Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Trauma Practice Test

A 21-year-old man partially amputated his right arm when the chainsaw he was using to trim trees slipped. You can feel a weak radial pulse and his arm is cool to the touch. Dark red blood is flowing heavily from the wound. You should:

1. Apply a tourniquet proximal to the injury and tighten it until the bleeding stops

2. Apply bulky compression dressings to the wound and splint the extremity

3. Carefully pack sterile dressings into the wound and fully splint the extremity

4. Control the bleeding, manipulate the arm to improve circulation, and apply a splint

The correct answer is: Apply bulky compression dressings to the wound and splint the extremity

In this scenario, the best course of action is to apply bulky compression dressings to the wound and splint the extremity (choice B). These actions will help control the bleeding and provide support to the injured arm. Applying a tourniquet proximal to the injury and tightening it until the bleeding stops (choice A) can lead to potential complications such as tissue damage and should be reserved for life-threatening bleeds that cannot be controlled by other means. Carefully packing sterile dressings into the wound and fully splinting the extremity (choice C) may not provide adequate wound compression to control bleeding effectively. Manipulating the arm to improve circulation, as suggested in choice D, can potentially worsen the injury and increase bleeding. Therefore, the most appropriate action in this situation is choice B.