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