EMT Chapter 30: Abdominal and Genitourinary Injuries

When performing a history on a patient with abdominal trauma, which of the following questions would be appropriate regarding trauma/? A. is there an blood in your stool? B. does your pain go anywhere? C. do you have any nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea? D. all of the above

All of the above.

Open abdominal injury

An injury in which there is a break in the surface of the skin or mucous, exposing deeper tissue to potential contamination.

When treating a patient with an evisceration, you should:

Cover the protruding contents with moist, sterile gauze compresses.

Late signs of peritonitis may include:

Nausea.

Blunt abdominal injuries may result from:

Seatbelts.

Hollow organs

Structures through which materials pass, such as the stomach, small intestines, large intestines, ureter, and bladder.

All of the following systems contain organs that make up the contents of the abdominal cavity EXCEPT: A. the digestive system B. the urinary system C. the genitourinary system D. the limbic system

The limbic system.

Suspect kidney damage if the patient has a history or physical evidence of all of the following EXCEPT: A. an abrasion, laceration, or contusion in the flank B. a penetrating wound in the region of the lower rib cage or the upper abdomen C. fractures on either side of the lower rib cage D. a hematoma in the umbilical region

A hematoma in the umbilical region.

When used alone, diagonal shoulder safety belts can cause all of the following EXCEPT: A. a bruised chest B. a lacerated liver C. decapitation D. a ruptured appendix

A ruptured appendix.

In cases of sexual assault, which of the following is true? A. you should always examine the genitalia for any sign of injury B. advise the patient not to wash, urinate, or defecate C. in addition to recording the facts, it is important to include your personal thoughts D. you should use plastic bags when collecting items such as clothes

Advise the patient not to wash, urinate, or defecate.

Closed abdominal injury

An injury in which there is soft-tissue damage inside the body but the skin remains intact.

Suspect a possible injury of the urinary bladder in all of the following findings EXCEPT: A. bruising to the left upper quadrant B. blood at the urethral opening C. blood at the tip of the penis or a stain on the patient's underwear D. physical signs of trauma on the lower abdomen, pelvis, or perineum

Bruising to the left upper quadrant.

Guarding

Contracting the stomach muscles to minimize the pain of abdominal movement; a sign of peritonitis.

When treating a patient with an amputation of the penile shaft, your top priority is:

Controlling bleeding.

Air in the abdominal cavity can cause all of the following EXCEPT: A. pain B. diarrhea C. infection D. tissue ischemia and infarction

Diarrhea.

_______ takes place in the solid organs.

Energy production.

Which of the following is NOT a solid organ of the abdomen? A. liver B. spleen C. gallbladder D. pancreas

Gallbladder.

Contraction or tensing of the abdominal muscles in an effort to ease pain is called:

Guarding.

A sign of kidney damage following blunt trauma is:

Hematuria.

Because solid organs have a rich supply of blood, any injury can result in major:

Hemorrhaging.

Peritonitis, an intense inflammatory reaction of the abdominal cavity, usually occurs when:

Hollow abdominal organs are damaged and spill their contents.

Late signs of abdominal injury include all of the following EXCEPT: A. distention B. increased blood pressure C. change in mental status D. pale, cool, moist skin

Increased blood pressure.

Signs of injury to the kidney may include any of the following EXCEPT: A. bruises or lacerations on the overlying skin B. shock C. increased urgency of urination D. hematuria

Increased urgency of urination.

In any case of trauma to a female patient, you should always determine if the patient:

Is pregnant.

The solid organs of the urinary system include the:

Kidneys.

You are dispatched to a residence for a young female who was kicked in the abdomen by her boyfriend. While en route to the scene, you should ask the dispatcher if:

Law enforcement is at the scene.

Kehr sign

Left shoulder pain caused by blood in the peritoneal cavity.

Bruising to the right upper quadrant of the abdomen following blunt trauma is MOST suggestive of injury to the:

Liver.

The largest organ in the abdomen is the:

Liver.

Which of the following is NOT a hollow organ of the abdomen? A. stomach B. liver C. bladder D. ureters

Liver.

Which of the following organs would MOST likely bleed profusely when injured? A. liver B. intestine C. bladder D. stomach

Liver.

Your primary concern when dealing with an unresponsive patient with an open abdominal injury is:

Maintaining the airway.

Placing a pregnant patient in a supine position during the third trimester of pregnancy:

May decrease the amount of blood that returns to the heart.

The first signs of peritonitis include all of the following EXCEPT: A. severe abdominal pain B. tenderness C. muscular spasm D. nausea

Nausea.

Patients with open abdominal injuries often complain of:

Pain.

The major complaint of patients with abdominal injury is:

Pain.

Open abdominal injuries are also known as:

Penetrating injuries.

When a hollow organ is punctured during a penetrating injury to the abdomen:

Peritonitis may not develop for several hours.

Because the depth of an open abdominal wound is often difficult to determine:

Prompt transport to the hospital is essential.

The abdomen is divided into four:

Quadrants.

All of the following male genitalia lie outside the pelvis cavity EXCEPT the: A. urethra B. penis C. seminal vesicles D. testes

Seminal vesicles.

Solid organs

Solid masses of tissue where much of the chemical work of the body takes place (eg. the liver, spleen, pancreas, and kidneys).

The most common sign of significant abdominal injury is:

Tachycardia.

Peritoneal cavity

The abdominal cavity.

Flank

The posterior region below the margin of the lower rib cage.

Evisceration

The displacement of organs outside of the body.

Which of the following statements regarding abdominal eviscerations is correct? A. most eviscerations occur to the left upper quadrant B. adherent material is preferred when covering an evisceration C. the protruding organs should be kept warm and moist D. the organs should be replaced carefully to avoid heat loss

The protruding organs should be kept warm and moist.