Extremity trauma and vascular injuries — MCQs

A 21-year-old man presents to the emergency department after sustaining a stab wound to the neck at a local farmer's market. The patient is otherwise healthy and is complaining of pain. The patient is able to offer the history himself. His temperature is 97.6°F (36.4°C), blood pressure is 120/84 mmHg, pulse is 90/min, respirations are 15/min, and oxygen saturation is 98% on room air. Physical exam demonstrates a 3 cm laceration 1 cm inferior to the mastoid process on the right side. The patient's breath sounds are clear and he is protecting his airway. No stridor or difficulty breathing is noted. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in the management of this patient?

A 22-year-old man presents to the emergency department after being tackled in a game of football. The patient was hit from behind and fell to the ground. After the event, he complained of severe pain in his knee. The patient has a past medical history of anabolic steroid use. His current medications include whey protein supplements, multivitamins, and fish oil. His temperature is 99.5°F (37.5°C), blood pressure is 137/68 mmHg, pulse is 100/min, respirations are 17/min, and oxygen saturation is 98% on room air. On physical exam, you see a muscular young man clutching his knee in pain. The knee is inflamed and erythematous. When valgus stress is applied to the leg, there is some laxity when compared to the contralateral leg. The patient is requesting surgery for his injury. Arthrocentesis is performed and demonstrates no abnormalities of the synovial fluid. Which of the following physical exam findings is most likely to be seen in this patient?

A 45-year-old man was a driver in a motor vehicle collision. The patient is not able to offer a medical history during initial presentation. His temperature is 97.6°F (36.4°C), blood pressure is 104/74 mmHg, pulse is 150/min, respirations are 12/min, and oxygen saturation is 98% on room air. On exam, he does not open his eyes, he withdraws to pain, and he makes incomprehensible sounds. He has obvious signs of trauma to the chest and abdomen. His abdomen is distended and markedly tender to palpation. He also has an obvious open deformity of the left femur. What is the best initial step in management?

A 27-year-old male presents to the Emergency Room as a code trauma after being shot in the neck. En route, the patient's blood pressure is 127/73 mmHg, pulse is 91/min, respirations are 14/min, and oxygen saturation is 100% on room air with GCS of 15. On physical exam, the patient is in no acute distress; however, there is an obvious entry point with oozing blood near the left lateral neck above the cricoid cartilage with a small hematoma that is non-pulsatile and stable since arrival. The rest of the physical exam is unremarkable. Rapid hemoglobin returns back at 14.1 g/dL. After initial resuscitation, what is the next best step in management?

A 50-year-old man presents to the emergency department with pain and swelling of his right leg for the past 2 days. Three days ago he collapsed on his leg after tripping on a rug. It was a hard fall and left him with bruising of his leg. Since then the pain and swelling of his leg have been gradually increasing. Past medical history is noncontributory. He lives a rather sedentary life and smokes two packs of cigarettes per day. The vital signs include heart rate 98/min, respiratory rate 15/min, temperature 37.8°C (100.1°F), and blood pressure 100/60 mm Hg. On physical examination, his right leg is visibly swollen up to the mid-calf with pitting edema and moderate erythema. Peripheral pulses in the right leg are weak and the leg is tender. Manipulation of the right leg is negative for Homan’s sign. What is the next best step in the management of this patient?

A 19-year-old man comes to the emergency department for right wrist pain and swelling 2 hours after falling on an outstretched hand while playing softball. The pain worsened when he attempted to pitch after the fall. He has eczema and type 1 diabetes mellitus. Current medications include insulin and topical clobetasol. He appears uncomfortable. Examination shows multiple lichenified lesions over his forearms. The right wrist is swollen and tender; range of motion is limited by pain. There is tenderness to palpation in the area between the tendons of the abductor pollicis longus, extensor pollicis brevis, and extensor pollicis longus muscle. The thumb can be opposed actively towards the other fingers. Muscle strength of the right hand is decreased. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A 53-year-old Asian woman comes to the physician because of a 2-month history of severe pain in her right leg while walking. She used to be able to walk a half-mile (800-m) to the grocery store but has been unable to walk 200 meters without stopping because of the pain over the past month. She can continue to walk after a break of around 5 minutes. She has hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. She has smoked one pack of cigarettes daily for the past 32 years. Current medications include metformin, enalapril, aspirin, and warfarin. Vital signs are within normal limits. Examination shows an irregularly irregular pulse. The right lower extremity is cooler than the left lower extremity. The skin over the right leg appears shiny and dry. Femoral pulses are palpated bilaterally; pedal pulses are diminished on the right side. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

A crying 4-year-old child is brought to the emergency department with a red, swollen knee. He was in his usual state of health until yesterday, when he sustained a fall in the sandbox at the local park. His mother saw it happen; she says he was walking through the sandbox, fell gently onto his right knee, did not cry or seem alarmed, and returned to playing without a problem. However, later that night, his knee became red and swollen. It is now painful and difficult to move. The child’s medical history is notable for frequent bruising and prolonged bleeding after circumcision. On physical exam, his knee is erythematous, tender, and swollen, with a limited range of motion. Arthrocentesis aspirates frank blood from the joint. Which of the following single tests is most likely to be abnormal in this patient?

A 35-year-old male is brought into the emergency department for a trauma emergency. The emergency medical services states that the patient was wounded with a knife on his upper left thigh near the inguinal ligament. Upon examination in the trauma bay, the patient is awake and alert. His physical exam and FAST exam is normal other than the knife wound. Large bore intravenous lines are inserted into the patient for access and fluids are being administered. Pressure on the knife wound is being held by one of the physicians with adequate control of the bleeding, but the physician notices the blood was previously extravasating in a pulsatile manner. His vitals are BP 100/50, HR 110, T 97.8, RR 22. What is the next best step for this patient?

A 31-year-old man presents to the Emergency Department with severe left leg pain and paresthesias 4 hours after his leg got trapped by the closing door of a bus. Initially, he had a mild pain which gradually increased to unbearable levels. Past medical history is noncontributory. In the Emergency Department, his blood pressure is 130/80 mm Hg, heart rate is 87/min, respiratory rate is 14/min, and temperature is 36.8℃ (98.2℉). On physical exam, his left calf is firm and severely tender on palpation. The patient cannot actively dorsiflex his left foot, and passive dorsiflexion is limited. Posterior tibial and dorsalis pedis pulses are 2+ in the right leg and 1+ in the left leg. Axial load does not increase the pain. Which of the following is the best next step in the management of this patient?