USMLE Surgery Emergency 72 QCM

1) A 50-year-old patient presents with symptomatic nephrolithiasis. He reports that he underwent a jejunoileal bypass for morbid obesity when he was 39. Which of the following is a complication of jejunoileal bypass?

2) A 75-year-old man slips and falls at home, hitting his right chest wall against the kitchen counter. He has an area of exquisite pain to direct palpation over the seventh rib, at the level of the anterior axillary line. A chest x-ray film confirms the presence of a rib fracture, with no other abnormal findings. Which of the following is the most appropriate initial step in management?

3) A 71-year-old woman is brought to the physician by her distressed daughter. The daughter relates that, 3 days ago, her mother began to complain of right upper quadrant abdominal pain. She did not want to eat and "took to her bed sick." The daughter recalls that she complained of chills, nausea, and some vomiting. Physical examination reveals an obtunded, hypotensive, and obviously very sick elderly woman. She has impressive pain to deep palpation in the right upper quadrant, along with muscle guarding and rebound. Her temperature is 40C (104F), and laboratory analysis shows a white cell count of 22,000/mm3 with multiple immature forms, a bilirubin of 5 mg/dL and alkaline phosphatase of 840 U/L. The serum amylase is normal. An emergency sonogram shows multiple stones in the gallbladder, normal thickness of the gallbladder wall without pericholecystic fluid, dilated intrahepatic ducts, and common duct with a diameter of 2.1 cm. The sonographer cannot identify stones in the common duct. In addition to IV fluids and antibiotics, which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

4) A 54-year-old man, who 5 years ago underwent a laparotomy for a gunshot wound to the abdomen, is admitted to the hospital because of protracted vomiting and progressive abdominal distention. The symptoms began 5 days earlier, and since then he has not had a bowel movement or passed any gas. At the time of hospitalization, he has hyperactive bowel sounds and some abdominal discomfort, but does not have an acute abdomen. His abdominal x-ray films show dilated loops of small bowel, multiple air-fluid levels, and no free air under the diaphragms. He is placed on nasogastric suction and IV fluids. After 6 hours, he develops fever, leukocytosis, abdominal tenderness, and rebound tenderness, and his abdomen is silent. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

5) A 3-year-old boy is brought to the emergency room after spilling bleach onto his lower extremities. He is diagnosed with a chemical burn and all involved clothing are removed. In addition to resuscitation, which of the following is the most appropriate initial management of this patient?

6) Following a weekend of snowmobiling, a 42-year-old man comes to the emergency department with pain, numbness, and discoloration of his right forefoot. You diagnose frostbite. Which of the following is the proper initial treatment?

7) A 40-year-old woman complains of mild, intermittent pain and paresthesias in her right wrist. She reports the pain is worse at night and with driving. On physical examination hyperflexion of the right wrist reproduces the paresthesia. With regard to her diagnosis, which of the following is the most appropriate initial treatment?

8) A 19-year-old man receives un-cross-matched blood during resuscitation after a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He develops fever, tachycardia, and oliguria during the transfusion and is diagnosed as having a hemolytic reaction. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in the management of this patient?

9) A 64-year-old man with history of severe emphysema is admitted for hematemesis. The bleeding ceases soon after admission, but the patient becomes confused and agitated. Arterial blood gases are as follows: pH 7.23; PO2 42 mm Hg; PCO2 75 mm Hg. Which of the following is the best initial therapy for this patient?

10) A 16-year-old adolescent boy with a history of severe hemophilia A is undergoing an elective inguinal hernia repair. Which of the following is the best option for preventing or treating a bleeding complication in the setting of this disease?

11) A 23-year-old woman undergoes total thyroidectomy for carcinoma of the thyroid gland. On the second postoperative day, she begins to complain of a tingling sensation in her hands. She appears quite anxious and later complains of muscle cramps. Which of the following is the most appropriate initial management strategy?

12) A 24-year-old firefighter sustains 30% total body surface area (TBSA) burns to his torso, face, and extremities. His wounds are treated topically with silver nitrate. Which of the following complications is associated with use of this agent?

13) A 22-year-old man sustains severe blunt trauma to the back. He notes that he cannot move his lower extremities. He is hypotensive and bradycardic. Which of the following is the best initial management of the patient?

