Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Trauma Practice Test

Following blunt injury to the anterior torso, a patient is coughing up bright red blood. You should be MOST suspicious of:

1. bleeding within the lungs

2. gastrointestinal bleeding

3. intraabdominal bleeding

4. severe myocardial damage

The correct answer is: bleeding within the lungs

Following blunt injury to the anterior torso, if a patient is coughing up bright red blood, the most likely cause is bleeding within the lungs. This can be indicative of pulmonary contusions or lung lacerations, which can occur as a result of trauma to the chest wall. The coughed-up blood is often frothy and bright red due to being oxygenated as it comes from the lungs. Gastrointestinal bleeding would typically present with darker, partially digested blood in vomitus or stools, rather than bright red blood that is characteristic of lung bleeding. Intraabdominal bleeding would likely present with symptoms such as abdominal pain, distension, tenderness, or rigidity, rather than bright red blood being coughed up. Severe myocardial damage, while it can lead to blood being brought up, would not typically present with bright red blood as seen in bleeding within the lungs.