Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Trauma Practice Test

Which of the following is MOST indicative of decompensated shock in a trauma patient with internal bleeding?

1. Clammy skin

2. Hypotension

3. Restlessness

4. Tachycardia

The correct answer is: Clammy skin

Clammy skin is most indicative of decompensated shock in a trauma patient with internal bleeding because it suggests that the body is responding by attempting to shunt blood to vital organs, resulting in vasoconstriction, increased sympathetic tone, and decreased perfusion to the skin. This can lead to the skin feeling cool, clammy, and pale. In decompensated shock, the body's compensatory mechanisms begin to fail, and signs of poor tissue perfusion become more apparent, such as clammy skin. Hypotension, restlessness, and tachycardia are also signs of shock but may be present in compensated shock or during earlier stages of shock before decompensation occurs. However, clammy skin specifically indicates that the body is struggling to maintain adequate perfusion, making it the most indicative of decompensated shock in a trauma patient with internal bleeding.