14) A 14-year-old boy presents in the emergency department with very severe pain of sudden onset in his right testicle. There is no history of either trauma or recent mumps. He is afebrile, and a urinalysis shows no pyuria. The testis is swollen, exquisitely painful, high in the scrotum, and riding in a horizontal position. The cord above the testis is not tender. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

15) A 59-year-old man with a history of myocardial infarction 2 years ago undergoes an uneventful aortobifemoral bypass graft for aortoiliac occlusive disease. Six hours later he develops ST segment depression, and a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) shows anterolateral ischemia. His hemodynamic parameters are as follows: systemic BP 70/40 mm Hg, pulse 100 beats per minute, CVP 18 mm Hg, PCWP 25 mm Hg, cardiac output 1.5 L/min, and systemic vascular resistance 1000 (dynes)/cm5. Which of the following is the single best pharmacologic intervention for this patient?

16) A 56-year-old man undergoes a left upper lobectomy. An epidural catheter is inserted for postoperative pain relief. Ninety minutes after the first dose of epidural morphine, the patient complains of itching and becomes increasingly somnolent. Blood-gas measurement reveals the following: pH 7.24, PaCO2 58, PaO2 100, and HCO3− 28. Which of the following is the most appropriate initial therapy for this patient?

17) A cirrhotic patient with abnormal coagulation studies due to hepatic synthetic dysfunction requires an urgent cholecystectomy. A transfusion of FFP is planned to minimize the risk of bleeding due to surgery. What is the optimal timing of this transfusion?

18) Ten days after an exploratory laparotomy and lysis of adhesions, a patient, who previously underwent a low anterior resection for rectal cancer followed by postoperative chemoradiation, is noted to have succus draining from the wound. She appears to have adequate source control—she is afebrile with a normal white blood count. The output from the fistula is approximately 150 cc per day. Which of the following factors is most likely to prevent closure of the enterocutaneous fistula?

19) A 45-year-old woman undergoes an uneventful laparoscopic cholecystectomy for which she receives 1 dose of cephalosporin. One week later, she returns to the emergency room with fever, nausea, and copious diarrhea and is suspected of having pseudomembranous colitis. She is afebrile and has no peritoneal signs on abdominal examination. She has a mild leukocytosis with a left shift. Which of the following is the appropriate initial management strategy?

20) An 18-year-old woman develops urticaria and wheezing after an injection of intravenous contrast for an abdominal CT scan. Her blood pressure is 120/60 mm Hg, heart rate is 155 beats per minute and respiratory rate is 30 breaths per minute. Which of the following is the most appropriate immediate therapy?

21) A patient involved in a high-speed automobile collision arrives in the emergency department unconscious, with multiple facial fractures; brisk bleeding into his nose, mouth, and throat; and gurgly, irregular, noisy breathing. Which of the following would be the best method to secure an airway in this patient?

22) A 22-year-old woman is involved in a major motor vehicle accident and receives a tracheostomy during her hospitalization. Five days after placement of the tracheostomy she has some minor bleeding around the tracheostomy site. Which of the following is the most appropriate immediate therapy?

23) A 33-year-old woman is brought to the emergency room from the scene of a severe motor vehicle accident. She is combative, confused, uncooperative, and appear dusky and dyspneic. Which of the following is the most appropriate management of her airway?

24) A 42-year-old man who was in a house fire is transferred to your burn unit. He has singed nose hairs and facial burns. Direct laryngoscopy in the emergency room demonstrates pharyngeal edema and mucosal sloughing. He has 60% total body surface area burns. Which of the following is the next step in the management of this patient?

25) A 24-year-old man presents in septic shock from an empyema. He is febrile to 103°F, tachycardic in the 120s, and hypotensive to the 90s. His oxygen saturation is 98% on 2-L oxygen. His white blood cell count is 25,000/mL and creatinine is 0.8 mg/dL. His blood pressure does not respond to fluid administration despite a CVP of 15. Which of the following therapies is indicated in managing this patient?

26) Shortly after the administration of an inhalational anesthetic and succinylcholine for intubation prior to an elective inguinal hernia repair in a 10-year-old boy, he becomes markedly febrile, displays a tachycardia of 160, and his urine changes color to a dark red. Which of the following is the most appropriate treatment at this time?

