Which of the following is a trauma secondary finding (status 2)?

• A. Laceration to scalp
• B. Contusion to thigh
• C. Pelvic fracture
• D. Fracture of the clavicle with no neuro compromise

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is how injuries found during the secondary survey are classified by severity. In trauma care, the primary survey handles life-threatening problems right away, while the secondary survey looks for additional injuries that aren’t immediately life-threatening but still require urgent attention. A status 2 secondary finding is a significant injury that suggests potential complications (like hidden blood loss or instability) and needs prompt evaluation and transport, even though it isn’t an immediate airway, breathing, or massive circulation threat.

A pelvic fracture fits this well. It isn’t usually something you treat at once to save the airway or stop an obvious bleed, but it signals a high risk of serious internal bleeding, pelvic instability, and injury to surrounding organs. That combination makes it a classic status 2 finding: important, potentially deteriorating, and requiring rapid but not emergent life-saving action.

The other options tend to be either minor or less likely to indicate hidden, life-threatening consequences. A scalp laceration is a superficial wound, a thigh contusion is a soft-tissue injury, and a clavicle fracture without neuro compromise, while painful and requiring immobilization, does not on its own imply the same level of internal risk as a pelvic fracture.