TRAUMA-CRITICAL CARE

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TRAUMA-CRITICAL CARE

ACTUAL EXAM WITH CORRECT

SOLUTIONS.

A patient is brought to the emergency department with injuries sustained in a motor vehicle crash. What should the nurse consider as the cause of this patient's injuries?

• trauma
• not wearing a seat restraint
• a drunk driver
• not paying attention while driving - correct answer- Correct

answer: 1

Rationale 1: Trauma is defined as injury to human tissues and

organs resulting from the transfer of energy from the environment. Trauma encompasses a variety of injuries, including those from motor vehicle crashes.

Rationale 2: There is insufficient information to determine

whether the patient was wearing a seat restraint.

Rationale 3: There is insufficient information to determine

whether the accident was caused by a drunk driver.

Rationale 4: There is insufficient information to determine

whether the patient was paying attention while driving.

The spouse of a patient admitted with a gunshot wound asks the nurse when her husband will be discharged so that they can resume their life together. How should the nurse respond? 1 / 4

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• "Right now there is no way of knowing how soon your

husband can return to his previous life."

• "I would say in a few weeks."
• "Probably never."
• "As soon as the wound heals, your husband can return to

work." - correct answer- Correct answer: 1

Rationale 1: Nurses provide a vital link in both the physical and

psychosocial care to the injured patient and family. In caring for the patient who has experienced trauma, nurses must consider not only the initial physical injury, but also its long-term consequences, including rehabilitation. Trauma may alter the patient's previous way of life, potentially affecting independence, mobility, cognitive thinking, and appearance.The nurse should respond that there is no way of knowing how soon the patient can return to his previous life.

Rationale 2: The nurse should not put a time limit of a few

weeks on the patient's recovery from trauma.

Rationale 3: The nurse should not tell the spouse that the

patient will probably never return to his previous life.

Rationale 4: The nurse has no way of knowing the extent of the

damage caused by the gunshot wound and cannot predict when the patient can return to work.

An older patient is admitted after falling on the steps at home.Which components of trauma should the nurse consider when planning care for the patient?

Standard Text: Select all that apply.

• host 2 / 4

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• environment
• intention
• source

5. transmission - correct answer- Correct answer: 1, 2, 3

Rationale 1: The host is the person or group at risk of injury.

Multiple factors influence the host's potential for injury: age,

sex, race, economic status, preexisting illnesses, and use of substances such as street drugs and alcohol.

Rationale 2: The environment in which the trauma occurred

needs to be taken into consideration.

Rationale 3: The event was either intentional or unintentional.

As the patient fell on the steps at home, the event was most likely unintentional.

Rationale 4: Source is not a component of a traumatic event.

Rationale 5: Transmission is not a component of a traumatic

event.

A patient comes into the emergency department with leg pain after falling on ice. For which classification of injuries should the nurse expect to plan care for this patient?

• Class 3 minor
• Class 1 minor
• Class 1 penetrating

4. Class 3 penetrating - correct answer- Correct answer: 1

Rationale 1: Trauma patients are classified as Class 1, 2, or 3

based on factors including mechanism of injury, vehicle speed, height of falls, and location of penetrating injuries. Class 3 3 / 4

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trauma is the least severe. An example would be a same-level fall without loss of consciousness or significant injury.

Rationale 2: Class 1 trauma involves life-threatening injuries

likely to require medical specialists or immediate surgical intervention. Minor trauma causes injury to a single part or system of the body and is usually treated in a physician's office or in the hospital emergency department. A single bone fracture, small second-degree burns, or a laceration requiring sutures are examples of minor trauma.

Rationale 3: Penetrating trauma occurs when a foreign object

enters the body, causing damage to body structures.

Rationale 4: Penetrating trauma occurs when a foreign object

enters the body, causing damage to body structures.

A patient is brought to the emergency department with injuries sustained when a wall collapsed in the home. The nurse recognizes that this patient's injuries were most likely caused by which mechanism of injury?

• crushing
• shearing
• deceleration

4. blast - correct answer- Correct answer: 1

Rationale 1: A crushing injury occurs from a high force that

leads to tissue destruction. The collapsing wall most likely caused crushing injuries.

Rationale 2: Shearing occurs when structures slip across each

other.

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