A 14-year-old male fell 10 feet from a retaining wall and hit his head on a metal post. He is responsive to verbal stimuli with incomprehensible speech. The secondary assessment indicates blood and fluid coming from inside the patient's left ear. You should do which one of the following?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Placing a piece of sterile gauze over the ear will prevent any further bleeding and protect the ear from further injury or infection. Tilting the backboard or placing anything inside the ear canal should be avoided as it may worsen the patient's condition. Suctioning the blood from the ear is also not recommended as it may cause more harm than good, and the source of bleeding can be determined through other means.

A 14-Year-Old Male Fell 10 Feet from a Retaining Wall