Chapter 30: Abdominal and Genitourinary Trauma

The presence of tachycardia following a significant abdominal injury: a. should be assumed to be a sign of shock. b. is most commonly caused by severe pain. c. is always accompanied by hypotension. d. indicates a state of decompensated shock.

a. should be assumed to be a sign of shock.

Bruising to the right upper quadrant of the abdomen following blunt trauma is MOST suggestive of injury to the: a. stomach. b. liver. c. kidney. d. spleen.

b. liver.

The mesentery is: a. a complex network of blood vessels that supply blood to the liver. b. a layer of thick skeletal muscles that protects the abdominal organs. c. a membranous fold that attaches the intestines to the walls of the body. d. the point of attachment between the small and large intestines.

c. a membranous fold that attaches the intestines to the walls of the body.

When worn properly, a seatbelt should lie: a. above the anterior posterior iliac spines of the pelvis and below the hip joints. b. across the abdominal wall at the level of the umbilicus and against the hip joints. c. below the anterior superior iliac spines of the pelvis and against the hip joints. d. across the abdominal wall at the level of the diaphragm and below the hip joints.

c. below the anterior superior iliac spines of the pelvis and against the hip joints.

Accumulation of blood in the abdominal cavity will MOST likely cause: a. nausea or vomiting. b. referred pain. c. distention. d. diffuse bruising.

c. distention.

Contraction or tensing of the abdominal muscles in an effort to ease pain is called: a. flexing. b. referring. c. guarding. d. withdrawing.

c. guarding.

Assuming that no obvious signs of intra-abdominal injury are present, which of the following injuries would MOST likely cause an injury to the liver or spleen to be overlooked? a. Pelvic fracture b. Lumbar spine fracture c. Femur fracture d. Shoulder fracture

d. Shoulder fracture

Peritonitis usually occurs when: a. bacteria or viruses invade the walls of the gastrointestinal tract. b. the vessels that supply the abdominal organs become inflamed. c. solid abdominal organs bleed secondary to penetrating trauma. d. hollow abdominal organs are damaged and spill their contents into the peritoneal cavity.

d. hollow abdominal organs are damaged and spill their contents into the peritoneal cavity.

During your assessment of a patient who experienced blunt trauma to the abdomen, you notice bruising around the umbilicus. This is a sign of: a. rupture of a hollow organ. b. a ruptured spleen. c. a severe liver laceration. d. intra-abdominal bleeding.

d. intra-abdominal bleeding.

Early bruising following abdominal trauma often manifests as: a. localized pain. b. gross distention. c. dark-purple marks. d. red areas of skin.

d. red areas of skin.