INSTRUCTIONS: Answer the following exercises by marking the lettered response that best answers the question or best completes the sentence or by writing the answer in the space provided.
After you have answered all of the exercises, scroll to the bottom of the page and check your answers. For each exercise answered incorrectly, reread the lesson material referenced with the solution.
1. Which of the following is a sign of an open chest wound?
a. Blood being coughed up.
b. Hissing sound coming from a chest wound.
c. Bluish tint to the casualty’s lips.
d. All of the above are signs of an open chest wound.
2. The plastic envelope is placed directly over an open chest wound to:
a. Prevent infection.
b. Reduce blood loss.
c. Keep air from going into the chest cavity.
d. Keep the dressing from becoming contaminated.
3. If you find two open chest wounds (entry and exit wounds) when you examine the casualty, which wound should you seal and dress first?
a. The larger wound.
b. The smaller wound.
4. When treating a casualty with a sucking chest wound, have him ____________ and stop breathing when you put the plastic envelope over the wound. Have him ________ and stop breathing when you tie the tails of the field dressing in a knot.
5. What size of material should be used for making the airtight seal?
a. Four inches by six inches.
b. The sealing material should be larger than the wound and the distance between the edges of the sealing material and the edges of the wound should be two or more inches.
c. The sealing material should be the same size as the wound.
d. The sealing material should be slightly smaller than the size of the wound.
6. When applying the field dressing to an open chest wound, where should you tie the knot?
a. Tie the knot at the edge of the dressing.
b. Tie the knot directly over his spine.
c. Tie the knot in the center of the dressing.
d. Tie the knot on the uninjured side of the casualty’s body.
7. You have treated a casualty with an open chest wound. His breathing had improved, but now his breathing is becoming difficult. He is short of breath and his lips are turning blue. What can you do to help the casualty?
a. Nothing, the casualty’s reactions are normal.
b. Place a pressure dressing over the wound.
c. Administer modified abdominal thrusts.
d. Perform a chest needle decompression.
8. A casualty has a fractured rib. You should immobilize the fracture by:
a. Taping the casualty’s chest.
b. Applying a sling and swathe to the arm on the casualty’s injured side.
c. Perform a and b above.
9. While palpating the chest area of a casualty with a suspected closed chest injury, you feel a crackling sensation almost as though you were pressing on tiny air bubbles. This is an indication of:
a. Hemothroax.
b. Myocardial contusion.
c. Pericardial tamponade.
d. Subcutaneous emphysema.
10. A puncture wound results in the casualty’s left pleura cavity being penetrated. Which of the following statements is most likely to be true?
a. The lungs will be unaffected.
b. The right lung will rupture due to the sudden change in air pressure.
c. The left lung will begin to collapse, but the right lung will still expand fully.
d. Both lungs will collapse at the same time.
Check Your Answers
1. d (paras 3-4a, f, j)
2. c (para 3-7b(5))
3. a (para 3-6)
4. Exhale, exhale. (paras 3-7a(6),b(3), d; 3-8b(3), (4)
5. b (para 3-7b(4)(b))
6. c (para 3-8b(4))
7. d (para 3-13)
8. b (para 3-16a; Caution)
9. d (para 3-25a)
10. c (para 3-3a)