Question

A 10-year-old child has fallen 12 feet from a tree. On exam he is noted to have multiple abrasions and contusions in several areas. He has a deformity of the right forearm and denies having pain in the neck or back. His vital signs are as follows: pulse of 132/min, strong and regular; respirations of 28/min with mild dyspnea; and blood pressure of 110/68 mm Hg. He has been treated with oxygen and covered with a blanket. Additional interventions for shock would include: A) assessing and recording vital signs every 15 minutes. B) elevating his lower extremities. C) applying pediatric PASG to improve perfusion. D) offering him sips of water to calm him down.

Answer 1

Answer: B) elevating his lower extremities.

Explanation:

Shock is the response of the body towards the sudden drop in the blood pressure inside the blood vessels. The body responds to the shock by showing constriction of the blood vessels in the extremities such as feet and hand. This phenomena is called as vasoconstriction, this process conserve the blood flow to the vital organs of the body so that the vital signs may remain active.

Elevating the lower extremities can be useful to judge the constriction of blood vessels in them especially in feet. Thus this can be indicative of shock.