Head Trauma Flashcards
What is a coup injury?
Injury at site of impact
What is a contrecoup injury?
Injury on opposite side from impact
A halo test is conducted to test for what possible fracture?
Basilar skull
What is a epidural hematoma?
Bleeding between dura mater and skull
Which artery is most commonly associated with epidural hematomas?
Middle meningeal artery
Which type of hematoma results in herniation of brain toward the formen magnum?
Epidural hematoma
What is a subdural hematoma?
Bleeding within the meninges
Bleeding which occurs beneath the dura mater and within the subarachnoid space above the pia mater is known as?
Subdural hematoma
Which head bleed is a slow type of bleed?
Subdural hematoma
Which type of head bleed has a fast onset?
Epidural hematoma
What is retrograde amnesia?
Forgetting what happened before the injury
What is cushings reflex?
Increased BP, Bradycardia, and erratic respirations
In head injuries, pulse pressure _____.
Widens
In head injuries, systolic ____ and diastolic _____.
Rises and stays the same
In a head injuries, heart rate ____.
Slows
What is the most common respirations seen in a brain injury?
Cheyne stokes
What is decorticating posturing?
Flexion
Forearms are inwardly rotated.
Decorticate posturing
What are the three parts of the Glasgow coma scale?
Eye opening, verbal response, motor response
Why is oxygen contraindicated for a head injury?
Hyperventilation reduces circulating CO2 levels
What is the primary first line drug for a head injury?
Oxygen
Why should EtCO2 be titrated to 37 mmHg?
This will keep cerebral spinal fluid slightly alkalotic causing minor cerebral vasoconstriction
What is mannitol?
Large glucose molecule that does not leave the blood stream
OSMOTIC DIURETIC
What is cushings reflex?
A response due to cerebral ischemia that causes an increase in systemic blood pressure, which maintains cerebral perfusion during increased intracranial pressure
