ch.28 head and spine injuries Flashcards
central nervous system
brain, spinal cord, nuclei and cell bodies of most nerve cells
brain
center of consciousness
cerebrum
contains 75% of the brains total volume
cerebellum
coordinates balance and body movements
brainstems
controls virtually all the functions that are necessary for life
spinal cord
mostly made up of fibers that extend from the brains nerve cells white matter consists of fiber pathways
meninges
three distinct layers of tissue
closed brain injury
no opening to the, Injury in which the brain has been injured but the skin has not been broken and there is no obvious bleeding
open brain injury
opening from the brain to the outside, Injury to the head often caused by a penetrating object in which there may be bleeding and exposed brain tissue
penetrating trauma
bleeding and exposed brain tissues
what is the most common moi for brain injury
mva/mvc
scalp laceration
often a sign of a more serious head injury
skull fracture
deformed head, visible cracks in skull
ecchymosis (battle signs)
bruising under eyes and behind ears
Anterograde (post traumatic) amnesia
Inability to remember events after an injury
Injuries in which load is applied along the vertical or longitudinal axis of the spine, which results in load being transmitted along the entire length of the vertebral column; for example, falling from a height and landing on the feet in an upright position
Axial loading injuries
Bruising behind an ear over the mastoid process that may indicate a skull fracture
Battle sign
Swelling of the brain
Cerebral edema
A temporary loss or alteration of part or all of the brain’s abilities to function without actual physical damage to the brain
concussion
Coup-contrecoup injury
Intervertebral disc
The cushion that lies between two vertebrae
Dual impacting of the brain into the skull; coup injury occurs at the point of impact; contrecoup injury occurs on the opposite side of impact, as the brain rebounds
An accumulation of blood between the skull and the dura mater
epidural hematoma
A head position in which the patient’s eyes are looking straight ahead and the head and torso are in line
Eyes forward position
The recommended procedure for moving a patient with a suspected spinal injury from the ground to a long backboard or other spinal immobilization device
Four-person log roll
The cushion that lies between two vertebrae
Intervertebral disc
Bleeding within the brain tissue (parenchyma) itself; also referred to as an intraparenchymal hematoma
Intracerebral hematoma
Intracranial pressure (ICP)
The pressure within the cranial vault
Actions of the body that are not under a person’s conscious control
Involuntary activities
Account for 80% of skull fractures; also referred to as non displaced skull fractures; commonly occur in the temporal-parietal region of the skull; not associated with deformities to the skull
Linear skull fractures
An injury to the brain and its associated structures that is a direct result of impact to the head
Primary (direct) injury
The inability to remember events leading up to a head injury
Retrograde amnesia
The after effects of the primary injury; includes abnormal processes such as cerebral edema, increased intracranial pressure, cerebral ischemia and hypoxia, and infection; onset is often delayed following the primary brain injury
Secondary (indirect) injury
Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
A traumatic insult to the brain capable of producing physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and vocational changes
Bleeding into the subarachnoid space, where the cerebrospinal fluid circulates
An accumulation of blood beneath the dura mater but outside the brain
Subdural hematoma
A traumatic insult to the brain capable of producing physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and vocational changes
Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Actions that we consciously perform, in which sensory input or conscious thought determines a specific muscular activity
The five sections of the spinal column, in descending order, are the:
cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal.
Voluntary activities
What part of the nervous system controls the body’s voluntary activities?
somatic
When activated, the sympathetic nervous system produces all of the following effects,
- shunting of blood to vital organs.
- increase in heart rate.
- dilation of the bronchiole smooth muscle.
The five sections of the spinal column, in descending order, are the:
cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal.
Hyperextension injuries of the spine are MOST commonly the result of:
hangings