27) A 37-year-old woman is brought to the surgical floor after undergoing a routine vaginal hysterectomy that morning. She had been fasting since midnight the night prior to her surgery. She has no past medical history except for uterine fibroids and takes only oral contraceptive pills regularly. During the procedure, she was reported to lose approximately 300 mL of blood. On the floor, she appears well but complains of some fatigue. Her blood pressure is 110/60 mm Hg, and her pulse is 100/min. She is not taking food or water yet because of persistent nausea and vomiting postoperatively. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

28) A 22-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department after a motorcycle accident in which she sustained severe crush injuries of her lower extremities. In the field, her Glasgow Coma Score was 14. She is awake and alert on arrival after having been given morphine for pain control. Any details of her past medical history are unknown. Initial examination shows a blood pressure of 140/80 mm Hg and pulse of 100/min. Her oxygen saturation on room air is 95% by pulse oximeter. An ECG is obtained and shows very large, peaked T-waves in leads V1-V6. Which of the following is the most appropriate initial step in patient care?

29) A 32-year-old man undergoes a distal pancreatectomy, splenectomy, and partial colectomy for a gunshot wound to the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. One week later he develops a shaking chill in conjunction with a temperature spike of 39.4°C (103°F). His blood pressure is 70/40 mm Hg, pulse is 140 beats per minute and respiratory rate is 45 breaths per minute. He is transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU), where he is intubated and a Swan-Ganz catheter is placed. Which of the following is consistent with the expected initial Swan-Ganz catheter readings?

30) A 72-year-old man has multiple injuries and an altered sensorium after a high-speed motor vehicle collision. He is intubated for his decreased mental status. During intubation, a large amount of gastric contents are noted in the posterior pharynx and he aspirates. Which of the following is the appropriate initial treatment?

31) A 50-year-old woman with a history of essential hypertension presents to the emergency department with sudden onset of a severe headache, nausea and vomiting, and photophobia. On examination, her BP is 160/100 mmHg. She is mildly confused and has nuchal rigidity, without focal neurologic signs. Once the diagnosis has been confirmed, Rupture cerebral aneurysm, which of the following is the next most important step in patient management?

32) A 22-year-old gang member arrives in the emergency department with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen. He has labored breathing and is cyanotic, diaphoretic, cold, and shivering. He is wide awake, and in a normal tone of voice he tells everyone that he is going to die. An initial survey reveals a blood pressure of 60/40 mm Hg. His pulse is 150/min and barely perceptible. He is in obvious respiratory distress and has big distended veins in his neck and forehead. His trachea is deviated to the left, and the right side of his chest is hyperresonant to percussion, with no breath sounds. Which of the following is the most appropriate initial step in management?

33) On the 5th postoperative day after abdominal surgery, a patient has been draining copious amounts of clear pink fluid from his midline laparotomy wound. A medical student removes the dressing, confirms that it is soaked, and sees a normal-appearing fresh wound with a row of skin staples in place. The student asks the patient to sit up so he can get out of bed and be helped to the treatment room for a more thorough examination. When the patient complies, the wound opens widely, and a handful of small bowel suddenly rushes out. Which of the following is the most appropriate management at this time?

34) Several days following esophagectomy, a patient complains of dyspnea and chest tightness. A large pleural effusion is noted on chest radiograph, and thoracentesis yields milky fluid consistent with chyle. Which of the following is the most appropriate initial management of this patient?

35) A 16-year-old girl with a history of ulcerative colitis managed with steroid therapy presents to the emergency department with a 36-hour history of nausea, crampy abdominal pain, and severe bloody diarrhea. On examination, the patient is febrile and pale, with a blood pressure of 90/60 mmHg and heart rate of 130 beats/min. Her abdomen is distended and diffusely tender. A complete blood count (CBC) demonstrates a leukocytosis with a left shift. The patient receives IV fluid resuscitation and nasogastric (NG) tube decompression. Further therapeutic interventions should include which one of the following?

36) A severely traumatized woman is seen in the emergency room (ER) with decreased mental status. Prior to intubation, she does not open her eyes, withdraws with all of her extremities, and makes incomprehensible sounds. What is her Glasgow coma scale score?

