TheoryATLS Study Guide
Study for the ATLS with exam topics, practice questions, a free PDF, video walkthrough and timed mock exam links.
How to study for ATLS
- Read the topic list so you know what the exam is likely to cover.
- Answer the free practice questions and read every explanation.
- Download the PDF for offline review.
- Use timed mock exams when your untimed practice feels comfortable.
Topics to review
- Safe and effective care environment
- Health promotion and maintenance
- Psychosocial and physiological integrity
- Pharmacology, infection control and patient safety
Try ATLS questions now
Q1Which of the following situations can make performing a lighted stylet intubation difficult?
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✓ Correct answer: The patient recently vomited.
A lighted stylet intubation is the process of inserting an intubation tube using a lighted stylet as a guide. It guides the tube into the trachea by trans-illuminating the soft tissues in the throat. However, if the patient has recently vomited, the pathway to the trachea (mouth, throat, larynx), could be filled with fluid and debris, making it difficult for the tube to follow the light source into the trachea.
Q2The E from the LEMON stands for:
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✓ Correct answer: Evaluate the 3-3-2 rule
The 3-3-2 rule is an evaluation tool for the forecasting of challenging intubations in unexpectedly challenging airways.
Q3Decide if the following sentence is true:<br/><br/>'Extraglottic devices sit under the larynx.'
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✓ Correct answer: False
Another family of supraglottic devices that are inserted through the mouth and rest on top of the larynx is known as extraglottic devices.
Q4The amount of air that can be inhaled and exhaled in one normal breathing cycle is called what?
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✓ Correct answer: Tidal volume.
When measuring breathing and respiration, tidal volume is the measurement of air that is inhaled and then exhaled in a normal breathing cycle. The air measured that comes in and goes out is the total amount measured and tracked.
Q5What is the score on the Glasgow Coma Scale at which a patient is considered to be in a dead-brain state or in a deep coma?
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✓ Correct answer: 3
The Glasgow Coma Scale's minimum score is 3, indicating a profound coma or brain death.
Q6If you do not know the effective biphasic dose range for the defibrillator that you are using, you should deliver a first shock and all subsequent shocks at <code>_________</code>.
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✓ Correct answer: The maximal energy dose that is available
"If you do not know the effective dose range, deliver the maximal energy dose for the first and all subsequent shocks.
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