TBI Flashcards
Who’s most likely to get TBI?
80% are men btwn 18-30y/o
Leading causes of TBI (5)
- Falls (35%)
- MVA (23%)
- Unknown (21%)
- Struck by/against (16%)
- Assault (10%)
Types of TBI (2)
- Penetrating
2. Closed
What’s a closed TBI?
An injury to the brain caused by mvmt of the brain within the skill. AKA Closed Head Injury (CHI). e.g. falls, MVA, struck by/against
What’s a penetrating TBI?
An injury to the brain caused by a foreign object entering the skull. eg GSW.
What’s a coup-countercoup injury?
Due to sudden stop/impact - brain hits inside of skill in direction of impact (due to inertia) then bounces back other way & sides other side of skull. Damage occurs at both locations. e.g. whiplash - direct impact isn’t necessary
Causes of Non-Traumatic Brain Injury (5)
- Drug overdoes
- Chronic substance abuse
- Carbon monoxide
- Enviro exposure (toxins)
- Anoxia *Most severe, affects whole brain
Factors for TBI prognosis (6)
- Consciousness (level of arousal, length of coma, ability to follow commands)
- Autonomic functions (pulse, respiratory rate, temp, BP)
- Pupillary reactions
- Ocular mvmts
- Motor functions (reflexes, voluntary mvmt, postures)
- Posttraumatic amnesia (PTA)
What’s posttraumatic amnesia?
The time after injury when day-to-day recall occurs in full orientation is present
Posttraumatic amnesia scale/relation to prognosis (5 levels)
Mild - less than 1hr Moderate - 1 day Severe - 1 week Very severe - 1 month Extremely severe - more than a month
TBI - what posturing might occur? (2) Prognosis?
- Decerebrate - UE/LE in extension. Associated with brainstem damage. Poorer prognosis.
- Decorticate - UE/LE is spastic flexion. Associated with cerebral hemisphere damage. Better prognosis. Risk for contractures.
What is the Glasgow Coma Scale?
A clinical tool designed to assess coma & impaired consciousness & is one of the most commonly used severity scoring systems for TBI
What are the 3 Glasgow Coma Scale factors?
- Eye opening (none - spontaneous), score 1-4
- Motor response (none - obeys commands), score 1-6
- Verbal response ( none - oriented), score 1-5
What are the categories for the Glasgow Coma Scale? What are the corresponding scores?
Severe: 3-8 *Score of 8 or less generally categorized as coma
Moderate: 9-12
Mild: 13-15
What’s the Rancho Los Amigos Scale of Cognitive Functioning? What’s the corresponding assistance level?
- No Response (D)
- Generalized Response (D) - delayed/slow, moaning
- Localized Response (D) - intermittent waking, react to specific stimulus, recognize some familiar ppl
- Confused, Agitated (Max A)
- Confused, Inappropriate, Non-agitated (Max A)
- Confused, Appropriate (Mod A)
- Automatic, Appropriate (Min A)
- Purposeful, Appropriate (Stand-by A)
What are the types of amnesia?
- Retrograde Amnesia - forgotten events for a period of time prior to injury
- Anterograde Amnesia - period of time unable to form new memories
- Posttraumatic Amnesia - following injury, period of time pt is confused & appears unable to form new memories or remember what happened prior to the event
Factors affecting TBI prognosis (7)
- Predictors
- Age
- Lifestyle
- Social support system
- Pre-morbid use of drugs/alcohol
- Education
- Length of time in coma/PTA
OT Eval of TBI ct Includes (6)
- Interview/observation
- Clinical eval (ROM, tone, sensation, balance, mvmt)
- Cog/Perception/Vision
- Perf of mobility & functional activities
- Endurance & pain
- Behavior
Typical (primary) OT goals include… (7)
ADLs Splinting Neuromuscular re-education Bed positioning & mobility Equipment needs Home eval Caregiver training
Description of Rancho Level: No Response (1)
Coma
Description of Rancho Level: Generalized Response (3)
(D) - delayed/slow, moaning, no awareness of enviro
Description of Rancho Level: Localized Response (6)
(D) intermittent waking, react to specific stimulus, visual tracking, recognize some familiar ppl, follow simple directions, answer yes/no
Description of Rancho Level: Confused, Agitated (6)
(Max A) frightened/doesn’t understand what’s happening, overreacts (via hitting screaming biting etc.), focus on basic needs (food, sleep, etc.), short attention span, difficulty following directions, work on simple ADLs
Description of Rancho Level: Confused, Inappropriate, Non-agitated (5)
(Max A) Few min attention span, not Ox3, instruction to complete ADLs, poor memory, focus on basic needs/ADLs
Description of Rancho Level: Confused, Appropriate (5)
(Mod A) Still confused - can remember some important points, follow schedule w/ assistance, 30 min attention span, Basic ADLs, understand in hospital due to injury, doesn’t understand gravity
Description of Rancho Level: Automatic, Appropriate (7)
(Min A) Follows schedule, can do ADLs, difficulty planning/gets frustrated with tasks, still doesn’t understand gravity of cog deficits, poor safety awareness, stubborn, can talk about doing something but can’t always do it
Description of Rancho Level: Purposeful, Appropriate (4)
(Stand-by A) Understand cog issues, increase in flexibility, Ready for driving/work eval, still some poor judgment
Behavior mgmt program for RLA 4 (3)
- Provide enviro that motivates ct
- Integrate family into rehab team
- Maintain safe enviro
Behavior mgmt program for RLA 4 - interventions (7)
- Model appropriate behavior
- Speak slow, calm, simple
- If ct wants to walk, walk!
- Praise desired behavior
- Don’t reinforce undesirable behavior
- Redirect ct’s when they’re agitated or perseverative
- Decrease enviro stimuli
What are assessments for determining progress from coma to minimally conscious state (MCS) (5)
- JFK Coma Recovery Scale
- Wessex Head Injury Matrix
- Coma-Near Coma Scale
- Sensory Stimulation Assessment Measure
- Western Neuro Sensory Stimulation Profile
What is the best predictor of functional outcome for TBI?
Post-Traumatic Amnesia (PTA)
What is Post-Traumatic Amnesia?
Length of time from the injury to the moment when the individual regains ongoing memory of daily events
PTA lasting longer than 4 weeks is associated with poor outcome & long-term disability
TBI Interventions for specific symptoms: Decerebrate rigidity (4)
UE/LE patterns of extension
- Positioning
- ROM
- Neuromuscular blocks
- Early casting
TBI Interventions for specific symptoms: Decorticate rigidity (4)
UE flexion & LE extension
- Positioning
- ROM
- Neuromuscular blocks
- Early casting
TBI Interventions for specific symptoms: Bruxism (What is it?) (2 interventions)
Persistent jaw clenching, teeth grinding, and/or temporomandibular dislocation or subluxation
- Neuromuscular blocks
- Oral orthotics
TBI Interventions for specific symptoms: Spasticity
- Positioning
- ROM
- Weight bearing
- Neuromuscular blocks
- Inhibitive casting
- Medications
- Tendon release
- Relaxation techniques
TBI Interventions for specific symptoms: Rigidity & Bradykinesia (“parkinsonism”) (4)
- Positioning
- ROM
- Functional activities
- Meds