Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The classification of internal bleeding is based on the location of the hemorrhage occurring within the body rather than on the surface. Internal sources of hemorrhage are not visible from the outside and typically occur in enclosed spaces within the body, where blood can accumulate without being externally evident.

The types of hemorrhage mentioned involve bodily cavities and structures where blood can escape from vessels into the space surrounding organs or within tissue. For example, intrathoracic bleeding may occur in the chest cavity around the lungs due to trauma, while intraperitoneal and retroperitoneal bleeding involves bleeding in the abdominal cavity and spaces behind the abdominal wall respectively. Similarly, pelvic bleeding is associated with trauma to the pelvic organs, and long bone fractures can lead to bleeding from the surrounding vascular structures or within the medullary cavity of the bone.

Other options refer to bleeding types that are either superficial or outside the internal cavities. Capillary and venous bleeding, while they can also be serious, typically represent external sources unless otherwise stated. External abrasions and lacerations are clearly visible injuries, and subcutaneous hematomas, although they occur beneath the skin, are still externally recognizable and do not fit the strict definition of internal hemorrhage. Thus, the correct identification of internal bleeding