37) A 25-year-old woman was involved in a motor vehicle crash and sustained a significant closed-head injury, a pulmonary contusion, and a pelvic fracture. She is unresponsive and is ventilated in the intensive care unit (ICU). Which of the following is the best initial approach to the management of this patient’s nutritional needs?

38) A young mother is at the pediatrician's office for a routine well-baby visit for her 18-month-old son. It is immediately noticed that one of the baby's pupils is white, while the other one is black. When asked about it, the mother relates that she saw that curious situation for the first time 1 week ago, but since the baby was otherwise asymptomatic, she did not think it merited special attention. Which of the following is the most appropriate course of action?

39) A 70-year-old man is admitted to the ICU after repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. He has a prior history of hypertension and mild congestive heart failure, which were adequately controlled with digoxin and diuretics. To facilitate perioperative management, a Swan-Ganz (multilumen pulmonary artery) catheter was inserted in the operating room. During the first few hours postoperatively, the patient is noted to have a blood pressure of 140/70 mmHg, heart rate of 110/min, flat neck veins, a pulmonary arterial wedge pressure of 9 mmHg, and poor urine output. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management of this patient?

40) The left ureter is partially transected (50% of circumference) during the course of a difficult operation on an unstable, critically ill patient. Which of the following would be the most appropriate management of this injury given the patient’s unstable condition?

41) A 65-year-old man presents to the emergency department with an abrupt onset of excruciating chest pain 1 hour ago. The pain is localized to the anterior chest, but radiates to the back and neck. On examination, the patient is afebrile, with a BP of 210/110 mmHg, pulse rate of 95/min, and a respiratory rate of 12/min. He appears pale and sweaty. Unequal carotid, radial, and femoral pulses are noted. An electrocardiogram (ECG) shows nonspecific ST-T segment changes. Chest x-ray shows a slightly widened mediastinum and normal lung field. Which of the following is the first step in management of this patient?

42) A 26-year-old previously healthy man was pinned under a crane at a construction site. After a prolonged extrication, he was brought to the emergency department, immobilized on a back board and receiving 100% oxygen by mask. He is alert and complaining of chest pain with respiratory effort. On examination, he is found to have an oxygen saturation of 90% by pulse oximetry, shallow respirations at a respiratory rate of 35/min, heart rate of 120 beats/min, and a blood pressure of 85/60 mmHg. The trachea is deviated to the right. There is tenderness and crepitation over the left chest wall, asymmetric chest wall movement, and decreased air entry over the left lung field. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in the initial evaluation and management of this patient?

43) A 13-year-old boy is brought to the emergency department at midnight with a 4-hour history of right scrotal pain that was sudden in onset and associated with nausea and one episode of vomiting. On examination, he is in obvious distress. He has mild right lower abdominal tenderness, and high-riding, tender right testes. CBC and urinalysis are normal. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

44) A 75-year-old man is brought to the emergency department for severe pain in the left flank and back of 1 hour duration. He has a prior history of a myocardial infarction and coronary artery bypass grafting 8 years ago. On examination, he is found to have a BP of 80/50 mmHg, pulse rate of 110/min, respiratory rate of 15/min, and a pulsatile, tenderabdominal mass. He has had two large-bore IV lines placed by the paramedics. He is alert and oriented, and gives consent for surgery. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management of this patient?

45) A 14-year-old boy dives into the shallow end of a swimming pool and hits his head against the bottom. When he is rescued, he shows a complete lack of neurologic function below the neck. He is still breathing on his own, but he cannot move or feel his arms and legs. The paramedics carefully immobilize his neck for transportation to the hospital, and they alert the emergency department to his impending arrival. Once there, which of the following would most likely have an immediate benefit for this patient?

46) A 61-year-old man comes in because of colicky abdominal pain and vomiting of 3 days' duration. On physical examination, he is moderately distended and has high pitched hyperactive bowel sounds and a 5-cm tender groin mass. On direct questioning, he explains that he has had that bulge for many years, but has always been able to "push it back in" when he lies down. For the past 3 days, however, he has been unable to do so. He has a temperature of 38.9C (102F) and a white blood cell count of 12,500/mm3. Which of the following is the most appropriate management at this time?

