Neurological Flashcards
A brain insult that results from a mechanical disruption of brain tissue from an external impact or injury to the head refers to
traumatic brain injury
4 lobes of the brain
frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital
3 points that death occurs at after a TBI?
(1) immediately after injury
(2) within 2 hrs of injury
(3) approx. 3 weeks after injury
4 ventricles containing CSF?
right cerebral hemisphere, left cerebral hemisphere, midbrain, central canal of the spinal cord
“a change in any one of these components must be accompanied by a reciprocal change in one or both of the other components. If this reciprocal change is not accomplished, the result is an increase in intracranial pressure” this is known as
Monroe-Kellie hypothesis
formula for ICP?
Brain volume (80%) + cerebral blood volume (12%) + CSF (8%)
Normal ICP
0 - 15 mmHg
the pressure gradient associated with cerebral blood flow (CBF) that is necessary to supply adequate amounts of blood to the brain refers to
cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP)
CPP must be greater than ____ to ensure adequate cerebral perfusion
70 mmHg
CPP formula
MAP (mean arterial pressure) - ICP = CPP
A brain insult that results from a mechanical disruption of brain tissue from an external impact or injury to the head refers to
TBI
transportation related accidents account for _____ of all TBI’s
50%
3 primary mechanisms of injury associated with TBI?
(1) acceleration/deceleration
(2) rotational
(3) penetration
acceleration injury occurs when
a moving blunt object strikes the head involving transfer of injury along a linear path - causes injury at site of impact
deceleration injury occurs when
the head strikes an immovable object and as the skull ceases movement, the brain continues to move until it hits the skull - force of deceleration causes brain injury as it hits the skull
what is coup-countre coup injury?
occurs when following the initial acceleration (coup) injury, the brain rebounds and sustains additional decelerations (countre coup) injury
rotational injuries occur when
rotational forces cause the brain to twist within the meninges and the skull, resulting in stretching and tearing of blood vessels and shearing of neurons
primary brain injury occurs
at the moment of impact as a result of mechanical forces to the head
secondary brain injury occurs
at the biochemical and cellular response to the initial trauma that can exacerbate the primary injury and cause loss of brain tissue not originally damaged
skull fractures are caused by
substantial force absorbed by the skull with or without underlying brain tissue injury
clinical manifestations associated with a basilar skull fracture
CSF coming out of the ears and nose, racoon eyes, Battle’s sign, positive halo sign
what is a positive halo sign
a clot in the CSF
what is Battle’s sign
bruising / hematoma around the ear
focal brain injuries
injuries localized to the area of direct injury in the brain
cerebral hematoma
- result of injury to a cerebral vein or artery
- a group of focal cerebral injuries associated with the accumulation of blood in the cranial vault
subdural hematoma (SDH)
accumulation of blood between the dura and the arachnoid layers of the meninges
Subdural hematoma is usually secondary to
venous injury in subdural space leading to slow onset of symptoms often not recognized for days or weeks
acute subdural hematoma is less than __ hrs
48
what are the symptoms of acute subdural hematoma
drowsiness, headache, confusion, slowed thinking, agitation, unilateral abnormality
chronic subdural hematoma lasts for ___ weeks
2
symptoms of chronic subdural hematoma
headache, lethargy, absent-mindedness, vomiting, seizures, stiff-neck, pupil changes, hemiparesis
epidural hematoma occurs in
the space between the dura mater and the skull