Question 1

As part of your service to the community, you are certified as a car seat specialist and provide monthly classes on the safe transport of infants and children. Several cars have pulled into your station and asked you to look at their car seats. Which of the following car seat positions would indicate that the parent is safely transporting his or her infant (less than 1 year old)?

Accepted Answer

A)   Facing forward in the back seat in a reclined position (60 degrees) 
B)   Facing backward in an upright position in the front seat (45 degrees) 
C)   Facing backward in the back seat in an reclined position (45 degrees) 
D)   Facing backward in the back seat in an upright position (60 degrees)  C

Question 2

If a car, driven by an unrestrained male, strikes a utility pole at 35 mph, which of the following is true?

Accepted Answer

A)   The patient struck the steering wheel at a combined speed of 70 mph.
B)   The internal organs struck the inside of the body at 35 mph.
C)   The utility pole absorbed half of the kinetic energy, making the body collision 17.5 mph.
D)   The energy transferred to the body is increased by a factor of 2. B

Question 3

Which of the following injuries is most serious, warranting immediate and rapid transport to the hospital?

Accepted Answer

A)   Instability and crepitus to the left lateral chest wall
B)   Deformity to the right ankle with pain rated as a 10/10
C)   Open fracture to the left lower leg
D)   Large, deep laceration to the arm with bone visible A

Question 4

A patient involved in a motor vehicle collision is complaining of neck pain. Which of the following pieces of information would cause the EMT to have a high index of suspicion that the patient may have suffered more significant injuries beyond isolated neck pain?

Accepted Answer

A)   Lack of air bags in the car
B)   Difficulty turning is head to the right
C)   History of heart problems
D)   Death of the car's driver

Question 5

A patient, who was constructing a bomb in his basement, has sustained a secondary phase blast injury. Which of the following presentations would the EMT most likely observe?

Accepted Answer

A)   Burns to the head, neck, and chest
B)   Headache and shortness of breath
C)   Screwdriver impaled in the arm
D)   Complaint of nausea after inhaling fumes

Question 6

A 23-year-old roofer has fallen 20 feet from the roof of a house into shrubs below. Aside from superficial abrasions and complaint of soreness, you detect no obvious injuries. Consequently, the patient states that as long as his legs are not broken, he does not see the need to go to the hospital. As a knowledgeable EMT, your best response would be:

Accepted Answer

A)   "Since this is a work-related injury, you should really be evaluated in the hospital. Workman's comp may not cover you if you do not."
B)   "From a fall of this height, you may have hurt some internal organs. You really need to be examined."
C)   "Since you did not lose consciousness, I feel better about having you refuse. Just keep an eye on your feet and watch for swelling."
D)   "Although you feel okay now, you will most likely be sore later on. Why don't we go to the hospital and ask about some medications for pain?"

Question 7

You are first on the scene of a two-car motor vehicle collision. In one car there are two patients entrapped in the vehicle, while in the other, there is a male driver complaining of chest pain. At this time, your primary concern is:

Accepted Answer

A)   calling for additional help.
B)   ensuring personal safety.
C)   triaging the patients.
D)   determining severity of injuries.

Question 8

A young female wears her lap belt low, over her upper thighs, because the belt is uncomfortable when worn properly. If involved in a head-on "up and over" type collision, to what injury is she most prone, given the position of her lap belt?

Accepted Answer

A)   Internal abdominal injury
B)   Dislocated hips
C)   Tibia-fibula fractures
D)   Bilateral arm fractures

Question 9

You are responding to a call for a 4-year-old child hit by a car. When assessing this child, which of the following injury patterns would you recognize as typical based on the child's age and mechanism of injury?

Accepted Answer

A)   Deformed femurs, bruises to the chest and abdomen
B)   Left arm and leg deformity, head injury
C)   Bilateral ankle deformity, contusions to the back
D)   Head injury with deformity to both upper arms

Question 10

A teenage female patient has been ejected from a car as it rolled down a hill. She is responsive, but with signs of early shock. She has bruising to her anterior abdomen, a laceration to her left temple, and deformity to her left wrist. At what point should the wrist injury be splinted?