47) In a rollover car accident, a 42-year-old woman is thrown from the car. The car subsequently lands on her and crushes her. On physical examination in the emergency department, it is determined that she has a pelvic fracture, which is confirmed by portable x-rays done as she is being resuscitated. Her initial blood pressure is 50/30 mm Hg, and her pulse is 160/min and barely perceptible. Thirty minutes later, after 2 L Ringer's lactate and 2 U packed cells have been infused, her pressure is only 70/50 mm Hg, and her pulse is 130/min. A sonogram done in the emergency department shows no intra-abdominal bleeding, and a diagnostic peritoneal lavage confirms that there is no blood in the abdomen (the recovered fluid is pink, but not grossly bloody). Rectal and vaginal exams show no injuries to those organs. There is no blood in her urine. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

48) A 34-year-old man is brought to the emergency department after being rescued from a burning building. His temperature is 36.90C (98.60 F), blood pressure is 90/60 mm Hg, pulse is 100/min and respirations are 28/min. Examination shows second and third degree burns over 15% of his body. His oropharynx shows erythema and scattered blisters. His lungs are clear to auscultation and his abdomen is soft and nondistended. His blood carboxyhemoglobin concentration is 20%. Which of the following is the best management for this patient?

49) A 28-year-old man is brought to the emergency department 4 hours after being involved in a motor vehicle collision. His blood pressure is 90/50 mm Hg, pulse is 120/min and respirations are 30/min. Examination shows a stuporous man with bruises over his extremities and upper abdomen. His trachea is midline and his neck veins are flat. His abdomen is moderately distended but non-tender. Immediately after being intubated and placed on mechanical ventilation he goes into cardiac arrest. Which of the following could have prevented cardiac arrest in this patient?

50) A 28-year-old male is brought to the emergency department after being an unrestrained passenger in a motor vehicle collision. In the ambulance on his way to the hospital, he receives 2 liters of normal saline intravenously and 5 Umin of oxygen by nasal cannula. On physical examination, his blood pressure is 100/70 mmHg, heart rate is 120/min, and respiratory rate is 40/min. He is agitated and moves all four extremities spontaneously. His pupils are symmetric and reactive to light. His neck veins are distended, and his trachea is deviated to the right. Which of the following is the best initial management for this patient?

52) A 23-year-old man is brought to the emergency department after being involved in a motor vehicle collision. He has multiple organ injuries and is listed in critical condition. Physical examination shows an open wound in the right lower extremity and significant blood loss. He is in hypovolemic shock. Which of the following is the first parameter to change in hypovolemic shock?

53) A 25-year-old man is brought to the emergency department after falling 12m (40ft) from a ladder. He is unconscious. Examination shows obvious head and neck injuries, and a fractured forearm. He is totally apneic. Which of the following would be the best method to establish an immediate definitive airway in this patient?

54) A 35-year-old previously healthy male comes to the emergency department because of a 4-hour history of severe abdominal pain. The pain had initially started in the periumbilical area but has now shifted to the right lower quadrant. He also felt nauseated and vomited twice. He has had no previous surgeries. His temperature is 38.9C (102F), blood pressure is 125/80 mm Hg, pulse is 100/min and respirations are 20/min. Examination shows tenderness in the right lower quadrant. Palpation of the left lower quadrant produces pain in the right lower quadrant. Urinalysis is negative. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

55) A 22-year-old man involved in a motor vehicle collision undergoes a prolonged operation to repair a left femur fracture and femoral artery injury. During the first night after surgery he has pain in the left leg. Despite adequate narcotics, his pain is unremitting; the pain is worse with passive leg movement. Examination shows a pale and swollen leg that is tender to the touch; pulses are palpable. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

57) A 27-year-old man sustains a single gunshot wound to the left thigh. In the ER, he is noted to have a large hematoma of his medial thigh. He complains of paresthesias in his left foot. On examination, there are weak pulses palpable distal to the injury and the patient is unable to move his foot. Which of the following is the most appropriate initial management of this patient?

58) A 25-year-old woman arrives in the ER following an automobile accident. She is acutely dyspneic with a respiratory rate of 60 breaths per minute. Breath sounds are markedly diminished on the right side. Which of the following is the best first step in the management of this patient?

