4.19 TBI Flashcards
What are some classic things that may happen after TBI?
- perseverating
- amnesia
- emotional things
perseverate
get stuck on a thought, asking the same question, etc
emotional considerations post TBI
may be more easily angered, saddened, etc.
categories of TBIs
- open
- closed
- blast injury
- secondary injury
- acquired brain injury
types of open brain injury
cranial vault opened
- fracture, etc.
- penetrating
What are some potential complications with penetrating brain injuries?
- worry about infection
- likely has been tissue loss
closed brain injuries
- concussion
- coup-countercoup (rebound)
closed TBI: What creates injury to brain tissue?
- initial force
- shear
➡︎ can injure blood vessels
➡︎ cell death of brain tissue
What can happen if CSF is blocked from a TBI?
hydrocephalus
Blast injury
- concussion from a blast
- can come from waves of pressure from the blast or being thrown from the blast
What is the problem with addressing blast injuries?
Many will hide these problems (don’t want to seem weak)
secondary TBI
diffuse axonal injury
- soft brain smacking around in the sharp jaggedy cranial vault creates spotty array of s/s
- not every cell is affected!
ABI
acquired brain injury
What is an ABI caused by?
hypoxic event
- birth (cord wrapped around, loss of oxygen, etc.)
- near drowning
- autoasphyxia
What are the severity categories of TBI?
- mild
- moderate/severe
Why are mild TBIs often missed?
concussions
- don’t always have to become unconscious to have a mild TBI
How long can mild TBIs last?
can have s/s up to a year later
early s/s of mild TBI
- KO’s under 20 mins
- loss of sense of smell
- nausea
physical complaints of mild TBI
- Fatigue
- HA
- visual problems
- dizziness
- seizures (can happen)
- sensitivity to light/sound
Why might visual problems happen with mild TBI?
- coup-countercoup injury
- occipital lobe hits
cognitive s/s from mild TBI
- confusion
- memory loss
- poor attention
- slow thinking
psychological s/s from mild TBI
- depression
- moodiness
major differences in mild and mod/severe TBI
LENGTH of unconsciousness
same effects, but lasting
moderate TBI: unconscious time
20 minutes » 6 hours
severe TBI: unconscious time
6 or more hours LOC
physical s/s mod/severe TBI
- vision
- hearing loss, tinnitus
- loss of smell/taste
- seizures
- bowel/bladder issues
- ANS goes haywore (HR/BP)
vision issues with mod/severe TBI
- blurred
- blindness
- double vision (that lasts forever)
- light intolerance
cognitive s/s from mod/severe TBI
- decreased attention
- speed of processing
- reading and writing issues
- planning is hard
reading and writing issues with mod/severe TBI pt
- sensory/motor issues
- often look like a stroke pt, but more diffuse
psychological problems with TBI pt (mod/severe)
- perseveration that lasts
- impulsiveness
