Neurological Injuries: Skull and Brain injuries Flashcards
Skull injury
T/F: Damages brain
May or may not
Skull injury
Open fracture– what is torn?
Dura
Skull injury
Closed fracture
What is torn?
Dura NOT torn
Skull injury
With basal skull fractures, you see bleeding where?
EENT
Skull injury
Battle sign
Bruising over mastoid
Skull injury
Raccoon eye
Periorbital bruising
Skull injury
Cerebrospinal rinorrhea?
Leaking spinal fluid from your nose
Skull injury
How do we tell CSF from other drainage?
CSF is positive for glucose and halo test
Skull injury
What requires surgery?
Non-depressed skull fractures usually do not require surgery
Depressed fractures do require surgery
Brain injury: Concussion
What is this?
Temporary loss of neurologic function with complete recovery
Brain injury: Concussion
How long of unconsciousness?
Will have short (maybe seconds) period of unconsciousness or may just get dizzy/see spots
Brain injury: Concussion
Teach caregiver what?
To bring client back to ED if the following occur:
- Difficult awakening/speaking
- Confusion
- Severe HA
- Vomiting
- Pulse changes
- Unequal pupils
- One-sided weakness
*All of these are signs that the ICP is going up
Brain injury: Hematomas
A small hematoma that develops rapidly may be ___, while massive hematoma that develops slowly may allow client to __
Fatal; adapt
Brain injury: Epidural hematomas
Rupture of ?
Middle meningeal artery (fast bleeder under high pressure)
Brain injury: Epidural hematomas
Patho
Injury– LOC– Recovery– Cant compensate any longer– Neuro changes
