Traumatic Brain Injury Flashcards
2 types of acquired brain injury
acquired - damage after birth
non traumatic (stroke, tumor, infection, substance abuse)
traumatic (accidents, surgery, assaults)
type of ABI most common
traumatic
coup injury
primary impact, brain strikes the skull on the side of the impact
contrecoup injury
secondary impact, posterior or side of skull after initial hit
diffuse axonal injury
from brain moving back and forth in the skull as a result of acceleration or deceleration, occurs in about half of all severe TBI
axonal shearing/twisting
how many are living in the US with long term disability from brain injury
3-5 million
age/gender most affected
after 1 TBI….
really young 0-4 and elderly (falls for both)
males (1.4x)
1 -> 3x greater chance for a second
2 -> 8x greater for a third
primary consequences
immediate - at time of impact
caused by mechanical deformation
contusion, diffuse axonal injury
secondary consequences
delayed - hours to days post injury
long term deficits
hemorrhage, edema
ICP and normal/abnormal levels
intracranial pressure
normal: 0-10 mmHg
> 20 abnormal
40 neurological dysfunction and impairment
60 fatal
EVD and precautions
external ventricular drain
precautions: clamp tubing before sitting them up so they don’t feel sick
concussion
“mild TBI”
if mental confusion has resolved within 24 hrs
unconscious for less than 30 min
grade 1 of mild brain injury
transient confusion, no LOC, cog symptoms <15 min
grade 2 of mild brain injury
similar to grade 1, no LOC, cog symptoms >15 min
grade 3 of mild brain injury
definite LOC
