musculoskeletal and Surface Trauma flashcards as text
A patient with a closed femur fracture is at risk for significant hemorrhage. The estimated blood loss from a single femur fracture is approximately:
Answer: 1,000-1,500 mL
A closed femur fracture can result in 1,000-1,500 mL of blood loss into the thigh compartment, representing a significant source of hemorrhagic shock.
A trauma patient presents with a pale, cool, pulseless right lower leg after a knee dislocation. The nurse's priority is:
Answer: Notify the physician immediately for emergent vascular assessment — limb-threatening vascular injury is likely
A pulseless extremity after knee dislocation suggests popliteal artery injury, which occurs in 20-40% of knee dislocations. This is a limb-threatening emergency requiring immediate intervention.
The six P's of compartment syndrome include all of the following EXCEPT:
Answer: Purulent drainage
The six P's of compartment syndrome are Pain (out of proportion), Pressure (tense compartment), Paresthesia, Paralysis, Pallor, and Pulselessness. Purulent drainage is a sign of infection, not compartment syndrome.
A patient has a degloving injury of the forearm with significant soft tissue loss. The appropriate wound management includes:
Answer: Wound irrigation, debridement of devitalized tissue, moist sterile dressing, and surgical consultation
Degloving injuries require thorough irrigation, careful debridement of nonviable tissue, moist sterile dressings to protect the wound bed, and surgical consultation for definitive management.
Which splinting principle is MOST important when immobilizing a fractured extremity?
Answer: Splint the joint above and below the fracture site
Proper splinting requires immobilizing the joint above and the joint below the fracture site to prevent movement at the fracture and reduce pain, bleeding, and further injury.
A patient with an open (compound) fracture of the tibia has bone protruding through the skin. Which action should the nurse avoid?
Answer: Pushing the bone back beneath the skin surface
Exposed bone should never be pushed back into the wound, as this introduces skin flora and environmental contaminants into the deep tissues and bone, increasing the risk of osteomyelitis.