Self Assessment 15

Femoral shaft fractures can result in up to _____ mL of internal blood loss.

1,000

An open fracture is MOST accurately defined as a fracture in which:

An external wound is present over the fracture site

A constructions worker's arm was severed just above the elbow when a steel girder fell on it. The stump is covered with a blood-soaked towel. The patients skin is cool, clammy, and pale. The EMT should: `

Apply a tourniquet just below the shoulder

After direct trauma to the left upper back, a 44-year-old male presents with diaphoresis and restlessness. His blood pressure is 100/50 mm Hg, his pulse rate is 120 beats/min and weak, and his respirations are 24 breaths/min and labored. Your assessment reveals abrasions and contusions over the left scapula. You should:

Apply high-flow oxygen, consider spinal precautions, and transport without delay.

A 76-year-old male experienced sudden pain to his left thigh when he was standing in line at the grocery store. Your assessment reveals ecchymosis and deformity to the distal aspect of his left femur, just above the knee. Distal circulation and sensory and motor functions are intact. You should:

Apply padded board splints to both sides of the leg

Regarding musculoskeletal injuries, the zone of injury is defined as the:

Area of soft-tissue damage surrounding the injury

You receive a call to a local gymnasium fir a basketball player with a dislocated shoulder. Upon arrival, you find the patient, a 17-year-old male, sitting on the ground. He is holding his left arm in a fixed position away from his body. There is an obvious anterior bulge to the area of injury. You should:

Assess distal pulse, motor, and sensory functions.

You are treating a 19-year-old who fell off a balcony during a party. He has an open fracture of the tibia and fibula of the left leg. He reports drinking approximately four beers over the past 2 hours. He would like to be driven to the hospital by a friend in a private vehicle. Which of the following is the best first action to take?

Attempt to persuade the patient by explaining the benefits of transportation by ambulance

A 21-year-old male was thrown over the handlebars of his motorcycle when he rear ended a car that was stopped at a red light. He was wearing a helmet, which he removed prior to your arrival. He is conscious but restless and has closed deformities to both of his femurs. His skin is pale, his heart rate is rapid and weak, and his respirations are rapid and shallow. You should:

Bind his legs together on the backboard, keep him warm, and transport without delay

When assessing a patient with a possible fracture of the leg, the EMT should:

Compare it to the uninjured leg

During your secondary assessment of a 19-year-old female with multiple traumas, you note bilateral humeral deformities and a deformity to the left midshaft femur. Her skin is diaphoretic, and her pulse is rapid and weak. Your partner has appropriately managed her airway and is maintaining manual stabilization of her head. The most appropriate treatment for this patient includes:

Immobilizing her to a backboard and rapidly transporting

Care for a patient with a fractured tibia and suspected compartment syndrome includes:

Keeping the leg at the level of the heart

Which of the following musculoskeletal would pose the greatest threat to a patients life?

Pelvic fracture with hypotension

A 77-year-old woman slipped and fell on a throw rug landed o her left hip. She denies striking her head or losing consciousness. Assessment of her left leg reveals that is shortened and externally rotated. Distal pulses, sensory, and motor functions are intact. You should:

Place her onto a scoop stretcher, pad around her left hip with pillows, and secure her to the scoop with straps.

A 45-year-old female was the unrestrained passenger of a small car that rear-ended another vehicle at a moderate rate of speed. She is conscious and alert but complains of pain to both of her knees. There is visible damage to the dashboard on the passengers side of the vehicle. In addition to fractures or dislocations of the knees, you should be most suspicious for:

Posterior hip dislocation

A 31-year-ld male fell and landed on his left elbow. Your assessment reveals that the elbow is grossly deformed, his forearm is cool and pale, and the distal pulse is barely palpable. His vital signs are stable, he denies any other injuries. Your transport time to the closest appropriate hospital is approximately 12 minutes. You should:

Splint the elbow in the position found and transport.

A 22-year-old female was ejected from her car after striking a tree head on. As you approach her, you note obvious closed deformities to both of er femurs. She is not moving and does not appear to be conscious. You should:

Stabilize her head and perform a primary assessment

During your secondary assessment of a 30-year-old male who fell 25 feet, you note crepitus when palpating his pelvis. Your partner advises you that the patient's blood pressure is 80/50 mm Hg and his heart rate is 120 beats/min and weak. After completing your assessment, you should:

Stabilize the pelvis with a pelvic binder and protect the spine

You and your partner are preparing to apply a traction splint to a patients deformed thigh. As you apply manual traction, the patient resist your efforts and states that the pain is getting worse. You should:

Stop and splint the leg in the deformed position.

You are caring for a patient who has had an amputation of the left hand. The hand is not currently present with the patient. The patient is showing signs of hypovolemic shock. Which of the following is the most appropriate action to take?

Transport the patient immediately and request other responders still on the scene attempt to locate the hand.