Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Trauma Practice Test

A woman stabbed her boyfriend in the cheek with a dinner fork during an argument. The patient still has the fork impaled in his cheek. He is conscious and alert, breathing adequately, and has blood in his oropharynx. You should:

1. apply high-flow oxygen via a nonrebreathing mask, carefully remove the fork, and control any external bleeding.

2. carefully remove the fork, suction his oropharynx as needed, and pack the inside of his cheek with sterile gauze pads.

3. suction his oropharynx, carefully cut the fork to make it shorter, control any external bleeding, and secure the fork in place.

4. suction his oropharynx, control any external bleeding, stabilize the fork in place, and protect it with bulky dressings.

The correct answer is: apply high-flow oxygen via a nonrebreathing mask, carefully remove the fork, and control any external bleeding.

In this scenario, the patient has a fork impaled in his cheek, and the correct approach is to apply high-flow oxygen via a nonrebreathing mask, carefully remove the fork, and control any external bleeding. It is crucial to ensure a patent airway and adequate oxygenation by administering high-flow oxygen. Removing the impaled object (the fork in this case) is essential to prevent further injury and assess the extent of the damage. Careful removal is important to minimize additional trauma. Options B, C, and D are incorrect because they do not prioritize the immediate removal of the impaled object, which is crucial in this situation to prevent further harm and properly assess the extent of the injury. Option B suggests packing the cheek with gauze pads after removing the fork, which is not recommended as it may cause more tissue damage and interfere with the assessment. Option C advises cutting the fork, which should not be done as it may cause more harm. Option D recommends stabilizing the fork in place, which is not ideal as the object should be removed as soon as possible.