A patient presents to the Level I trauma center after being involved in a 70-car pile-up on Interstate 35. He has multiple injuries and was crushed between several cars. This is a life-threatening injury, and he has severe muscle trauma. What is your suspicion regarding the possible complications this patient might be experiencing? (Select all that apply)

Choice A reason: Antibiotics treat bacterial infections, but inspiratory stridor, cough, and tachypnea suggest acute airway obstruction, like croup or bronchospasm. Antibiotics are not immediate for these symptoms, as they address infection, not airway narrowing, making this a lower-priority treatment.

Choice B reason: Sputum culture identifies pathogens but is not urgent for inspiratory stridor, which indicates airway compromise needing immediate relief. Cultures guide long-term therapy, not acute management, making this an incorrect priority for the patient’s presentation.

Choice C reason: Inhaled bronchodilators, like albuterol, are the priority for inspiratory stridor, nonproductive cough, and tachypnea, as they relax airway smooth muscles, relieving bronchospasm or narrowing. This addresses acute airway obstruction, common in conditions like asthma or croup, making it the correct treatment.

Choice D reason: History of illness exposure informs diagnosis but delays treatment for acute airway symptoms. Inspiratory stridor requires immediate intervention to ensure airway patency, making history-taking secondary to addressing the urgent respiratory distress, thus an incorrect priority.

Choice A reason: The nasal compartment refers to the nasal cavity, not specific colored areas. Paranasal sinuses are air-filled cavities around the nose, often highlighted in anatomical diagrams, making this an incorrect term for the described structures.

Choice B reason: Paranasal sinuses, including frontal, ethmoid, sphenoid, and maxillary sinuses, are air-filled cavities around the nasal cavity, often colored in anatomical images. This matches the question’s reference to colored areas, making it the correct term.

Choice C reason: Runny nose describes a symptom (rhinorrhea), not anatomical structures. The question refers to colored areas, likely in a diagram, which aligns with sinuses, not a clinical condition, making this an incorrect choice.

Choice D reason: Olfactory bulbs are neural structures for smell, located above the nasal cavity, not typically colored as distinct areas in sinus diagrams. Paranasal sinuses are the highlighted structures, making this an incorrect term for the described areas.