Core Content and Skills Flashcards
7 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 7 Core Content and Skills flashcards as text
Which organ is most commonly injured in blunt abdominal trauma?
Answer: Spleen
The spleen is the most commonly injured solid organ in blunt abdominal trauma due to its fragility, vascularity, and subcostal location.
A 35-year-old female trauma patient is 28 weeks pregnant. Where should the uterine fundus be displaced to optimize maternal cardiac output?
Answer: Left lateral displacement
Manual left uterine displacement or left lateral tilt relieves aortocaval compression by the gravid uterus, optimizing venous return and cardiac output.
In a pediatric trauma patient, which vital sign finding is most indicative of decompensated shock?
Answer: Hypotension with mottled skin and altered mentation
Children compensate well with tachycardia; hypotension is a late and ominous sign indicating decompensated shock requiring immediate aggressive intervention.
What is the purpose of a damage control laparotomy (DCL) in trauma surgery?
Answer: Control hemorrhage and contamination, then temporarily close for ICU resuscitation
DCL limits operative time to hemorrhage and contamination control, then the patient goes to the ICU for resuscitation before planned re-exploration.
A patient involved in a blast injury presents with tympanic membrane rupture, pulmonary contusions, and air emboli. Which phase of blast injury does this represent?
Answer: Primary blast injury from pressure wave
Primary blast injury results from the overpressure wave affecting air-filled structures like the ears, lungs, and GI tract.
When using the Parkland formula for burn resuscitation in a trauma patient, what fluid is administered in the first 8 hours?
Answer: Half of the 24-hour Lactated Ringer's total, calculated from the time of the burn
The Parkland formula delivers 4 mL/kg/%TBSA of LR over 24 hours, with half given in the first 8 hours calculated from the time of the burn (not arrival).
Which intervention is a priority in the care of a trauma patient with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) to prevent secondary brain injury?
Answer: Maintain SpO2 ≥95% and prevent hypotension (SBP <90 mmHg)
Preventing secondary brain injury requires avoiding hypoxia (SpO2 <90%) and hypotension (SBP <90 mmHg), both of which dramatically worsen TBI outcomes.