Head injuries

Question 1

Major head trauma

Answer 1

A traumatic insult to the brain possibly producing physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and vocational changes
- High potential for poor outcome
- Majority of deaths occur at three points in time after injury
Immediately
Within 2 hours
3 weeks after injury

Question 2

Ethology of head injuries

Answer 2

Young adults
- Sports injuries**
- Accidents (Car and motorcycles)
- Violent assaults
Boxers and other athletes
- Contact sports
Elderly
- Falls
Infants
- Shaken baby syndrome

Question 3

Scalp laceration

Answer 3

The most minor type of head trauma
Scalp is high vascular = Profuse bleeding
Major complication is infection

Question 4

Head injuries: Skull fracture
Linear

Answer 4

Simple clean break in skull

Question 5

Head injuries: Skull fracture
Comminuted

Answer 5

Skull in fragmented pieces

Question 6

Head injuries: Skull fracture Depressed

Answer 6

Skull bone fragments pushed into brain

Question 7

Head injuries: Skull fracture Basilar

Answer 7

At base of skull, may extend to temporal bone
- Can cause CSF or blood leak from the nose
- Battles sign
- Racoon eyes
- If CSF is leaking, risk for infection is high

Question 8

Battle’s signis

Answer 8

is bruising behind the ear that indicates a Basilar skull fracture. mastoid ecchymosi

Question 9

Periorbital ecchymosis

Answer 9

racoon eyes

Question 10

Open head injury

Answer 10

Opening through skull and dura
- Injury breaks the dura and exposes the cranial contents to the environment
- Causes primarily focal injuries