Practice Quiz

NREMT Paramedic Trauma Exam Prep

Category - Paramedic Trauma

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Upon arriving at the scene of a reported gunshot, you find a 20-year-old male who has apparently been shot in the chest on the right side.

The patient is alert and oriented, and complaining of worsening dyspnea. No exit wound is visible. Around the site of the wound, there is an area of “spongy” ribs. There are diminished breath sounds in the affected lobe.

Which of these injuries is most likely?
  1. Traumatic asphyxia
  2. Diaphragmatic herniation
  3. Hemothorax
  4. Cardiac contusion
Explanation
Answer: C-A hemothorax is most likely in this patient.

Hemothorax occurs when blood vessels in the thoracic cavity become injured and bleed into the pleural space.

Traumatic asphyxia is caused by an extreme force to the chest, preventing breathing. Diaphragmatic herniation is a tear in the diaphragm most often associated with blunt trauma. Cardiac contusion presents with cardiac complaints, and is also typically associated with blunt trauma.
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