59) A 75-year-old man with a history of coronary artery disease, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus undergoes a right hemicolectomy for colon cancer. On the second postoperative day, he complains of shortness of breath and chest pain. He becomes hypotensive with depressed mental status and is immediately transferred to the intensive care unit. After intubation and placement on mechanical ventilation, an echocardiogram confirms cardiogenic shock. A central venous catheter is placed that demonstrates a central venous pressure of 18 mm Hg. Which of the following is the most appropriate initial management strategy?

60) A 27-year-old man presents to the ER after a high-speed motor vehicle collision with chest pain and marked respiratory distress. On physical examination, he is hypotensive with distended neck veins and absence of breath sounds in the left chest. Which of the following is the proper initial treatment?

61) A 20-year-old man presents after being punched in the right eye and assaulted to the head. On a facial CT scan, he is noted to have a blowout fracture of the right orbital floor. Which of the following findings mandates immediate surgical intervention?

62) A 33-year-old woman is seen in the ER with severe rectal bleeding. She has a history of ulcerative colitis. Her blood pressure is 78/56 mm Hg, her pulse is 144, and she is pale and clammy. Which of the following responses is likely to occur after administration of Ringer lactate solution?

63) A 4-week-old male infant presents with projectile, nonbilious emesis. Ultrasound of the abdomen reveals a pyloric muscle thickness of 8 mm (normal 3-4 mm). Which of the following is the best initial management of this patient?

64) A 1-month-old female infant presents with persistent jaundice. A serum direct bilirubin is 4.0 mg/dL and an ultrasound of the abdomen shows a shrunken gallbladder and inability to visualize the extrahepatic bile ducts. Which of the following is the most appropriate initial management of this patient?

66) A 10-year-old girl is the unrestrained backseat passenger in a high-speed motor vehicle collision. She is intubated in the field for unresponsiveness and on presentation to the ER, her heart rate is 160 beats per minute, and her blood pressure is 60/35 mm Hg. She weighs 30 kg. Which of the following is the most appropriate recommendation for her fluid resuscitation?

67) A 21-year-old woman sustains a stab wound to the middle of the chest. Upon arrival to the ER she has equal breath sounds, blood pressure of 85/46 mm Hg, distended neck veins, and pulsus paradoxus. Which of the following is the most appropriate management of this patient?

68)A 58-year-old man presents to the ER after falling 10 ft from a ladder. Examination reveals stablevital signs, no evidence of respiratory distress, and multiple right-sided rib fractures. Chest x-ray shows a hemothorax on the right side and a right tube thoracostomy is performed in the ER. Approximately 700 mL of blood is immediately drained with placement of the thoracostomy tube. Over the next 4 hours he continues to drain 300 mL/h after the original evacuation. Which of the following is the definitive treatment for this patient?

69)A 25-year-old man is brought to the emergency department by ambulance after falling from a ladderfor 12 m (40 ft). He was placed on a backboard for spinal stabilization. Intravenous access was obtained en route, and infusion of crystalloids was initiated. The patient is comatose on arrival to the emergency department. Examination shows facial lacerations, a depressed skull fracture, and a forearm fracture. In the emergency department, his blood pressure is 92/45 mm Hg, pulse is 127/min, and respirations are 6/min. His pulse oximetry shows 86% on 40% facemask oxygen. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

71) A 42-year-old man is found unconscious at the scene of a motor vehicle collision. He is rushed to the emergency department, where his blood pressure is found to be 70/40 mm Hg and his respirations are 32/min. On physical examination, his trachea is deviated to the left and his breath sounds are decreased on the right side. His neck veins are distended bilaterally. The abdomen is soft and non-distended. There is significant swelling of the right thigh. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in the management of this patient?

72) A 54-year-old man is brought to the emergency department 10 minutes after being involved in a motor vehicle accident. He was an unrestrained driver and hit a car while speeding on the highway. On arrival to the emergency department, he is spontaneously breathing and noncyanotic. His temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), blood pressure is 104/50 mm Hg, pulse is 122/min, and respirations are 16/min. Examination shows facial lacerations and multiple ecchymoses on the anterior chest and abdomen. He appears obtunded. Which of the following is a component of the Glasgow coma scale (GCS) assessment for this patient?