Exam 2: Craniocerebral Trauma, Tumors, & Inflammation Flashcards
What are head injuries defined as ?
Any injury or trauma to the scalp, skull, or brain
What are the most common causes of Head injuries ?
- Falls*
- MVA*
- Firearms
- Sports
- Recreation
- War
How much more likely are males to suffer head injuries than females ?
twice as likely
CranioCerebral Traumas are caused by what ?
Sudden force to the head
What are types of sudden forces to the head, that cause Craniocerebral Trauma ?
- Accleration (blow to a head. Ex: hit with a bat)
- Deceleration
(when a person comes to an abrupt halt & the brain tissue continues to move forward in the cranium) - Compression
(Impact & bleeding can cause compression on the brain tissue) - Penetration (Ex: Gun shot wound, Arrow, etc)
(essentially anything that penetrates the skull into the brain tissue)
What is a Coup-Contrecoup Contusion ?
A coup injury occurs at the site of injury & a contrecoup injury occurs on the side opposite of the area that was hit
What are the different types of skull fractures ?
- Frontal
- Orbital
- Temporal
- Parietal
- basilar
With Frontal skull fractures, there is exposure through were ?
through the frontal sinus
What is a symptoms associated with a Frontal skull fracture ?
Rhinorrhea - CSF leaking through the nose
What is a distinguishing sign with Orbital skull fractures ?
Raccoon eyes (periorbital ecchymosis)
What are signs/symptoms associated with a Temporal skull fracture ?
- Boggy temporal muscle
- Oval shaped bruise behind the ear (aka: Battles sign)
- Otorrhea (CSF leaking out of the ear)
What are signs and symptoms associated with Parietal skull fractures ?
- Deafness
- Otorrhea (CSF leaking out of the ear)
- Facial paralysis
- Loss of taste
- Battles sign (bruising behind the ear0
What are signs & symptoms associated with a Basilar skull fracture ?
- Otorrhea (CSF or brain)
- Bulging tympanic membrane
(when looking inside ear w/ an otoscope) - Battles sign (bruising behind the ear)
- Difficulty hearing
- Tinnitus (Ringing in the ear)
When pt’s have CSF leaks with skull fractures, there is a HIGH risk for what ?
High risk for infection !
b/c there is an opening in the spinal column
Pt’s with CSF leaks from skull fractures will need what ?
Aggressive antibiotic treatment
True or False: CSF does have sugar in it ?
True !
What are complications of Skull Fractures ?
- Intracranial infection**
- Hematoma
- Meningeal & brain tissue damage
- Leakage of CSF
(can interfere w/the normal balance of CSF within the spinal column) - Risk for Seizures
What are Meninges of the brain & spinal cord ?
Membranes that line the skull and the spine
meninges enclose the brain & spinal cord
What do we know about concussions ?
- Diffuse injury
- May or may not lose consciousness
(important to note if they did or did not) - Symptoms are typically of short duration
- important to note if the pt has amnesia from the event
What are we looking for in patients who suffered a concussion ?
Post Concussion Syndrome
When does somebody with Post Concussion Syndrome typically present after they’ve had a concussion ?
2-3 weeks after injury
What are manifestations of Post Concussion Syndrome ?
- Headache
- Lethargy
- Change in personality
- Changes in attention span
What is a Contusion ?
Bruising of the brain in a focal area
A contusion may contain areas of what ?
- Hemorrhage
- Infarct (death of brain tissue)
- Edema
- any of these 3 can cause symptoms *