While working to build a house, a construction worker was hit in the head by a 2-inch × 4-inch plank that slid from the roof and fell to the ground below. The patient has a sizable laceration to the left side of his face and is spitting and coughing blood. He also lost several teeth, two of which he is holding. Your initial action when caring for this patient would be to:
A) Assess the ability of the patient to maintain his own airway
B) Apply supplemental oxygen
C) Obtain and preserve the teeth in a cup of saline, or wrapped in saline-soaked gauze
D) Apply an occlusive dressing to the laceration and preserve the teeth
B) Apply supplemental oxygen
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What type of hepatitis does this patient currently have?
What will be an ideal response?
During your primary assessment of a 21-year-old man with a suspected inhalation injury, you note that he is combative and his respirations are profoundly labored and stridorous. The closest appropriate medical facility is approximately 25 miles by ground, and the local air transport service is unavailable. You should:
A) provide supplemental oxygen via nonrebreathing mask, insert an intraosseous catheter, and administer a sedative medication. B) assist ventilations with a bag-mask device, start an IV, administer a sedative and a neuromuscular blocker, and intubate his trachea. C) administer humidified oxygen, start at least one large-bore IV, and visualize his upper airway to assess the severity of soft-tissue swelling. D) insert an oropharyngeal airway, ventilate him with a bag-mask device at 20 breaths/min, and prepare to nasotracheally intubate him.