Chapters 13-15 Flashcards
-a mechanism of brain injury in which the head comes to a sudden stop but the brain continues to move back and forth inside the skull, causing injury at the site of impact and to the opposite side of the brain
Coup-Contrecoup
signs and symptoms of brain injury
- weird behavior
- nausea
- unequal pupils
- headache
- double vision
- loss of memory
- weakness
- seizure
- heart rate became slow
4 types of skull fractures
1) depressed
2) linear
3) comminuted
4) basilar
-break in base of skull
basilar
-point of impact; multiple cracks radiating from the center (cracked egg shell)
Comminuted
-most common; thin line crack in the skull. Least serious and most difficult to detect
Linear
-object strikes the skull, leaving an obvious deformity; bone fragments are often driven into the protective tissue surrounding the brain
Depressed
signs and symptoms of skull fracture
- contusions
- deformity of the skull
- clear fluid coming from ears nose or mouth
- raccoon eyes
- battle’s sign
-bruising around the eyes in the absence of trauma to the eyes; a very late sign of skull fracture
raccoon eyes
-bruising behind the ears; over the mastoid process; very late sign of skull fracture
battle’s sign
mechanisms can cause spinal injury
- compression
- flexion, extension, rotation
- lateral bending
- distraction
-the sudden pulling apart of the spine that stretches and tears the cord
distraction
2 major complications of spinal injury
inadequate breathing effort
paralysis
T/F For a head-injured victim, use the head-tilt/chin-lift maneuver to open the airway
False
T/F Forceful vomiting may be a sign of head injury
True
T/F A basilar skull fracture is the most common and least serious
False
T/F Face and scalp wounds may bleed heavily, but the bleeding is usually easy to control
True
T/F It is not possible for a spine-injured victim to walk around
False
T/F Spinal injury precautions should be taken in all cases of head trauma
True
T/F the airway is the first priority for a spine-injured victim
true
T/F always pad behind the neck of a victim on a rigid support
False
T/F any trauma severe enough to cause injury to the brain can also cause injury to the spine
True
T/F with proper precautions, one first aider can safely remove a victim’s helmet
false
if a victim has blood or cerebrospinal fluid draining from the ears but shows no indication of spinal injury, the first step in first aid care is to
establish and maintain an open airway
which of the following methods of maintaining an open airway should be used on an unresponsive victim with a head injury
modified jaw thrust
with a comminuted skull fracture
-multiple cracks radiate from the center of impact
what is the most common characteristic of Battle’s signs
a bruise like mark behind either ear
which of the following occurs in coup-contrecoup injury to the brain?
all of the above
which of the following is NOT a sign of spinal injury?
position of the legs
Check for spinal cord damage in a responsive victim by
asking the victim to wiggle fingers and toes
how many poisonings happen per year in the USA?
1 and 2 million
what percent of poisonings are at the home?
90%
Poisoning is the ____ common cause of death in the US and leading in children
3rd
4 ways to get poisoned
1) ingesting
2) inhaling
3) penetration/injection
4) absorption
most common things that can poison you when swallowed
- aspirin
- acetaminophen
- alcohol
- detergents or soap
- household cleaning products
- petroleum distillates
poisonous plants
- holly
- mistletoe
- english ivy
- poinsetta