Brain and Cranial Nerves: Clinical Views and Articles Flashcards
Typically caused by viral or bacterial infection. Early symptoms include fever, severe headaches, vomiting, and a stiff neck
Meningitis
typically produces more severe symptoms than the other type and may result in brain damage and death if left untreated.
Bacterial Meningitis
Why are most teenagers recommended to get the bacterial meningitis vaccine prior to attending college?
both viral and bacterial meningitis are contagious and are spread through respiratory droplets or oral secretions. it is a disease that may spread reapidly through college dormitories or military barracks (living in close quarters)
pooling of blood outside of a vessel
hematoma
result of a ruptured artery, when a pool of blood forms in the epidural space of the brain
epidural hematoma
What is usually the cause of an epidural hematoma? What happens to the adjacent brain tissue? How do you prevent severe neurologic injury and death?
It is usually due to a severe blow to the head. The adjacent brain tissue becomes distorted and compressed as a result of the hematoma continuing to increase in size. Severe nuerologic injury and death may occur if the bleeding is not stopped and the accumulated blood removed by surgically drilling a hole in the skull, suctioning out the blood, and ligating the bleeding vessel
what does ligating mean?
tying off
hemorrhage that occurs in the subural space between the dura mater and the arachnoid mater
subdural hematoma
What usually causes a subdural hematoma? What effect does it have on the brain tissue? How is it treated?
It is usually caused by ruptured veins by either fast or violent rotational motion of the head. Blood pools in this space and compresses the brain. They are treated similarly to epidural hematomas.
Do epidural or subdural hematomas tend to occur more slowly?
subdural hematoma events occur more slowly than epidural hematomas
