Poor patient outcomes after a traumatic injury are associated with:

The trauma patient presenting with left lower rib fractures develops left upper quadrant tenderness, hypotension, and referred pain to the left shoulder. You suspect:

A 72-year-old patient fractured his pelvis in a motor vehicle crash 2 days ago. He suddenly becomes anxious and short of breath. His respiratory rate is 34 breaths/min, and he is complaining of midsternal chest pain. His oxygen saturation drops to 75%. You suspect:

The nurse is working in the emergency department when a patient arrives who has experienced chest trauma. Which condition should the nurse be the most concerned with for this patient?

The primary priority for the critical care nurse with regard to the trauma patient is which of the following?

Spinal cord injury causes a loss of sympathetic output, resulting in distributive shock with hypotension and bradycardia. Although blood pressure may respond to fluid resuscitation, what other therapy may be required to compensate for loss of sympathetic innervation?

To maintain the patient’s airway, which interventions are appropriate to implement with a trauma patient who sustained a spinal cord injury?

Prevention of hypothermia is crucial in caring for trauma patients. Which treatments are appropriate for preventing hypothermia?

A trauma patient with a fractured forearm complains of extreme, throbbing pain at the fracture site and paresthesia in the fingers. Upon further assessment, you note that the forearm is extremely edematous, and you are now having difficulty palpating a radial pulse. You notify the physician immediately because you suspect:

Your patient was a passenger in a motor vehicle crash yesterday and suffered an open fracture of the femur. His condition was stable until an hour ago, when he began to complain of shortness of breath. His heart rate is 104 beats/min, respiratory rate is 30 breaths/min, BP is 90/60 mm Hg, and temperature is now 38.4°C. You suspect that he:

A restrained patient’s status after a motor vehicle crash includes dyspnea, dysphagia, hoarseness, and complaints of severe chest pain. Upon assessment you note that the patient has weak femoral pulses. Which of the following complications and related diagnostic test should be considered?

When obtaining report on a trauma patient, which question would be helpful in determining potential injuries associated with the mechanism of injury?