Accepted Answer

A)   Prior to immobilizing the patient
B)   Before transferring to the stretcher
C)   Just before leaving the scene
D)   En route to the hospital

Question 11

When teaching Emergency Medical Responders about air bags, what point would you emphasize?

Accepted Answer

A)   Properly placed air bags eliminate the need for seat belts.
B)   The benefit of air bags is decreased in multiple collisions.
C)   Air bags prevent broken glass from striking the occupant.
D)   Air bags are effective in decreasing injury in a rollover-type collision.

Question 12

Which of the following best describes the goal of a trauma system?

Accepted Answer

A)   Getting the right patient to the right facility in the right amount of time
B)   Providing the highest level of care possible within a 10-minute transport time for all patients
C)   Providing all trauma patients with a complete battery of diagnostic tests and access to specialists
D)   Transporting as many patients as possible by air medical transportation

Question 13

A patient has been critically hurt in a nighttime motor vehicle collision. She was wearing a seat belt and hit a tree at 70 mph. The car she was driving weighed 2 tons and was equipped with air bags that did deploy. Which of the following had the greatest impact on her being injured?

Accepted Answer

A)   Weight of the vehicle
B)   Deployment of air bags
C)   Speed of the vehicle at impact
D)   Nighttime conditions

Question 14

Emergency Medical Responders have removed an intoxicated and confused patient from a car that struck another vehicle at a high rate of speed. The patient was unrestrained and his car did not have air bags. Assessment reveals deformity bilaterally to the hips and femurs and bruising to the knees. Based on this injury pattern, the EMT would recognize what type of injury mechanism?

Accepted Answer

A)   Down and under
B)   Lateral impact
C)   Up and over
D)   High velocity

Question 15

An 8-year-old boy fell forward off of a swing onto outstretched arms. He did not hit his head or lose consciousness and is complaining of left forearm pain. There is deformity to the left wrist, but no other injuries or life threats. His vital signs are pulse 132, respirations 20, blood pressure 108/62, and SpO₂ 100%. The proper care of this patient would be:

Accepted Answer

A)   immediately load and transport, splinting the injury en route.
B)   apply high-concentration oxygen and anatomically splint the forearm when the patient is immobilized to a long backboard.
C)   splint the forearm and apply a cold pack before transporting non-emergently.
D)   call ALS so that the patient can be given intravenous pain medications before splinting the forearm.

Question 16

Which of the following statements concerning trauma is true?

Accepted Answer

A)   Falls are the leading cause of trauma deaths.
B)   Mechanism of injury is the best predictor of patient outcome.
C)   Multisystem trauma has a higher mortality rate than single-system injuries.
D)   A "spider web" or "star" pattern of cracks on the windshield means the patient impacted the windshield with his head.

Question 17

After assessing the following patients, which would the EMT identify as suffering from multisystem trauma?

Accepted Answer

A)   24-year-old male; slipped on ice; tenderness to the right shoulder
B)   61-year-old male; became dizzy and fell down five stairs; laceration to the head; open fracture to the left lower leg
C)   31-year-old female; large laceration to her leg from a hunting knife; bleeding controlled
D)   89-year-old female fell in a nursing home; hematoma to the back of her head

Question 18

As you pull up to a motor vehicle collision, you quickly scan the scene for clues as to the type and severity of injuries. What observation would best indicate that a patient may have a head injury?

Accepted Answer

A)   Air bag deployment
B)   Starring of a windshield
C)   Blood on a patient's clothing
D)   Frontal-type collision

Question 19

A patient has been stabbed with a knife at the fifth intercostal space on the right side of the chest. Assessment reveals him to be short of breath and coughing. Which of the following questions is it most important for the EMT to ask regarding the weapon?

Accepted Answer

A)   "How long was the knife?"
B)   "Was the knife clean or dirty?"
C)   "Did the knife penetrate your chest easily?"
D)   "Did the person twist the knife?"

Question 20

A "whiplash" type neck injury is most often observed with what type of collision?

Accepted Answer

A)   Frontal impacts
B)   Ejection
C)   Rear-end impact
D)   Rollover

Exam 27: Trauma Overview: the Trauma Patient and the Trauma System