Question 1

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

The death of the car's driver indicates that the collision was substantial enough to cause fatal injuries. This suggests that the patient's neck pain may be indicative of more significant injuries as well.

Question 2

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

The described injuries suggest a "down and under" injury mechanism, where the force of the collision causes the patient's lower extremities to be forced under the dashboard, leading to hip and femur injuries. This pattern is common in frontal collisions without the use of seatbelts or airbags.

Question 3

A 49-year-old male has been stabbed in the lower right chest. Police tell you that the patient got into an argument with an unidentified man, who then stabbed him before fleeing the scene. After assessing the patient, you are suspicious that the knife punctured the lung and is causing internal bleeding. In this situation, the mechanism of injury would be:

Accepted Answer

The mechanism of injury refers to the physical cause of the injury, which in this case is the stab wound to the right chest.

Question 4

A patient with severe head and neck pain states that he was properly wearing his seat belt when another car struck him from behind. As a knowledgeable EMT, you would realize that the complaint of:

Accepted Answer

Head and neck pain can occur even when the seat belt is properly worn in a motor vehicle collision. Just because the patient was wearing a seat belt does not mean he cannot experience injuries. It is important to perform a thorough assessment and treat any injuries accordingly.

Question 5

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

The speed of the vehicle at impact is the greatest factor in determining the severity of injuries in a motor vehicle collision. At 70 mph, the force of the impact is significantly greater than if the vehicle had been traveling at a slower speed, even if it had been a smaller vehicle or lacked air bags. While the weight of the vehicle and deployment of air bags may also play a role in the overall outcome of the collision, the speed of the vehicle at impact is the primary factor. Nighttime conditions may have made it harder to see or avoid the collision, but they did not directly contribute to the severity of the patient's injuries.

Question 6

Two cars have collided head on. One car was traveling 55 mph and the other 35 mph. The total speed of impact would be:

Accepted Answer

The total speed of impact is the sum of the speeds of both cars, which is 55 mph + 35 mph = 90 mph.

Question 7

A car has been hit head-on by another vehicle at a moderate rate of speed. Seat belts were in place and the air bags deployed. The patient is complaining of chest pain. Quick observation reveals a bruise to his sternum. The EMT would immediately:

Accepted Answer

The answer of A car has been hit head-on by...

Question 8

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

According to safety guidelines, infants who are less than 1 year old should always be facing backwards in the back seat in a reclined position at an angle of 45 degrees. This position provides the best protection for the infant's head, neck, and spine in the event of a sudden stop or crash. Option C is the only choice that meets these guidelines, so it is the best choice for safe transport of an infant.

Question 9

A 27-year-old male was involved in an altercation and was struck in the ribs with a baseball bat. Assessment reveals intact skin with noted bruising to the right lateral chest. When palpating this area, pain, instability, and crepitus are all observed. The patient also complains of difficult and painful breathing. The EMT would recognize:

Accepted Answer

The presence of intact skin and evidence of blunt trauma (bruising) suggests a chest injury caused by blunt trauma, specifically a possible rib fracture with associated instability and crepitus. The patient's difficulty and painful breathing further support this diagnosis. It is unlikely to be a pulmonary injury caused by penetrating trauma as there is no evidence of an open wound or impaled object. Similarly, there is no indication of acceleration forces causing a chest wall injury.

Question 10

What piece of information would you provide to a group of young teenage drivers to decrease their chance of suffering a "whiplash" type injury if involved in a motor vehicle collision?

Accepted Answer

Ensuring that the headrest is properly positioned is the best way to reduce the chances of suffering a whiplash injury in a motor vehicle collision. The headrest should be positioned to align with the top of the driver's head and should be no more than two inches away from the back of the head.

Question 11

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

Young children, when struck by a vehicle, often suffer injuries to the femurs and torso due to their height and the typical point of impact with a car.

Question 12

An unrestrained female driving a small car is involved in a rollover-type collision. Why is her risk for serious injury and death significantly increased?

Accepted Answer

In a rollover collision, the vehicle experiences multiple impacts as it rolls, increasing the likelihood of serious injury or death due to the repeated forces exerted on the occupants.

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

When a car strikes a stationary object like a utility pole, the car rapidly decelerates while the unrestrained occupants continue to move forward at the speed they were traveling before the impact. In this case, the car was moving at 35 mph when it struck the pole, so the unrestrained male driver would have continued traveling forward at that same speed until his body was stopped by the steering wheel or dashboard. Therefore, the internal organs would have struck the inside of the body at 35 mph, which can cause serious internal injuries. Choices A, C, and D are not true because they are based on incorrect assumptions or incomplete information about the physics of the collision.

Question 14

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

Wearing the lap belt low over the upper thighs can cause the belt to exert force on the hips during a collision, increasing the risk of dislocated hips.

Question 15

An unrestrained driver of a car that has struck a tree at 45 mph has suffered a contusion (bruise) to his heart. The EMT would recognize that this injury occurred during which impact of the collision?

Accepted Answer

The contusion to the heart suggests that the injury occurred during the organ collision, in which the internal organs collide against each other or against the rib cage during a high-impact collision. Option A, vehicle collision, does not specify where the injury occurred, while options B and D are not appropriate terms for describing the type of impact involved in this injury.

Question 16

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

Accepted Answer

It is important to emphasize that the benefit of air bags is decreased in multiple collisions. This is because air bags are designed to deploy only in the initial impact and do not offer protection in subsequent impacts. It is also important to stress the continued need to wear seat belts, as air bags are designed to work together with them to minimize injury.

Question 17

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

Accepted Answer

Rear-end impacts are most likely to cause a whiplash type neck injury due to the sudden acceleration and deceleration of the head and neck.

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

Starring or spider-web like cracks on the windshield can indicate that the patient's head may have struck it, indicating a possible head injury. Air bag deployment, blood on clothing, and frontal-type collision may also be present in a motor vehicle collision, but do not specifically indicate a head injury.

Question 19

Assessment of a patient involved in a motor vehicle accident reveals him to have crepitus to the left humerus, instability to the left lateral chest wall and flank, and pain on palpation to left hip region. He also complains of pain to the right side of the neck. Based on this injury pattern, the EMT would recognize the patient was:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Assessment of a patient involved in a...

Question 20

You are hosting a discussion on injury prevention when a participant asks you if you believe that helmets for motorcyclists will truly make a difference. You would respond by saying:

Accepted Answer

Motorcycle helmets have been shown to decrease the risk of death in the event of a collision. However, they do not prevent motorcycle accidents altogether. Helmets are designed to absorb impact and protect the head, reducing the risk of traumatic brain injury and death.

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