Neuromuscular Unit 11 TBI and Ataxia Flashcards
With Brain Injury, what are the 2 specific mechanisms?
- Anoxic Brain Injury: Oxygen deprivation to the brain (such as a stroke or heart attack)
- TBI: Brain injury caused by direct blunt trauma from external forces, rapid acceleration/decelertion, or from explosion
-Primary: direct tissue damange
-Secondary: subsequent event after inital truama
What is the Pathophysiology of TBI?
Primary Brain injury-damage occurs at the moment of impact, they may exhibit:
- Focal Brain Injury
–Coup-contrecoup injury
–Polar Brain Injury - Blast Injury
- Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI)
With TBI, what is a Focal Brain Injury?
Coup-Contrecoup Vs Polar Brain injuries.
These injuries occur at the site of impact. Damage may take the form of a contusion or laceration or both.
- Coup-contrecoup: If the brain is hit hard enough, the brain will bounce and make contact with the skull at the opposite site of the local brain damage. (Coup=the injury that occurs within the first point of contact. Contrecoup= the injury on the opposite side)
- Polar Brain injury: Occurs in response to an acceleration, deceleration as well as rotational forces (Common in head on collisions), the frontal and temporal lobes are most susceptible to injury
One of the medical management for TBI is the monitoring of ICP. What is normal ICP and when is it a red flag or a danger?
- Normal ICP is 4-15 mmHG
- After TBI, 15-20 mmHG is expected
- > 25mmHG is a Red Flag and measures will be taken to reduce the pressure
- Danger >40mmHG because impaired blood flow to the brain can cause secondary injury
If ICP goes above 20mmHG notify the nurses &/or doctor and modify intervention
If ICP goes above 30mmHG immediately STOP all interventions and notify nurses and doctors
What are some of the Manifestations a TBI patient may present with?
- Motor and Sensory Impairment
- Cognitive Impairment
-Coma
-Vegitative state
-Minimally consious state - Behavioral changes
-Aggression/Agitation
-Emotional lability
-Apathy
TBI OM
What is the Glascow Coma Scale?
- A scale that looks at 3 responses: Motor, Verbal and Eye opening
- Score of < 8 are characterized as severe
- Low GCS scores have been associated with poor prognosis
Score betwenn 13-15 are characterized as Mild Injury
TBI OM
What is the Rancho Los Amigos (RLA)?
It assesses the Levels Of Cognitive Functioning (LOCF)
I. No response
II. Generalized Response
III. Localized Response
IV. Confused-Agitated
V. Confused-Inappropriate
VI. Confused-Appropriate
VII. Automatic-Appropriate
VIII. Purposeful-Appropriate
The first 3 are severe disorder of consciousness on the Coma Recovery Scale (coma, vegetative, MCS)
Multidisciplinary Management after TBI
What is the Physicans Role with TBI patients?
They manage meds. and important info regarding hormonal levels, BP regulations, etc
Multidisciplinary Management after TBI
What is the SLP Role with TBI patients?
They handle the responsibility of verbal and non-verbal communication, as well as comprehension and swallowing
Multidisciplinary Management after TBI
What is the OT Role with TBI patients?
They are concered with the patients return to activites that are necessary for normal everyday functioning, toileting, bowel and bladder management, dressing, eating, grooming, driving, a
Multidisciplinary Management after TBI
What is the Nurses Role with TBI patients?
With TBI patients, they can help with ICP difficulties, possible feeding abnormalites when the patient has a G-tube or a PEG.
Multidisciplinary Management after TBI
What is the Case Manager and Social Workers Role with TBI patients?
They will usually lead the team meetings and will coordinate the payments to insurance and other third party payers. They are also patient advocates that can assist in obtaining other means of compensation, counseling and finding opportunities for support groups
Multidisciplinary Management after TBI
What is the Neuropsychologist Role with TBI patients?
They are important to decide the ultimate ability for the patient to resume work or household related functions. From a cognitive and behavioral standpoint
Multidisciplinary Management after TBI
What is the Respiratory Therapist’s Role with TBI patients?
They are often an important player in the Acute stage as the patient may need assistance with breathing activities beyond a ventilatory or needs specific sectioning
- Also at times, if a fragile patient needs to be transferred for therapy and that patient is on a ventilator, the respiratory therapist may attend the beginning and end of the session
With PT Management, what must be done at the Evaluation?
- Thorough history and chart review
-Double check weight bearing status, vitals, orthostasis, co-morbidities (wounds), ICP
-Double check swallowing status - Normal evaluation components (ROM, strength, sensation, integumentary check, reflexes, mobility, etc)
With PT Management, what must be done at the Plan of Care?
- Set according to a multidisciplinary model of care
- Utilizing recovery vs. compensatory strategies
With PT Management, what must be done at the Interventions?
- Decreasing possibility of secondary complications
- Initiate mobility early (as tolerated by the patient from a safety standpoint)
- Environment
When designing Interventions with TBI patients, what must we consider?
- Motor learning/Motor control (Practice schedule/Feedback schedule)
- Motivation
- Recovery vs. Compensatory
- Task specific/Neuroplasticity
- Patient/Caregiver education
When designing Interventions Modifications may need to be made, what modifications may be made with Moderate to Severe Brain Injury?
- When the pt is not able to focus for a long period of time also they may emulate the behaviors of the therapist to find a normal, remaining calm will help provide a model of the behavior that is expected
- Try to remain consistent, frustration levels will increase if inconsistency occurs. This related to scheduling day-to-day interactions, this can also reduce anxiety
- Choices are good to engage with patients in order to allow them to have a small bit of control over a situation
- These patients will have limited carryover, setting expectations too high will undoubtedly frustrate your patient and lead to decreased participation during therpay
When designing Interventions Modifications may need to be made, what modifications may be made with Mild Brain Injury?
- These patient may respond to higher level interventions such as dual tasking or initial return to play intervnetions.
- Return to play interventions, however need to be approached with a strict precaution to avoid the reoccurrence of sx
TBI OM
What is the HiMAT OM?
This is an OM for those higher level functioning patients, that looks at high level balance and mobility
- The requirement for the HiMAT is independent ambulation of at least 20 meters
TBI OM
What is the Community Balance and Mobility Scale?
This is an OM used for higher level individuals
- Recommended by the TBI EDGE
- This OM unlike the HiMAT allows the individuals to wear orthotics, but also requires them to ambulate without any ADs
What is Community Re-Integration for TBI patients? What is the Community Integration Questionnaire?
These are facilities that focus on training individuals to return to their normal or near normal activities within the community
- The community Integration Questionnaire is an OM primarily in the outpatient or home health setting to grade the individuals ability to return to living an independent lifestyle
Disorders of Consciousness (DOC)
How will a patient in the Coma state of consciousness present?
This is also the 1st stage of the Rancho Los Amigos Level of Cognitive Functioing Scale