Trauma/Emergencies Practice Questions

Question 1

A 27-year-old man is brought to the emergency department 45 minutes after being involved in a motor vehicle collision. He is agitated. He has pain in his upper right arm, which he is cradling in his left arm. His temperature is 36.7°C (98°F), pulse is 135/min, respirations are 25/min, and blood pressure is 145/90 mm Hg. His breathing is shallow. Pulse oximetry on 100% oxygen via a non-rebreather face mask shows an oxygen saturation of 83%. He is confused and oriented only to person. Examination shows multiple bruises on the right anterior thoracic wall. The pupils are equal and reactive to light. On inspiration, his right chest wall demonstrates paradoxical inward movement while his left chest wall is expanding. There is pain to palpation and crepitus over his right anterior ribs. The remainder of the examination shows no abnormalities. An x-ray of the chest is shown. Two large-bore IVs are placed. After fluid resuscitation and analgesia, which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

Accepted Answer

Intubation with positive pressure ventilation

Answer

Bedside thoracotomy

Answer

Surgical fixation of right third to sixth ribs

Answer

Placement of a chest tube

Answer

CT scan of the chest

Question 2

A 34-year-old man is admitted to the emergency department after a motor vehicle accident in which he sustained blunt abdominal trauma. On admission, he is conscious, has a GCS score of 15, and has normal ventilation with no signs of airway obstruction. Vitals initially are blood pressure 95/65 mmHg, heart rate 87/min, respiratory rate 14/min, and oxygen saturation of 95% on room air. The physical exam is significant only for tenderness to palpation over the left flank. Noncontrast CT of the abdomen shows fractures of the 9th and 10th left ribs. Intravenous fluids are administered and the patient's blood pressure increases to 110/80 mm Hg. Three days later after admission, the patient suddenly complains of weakness and left upper quadrant (LUQ) pain. Vitals are blood pressure 80/50 mm Hg, heart rate 97/min, respiratory rate 18/min, temperature 36.2℃ (97.2℉) and oxygen saturation of 99% on room air. Prompt administration of 2L of IV fluids increases the blood pressure to 100/70 mm Hg. On physical exam, there is dullness to percussion and rebound tenderness with guarding in the LUQ. Bowel sounds are present. Raising the patient's left leg results in pain in his left shoulder. Stat hemoglobin level is 9.8 g/dL. Which of the following findings would be most likely seen if a CT scan were performed now?

Accepted Answer

Low-density areas within the splenic parenchyma

Answer

Subdiaphragmatic air collection

Answer

Heterogeneous parenchymal enhancement of the pancreatic tail

Answer

Herniation of the stomach into the thoracic cavity

Answer

Irregular linear areas of hypoattenuation in the liver parenchyma

Question 3

A 3-year-old child is brought to the emergency department with multiple bruises in various stages of healing. X-rays reveal several metaphyseal fractures and posterior rib fractures. The parents claim the injuries resulted from normal play activities. Which of the following patterns would most strongly suggest non-accidental trauma?

Accepted Answer

Loop-shaped bruises on the back

Answer

Circular bruises on the knees

Answer

Linear bruises on the shins

Answer

Irregular bruises on the forehead

Question 4

A 35-year-old man is brought to the emergency department 20 minutes after being involved in a motor vehicle collision in which he was a restrained passenger. The patient is confused. His pulse is 140/min and blood pressure is 85/60 mm Hg. Examination shows a hand-sized hematoma on the anterior chest wall. An ECG shows sinus tachycardia. Which of the following structures is most likely injured in this patient?

Accepted Answer

Aortic isthmus

Answer

Papillary muscle

Answer

Left main coronary artery

Answer

Inferior vena cava

Answer

Aortic valve

Question 5

A 28-year-old male presents to trauma surgery clinic after undergoing an exploratory laparotomy, femoral intramedullary nail, and femoral artery vascular repair 3 months ago. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds as a victim of a drive-by shooting. He is progressing well with well-healed surgical incisions on examination. He states during his clinic visit that he has been experiencing 6 weeks of nightmares where he "relives the day he was shot." The patient also endorses 6 weeks of flashbacks to "the shooter pointing the gun at him" during the daytime as well. He states that he has had difficulty sleeping and cannot concentrate when performing tasks. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

Accepted Answer

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Answer

Schizophrenia

Answer

Normal reaction to trauma

Answer

Acute stress disorder

Answer

Schizophreniform disorder

Question 6

A 45-year-old man in respiratory distress presents to the emergency department. He sustained a stab to his left chest and was escorted to the nearest hospital. The patient appears pale and has moderate difficulty with breathing. His O2 saturation is 94%. The left lung is dull to percussion. CXRs are ordered and confirm the likely diagnosis. His blood pressure is 95/57 mm Hg, the respirations are 22/min, the pulse is 87/min, and the temperature is 36.7°C (98.0°F). His chest X-ray is shown. Which of the following is the next best step in management for this patient?

