Preparing for the TCRN (Trauma Certified Registered Nurse) exam? Assessment is one of the areas our deck drills hardest: 100 of its 1050 flashcards focus on assessment, covering topics like TBSA, Total Body Surface Area, PAT, Pediatric Assessment Triangle. Try the sample questions below — every card is a real question-and-answer pair from the full deck.
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A patient presents with bruising over the mastoid process and periorbital ecchymosis 24 hours after a fall. What is the most likely diagnosis and which cranial bone is typically involved?
Show answer →Diagnosis: Basilar Skull Fracture (BSF). Bone involved: Petrous portion of the temporal bone. Battle's sign (mastoid ecchymosis) and Raccoon eyes (periorbital ecchymosis) are classic late signs. BCEN Tip: These signs may take 12-72 hours to appear. Do not rule out BSF if they are absent in the initial trauma survey. Assessment must be ongoing.
A trauma patient with an expanding epidural hematoma develops a fixed, dilated right pupil. Which cranial nerve is being compressed, and where is the anatomical shift occurring?
Show answer →This represents compression of CN III (Oculomotor) due to uncal herniation (transtentorial). The uncus of the temporal lobe shifts medially over the tentorium cerebelli, compressing the ipsilateral CN III. This results in loss of parasympathetic input, leading to an unopposed sympathetic response (dilation) and loss of light reflex. BCEN Tip: Ipsilateral pupil dilation is a lateralizing sign and often precedes contralateral motor deficits. Small, reactive pupils are seen in early central herniation, whereas a blown pupil is a late, critical sign of uncal herniation.
A 35-year-old male presents after a high-speed MVC. CT abdomen reveals a parenchymal laceration extending through the renal cortex, medulla, and into the collecting system with confirmed urinary extravasation. According to AAST, what is the injury grade?
Show answer →**AAST Grade IV.** Rationale: Grade IV is defined by parenchymal laceration extending through the renal cortex, medulla, and into the collecting system (indicated by urinary extravasation) OR segmental artery/vein injury. **Exam Strategy:** Distinguish from Grade III (laceration >1cm but NO collecting system involvement) and Grade V (shattered kidney or renal hilar avulsion). BCEN frequently tests the threshold where a simple laceration becomes a Grade IV (extravasation).
An adult patient presents with burns to the entire anterior torso and the circumferential left arm. Using the Rule of Nines, what is the estimated Total Body Surface Area (TBSA) percentage?
Show answer →The TBSA is 27%. Rationale: Anterior torso (chest and abdomen) = 18%; Circumferential left arm = 9%. Total = 27%. Exam Strategy: BCEN often tests the distinction between anterior torso (18%) and anterior chest (9%). Ensure you read the anatomical boundaries carefully. Superficial burns (1st degree) are excluded from this calculation for fluid resuscitation purposes.
A 4-year-old falls from a 2nd-story window. Using the Pediatric Assessment Triangle (PAT), you observe a limp child with rapid, shallow respirations and pale skin. What is the immediate clinical interpretation of these findings?
Show answer →This PAT presentation (Abnormal Appearance, Abnormal Work of Breathing, Abnormal Circulation) indicates Cardiopulmonary Failure. In the PAT, Appearance reflects CNS perfusion/oxygenation (TICLS: Tone, Interactivity, Consolability, Look, Speech). Abnormalities in all three arms signify a pre-arrest state requiring immediate aggressive resuscitation (BVM, fluid bolus, airway management). Exam Tip: BCEN emphasizes that the PAT is an across-the-room visual assessment performed BEFORE physical contact or vital signs. Distractors often include specific vital sign values that haven't been measured yet.
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Try 30 free TCRN cards firstThe full TCRN deck contains 1050 flashcards, and 100 of them focus on assessment. This page shows 5 free samples.
Our TCRN deck dedicates 100 of 1050 cards (10%) to assessment — always cross-check the official BCEN exam outline for the current blueprint weighting.
Yes — the samples on this page are free, and the TCRN preview page has 30 more free cards. Full access to all 1050 cards is a one-time $7.
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