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Which of the following is a sign of compartment syndrome?

a) Absence of pain at the injury site
b) Extreme redness to the injury site
c) A bounding pulse distal to the injury site
d) Pain upon passive movement of the injury site

1 Answer

3 votes

Final answer:

Pain upon passive movement of the injury site is a sign of compartment syndrome, a condition where increased pressure within muscles can lead to serious complications. The correct answer is d) Pain upon passive movement of the injury site

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer is d) Pain upon passive movement of the injury site. Compartment syndrome is a painful and dangerous condition that occurs when pressure within the muscles builds to dangerous levels. This pressure can decrease blood flow, preventing nourishment and oxygen from reaching nerve and muscle cells.

Compartment syndrome often presents with pain that is out of proportion to the injury and does not go away with pain medication. Pain upon passive stretching of the muscles in the affected compartment is one of the earliest signs. While symptoms like extreme redness might be associated with inflammation or infection rather than compartment syndrome, a bounding pulse distal to the injury site could be present in early stages but may diminish as the syndrome progresses. Lastly, the absence of pain would not typically indicate this syndrome as pain is a primary symptom.

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