Your Patient Is a 19-Year-Old Man Who Was Thrown from a Horse

Multiple Choice

Your patient is a 19-year-old man who was thrown from a horse while riding in a rodeo. After throwing the patient off, the horse stepped on the patient's abdomen. When you reach the patient, you note that his face, neck, and shoulders are pale, cool, and diaphoretic but that the patient's skin is otherwise warm and dry. The patient has some movement and sensation in his forearms and hands but otherwise no movement or sensation below the shoulders. He is anxious and has a respiratory rate of 24, a heart rate of 68, and a blood pressure of 106/66. Which of the following should be the primary concern when determining this patient's transport priority?

A) The potential for neurologic shock, requiring immediate surgery
B) The potential for intraabdominal hemorrhage that may be masked by loss of nervous function
C) The potential for traumatic brain injury
D) The potential for respiratory failure secondary to paralysis of the diaphragm