Head Injuries Flashcards
What is the difference between primary + secondary brain injury due to head injury?
Primary: occurs at time of injury
Secondary: occurs due to consequence of injury
What does a patient with an anterior cranial fossa fracture look like? (buzzword)
Racoon/panda eyes
What does a patient with a middle cranial fossa fracture look like? (buzzword)
Battle sign bruising over mastoid area
No pupillary response to light suggest which cranial nerve palsy?
CN III
A coma equates to what score on the Glasgow Coma Score?
8
When should a CT scan be requested in head trauma?
Any one of the following: Skull fracture GCS less than 15 Focal neurological signs Taking warfarin
Extradural heamatoma is bleeding where?
Between the dura and the bone
An extradural heamatoma is often caused by a temporoparietal skull fracture, meaning the bleeding typically comes from which artery?
Middle meningeal
Describe the typical progression of symptoms experienced by a patient with a traumatic extradural haematoma
Brief loss of consciousness followed by a period of consciousness and awareness followed by rapid deterioration
An CT an extradual haematoma has what kind of appearance?
A hyperdense biconvex lens-shaped appearance (looks like a big white semicircle attached to the bone)
Subdural haematomas are bleeding where?
Between the dura and the arachnoid layer
Who is most prone to subdural haematomas?
The elderly
Which veins are affected in subdural haematomas?
Bridging veins
How long does it take for a chronic subdural haematoma to present?
3-7 weeks
What symptoms might a patient experience in a chronic subdural heamatoma?
- Headache
- Confusion
- Urinary incontinence
- Weakness
- Seizures
- Cognitive dysfunctions
- Gait abnormalities