Accepted Answer

Chest tube insertion

Answer

ABG

Answer

Needle aspiration

Answer

CT scan

Answer

Thoracotomy

Question 7

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?

Accepted Answer

Emergent surgery

Answer

CT lower extremities

Answer

Radiograph lower extremities

Answer

Coagulation studies and blood typing/crossmatch

Answer

Tourniquet of proximal lower extremity

Question 8

A 27-year-old soldier is brought to the emergency department of a military hospital 20 minutes after being involved in a motor vehicle accident during a training exercise. He was an unrestrained passenger. On arrival, he has shortness of breath and chest pain. He appears pale and anxious. His temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), pulse is 110/min, respirations are 20/min, and blood pressure is 100/65 mm Hg. He is alert and oriented to person, place, and time. Examination shows pale conjunctivae and mucous membranes. There is bruising on the chest, extremities, and abdomen. The lungs are clear to auscultation. He has normal heart sounds and flat neck veins. The abdomen is flat, soft, and mildly tender. The remainder of the physical examination shows no abnormalities. High-flow oxygen is applied, and intravenous fluid resuscitation is begun. A chest x-ray is obtained. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

Accepted Answer

CT scan of the chest with contrast

Answer

Placement of a chest tube

Answer

Pericardiocentesis

Answer

Abdominal ultrasonography

Answer

Intubation with positive pressure ventilation

Question 9

A 24-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department after being assaulted. The paramedics report that the patient was found conscious and reported being kicked many times in the torso. She is alert and able to respond to questions. She denies any head trauma. She has a past medical history of endometriosis and a tubo-ovarian abscess that was removed surgically two years ago. Her only home medication is oral contraceptive pills. Her temperature is 98.5°F (36.9°C), blood pressure is 82/51 mmHg, pulse is 136/min, respirations are 24/min, and SpO2 is 94%. She has superficial lacerations to the face and severe bruising over her chest and abdomen. Her lungs are clear to auscultation bilaterally and her abdomen is soft, distended, and diffusely tender to palpation. Her skin is cool and clammy. Her FAST exam reveals fluid in the perisplenic space.

Which of the following is the next best step in management?

Accepted Answer

Emergency laparotomy

Answer

Abdominal radiograph

Answer

Abdominal CT

Answer

Fluid resuscitation

Answer

Diagnostic peritoneal lavage

Question 10

An 18-year-old man presents to a rural emergency department after being stabbed multiple times. The patient's past medical history is notable for obesity, diabetes, chronic upper respiratory infections, a 10 pack-year smoking history, and heart failure. He is protecting his airway and he is oxygenating and ventilating well. His temperature is 97.6°F (36.4°C), blood pressure is 74/34 mmHg, pulse is 180/min, respirations are 24/min, and oxygen saturation is 98% on room air. The patient is started on whole blood and the surgeon on call is contacted to take the patient to the operating room. During the secondary survey, the patient complains of shortness of breath. His blood pressure is 54/14 mmHg, pulse is 200/min, respirations are 24/min, and oxygen saturation is 90% on room air. Physical exam is notable for bilateral wheezing on lung exam. The patient goes into cardiac arrest and after 30 minutes, attempts at resuscitation are terminated. Which of the following is associated with this patient's decompensation during resuscitation?

Accepted Answer

Persistent intraabdominal bleeding

Answer

COPD

Answer

Congenital long QT syndrome

Answer

Heart failure

Answer

IgA deficiency

Trauma/Emergencies

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Chest trauma management

Head trauma management

Spinal trauma

Blunt abdominal trauma

Penetrating abdominal trauma

Pelvic fractures and hemorrhage

Extremity trauma and vascular injuries

Burns assessment and management

Traumatic shock management

Resuscitative thoracotomy

Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (FAST)

Trauma in pregnancy

Pediatric trauma considerations

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About Trauma/Emergencies for USMLE

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Master Trauma/Emergencies