Traumatic Brain Injury

Question 1

All brain injuries that are NOT congenital, hereditary or degenerative such as TBI, hypoxia/anoxia, tumors, stroke, infectious diseases, seizure disorders, encephalopathy

Answer 1

Acquired Brain Injury

Question 2

caused by external force

Answer 2

Traumatic Brain Injury

Question 3

Severity of injury is measured primarily by

Answer 3

duration & depth of coma as well as length of post-traumatic amnesia

Question 4

Leading risk factor for TBI

Answer 4

alcohol

Question 5

Most common causes of TBI

Answer 5

Falls

Question 6

Two classifications of head injury

Answer 6

closed and open

Question 7

What is a closed head injury?

Answer 7

When both the skull and brain remain intact

Question 8

What is an open head injury?

Answer 8

when the skull sustains fractures and breach of the meninges, common with stabbings, falls, vehicular accidents and sports injuries

Question 9

What are the two types of damage?

Answer 9

Primary and Secondary

Question 11

What is primary damage?

Answer 11

initial trauma

Question 12

What is secondary damage?

Answer 12

series of chemical reactions in the brain that can occur immediately after the injury and can significantly worsen the damage caused by primary injury

Question 13

What is Coup?

Answer 13

the primary point of impact

Question 14

What is Contrecoup?

Answer 14

occurs on the opposite side of the impact

Question 15

What are rotational effects?

Answer 15

impact causes head to move faster than the brain causing contusion/concussion

Question 16

What are the 4 main mechanisms of TBI?

Answer 16

Brain contusion
DAI
Increased ICP
Stroke

Question 17

What is a brain contusion?

Answer 17

bruising in brain caused by cell death and leakage of blood

Question 18

What is DAI?

Answer 18

Diffuse axonal injury occurs when acceleration, deceleration and rotational forces are applied to the head and cause brain tissue to stretch

Question 19

What is ICP?

Answer 19

Increased Cranial Pressure

Question 20

What are some medical complications that occur with a TBI?

Answer 20

Fractures, cardiopulmonary, bowel and bladder disfunctions, dysphagia, musculosketal damage

Question 21

How can OT assist with managing TBI?

Answer 21

Address cognitive impairments, comfort, and positioning, enhancing motor function, help gain independence in occupations, educating the patients and families about dx and recovery

Question 22

What is a coma?

Answer 22

Coma is a medical emergency where a person is unconscious and unresponsive to external stimuli. Causes include brain injury, stroke, drug overdose, or metabolic disorders. Immediate medical attention is needed. Brainstem is injured or not functioning well. Unstable

Question 23

What is the Glasgow Coma Scale?

Answer 23

A tool to measure lecel of consciousness: eye opening, best motor response (strongest predictor) and verbal response

Good predictor of mortality and outcome

Question 24

Persistent vegetative state

Answer 24

stable state, brainstem is intact, sleep/wake cycle is present, automatic reactions present

Question 25

RLAS

Answer 25

Rancho Los Amigos Levels of Cognitive Functioning

Question 26

Patient is non responsive

Answer 26

Level 1

Question 27

Patient has a generalized response - random response to stimuli. (sternum pressure, press on nailbed, trap pinch, auditory stem)

Answer 27

Level II

Question 28

Patient has a localized response. Vague body awareness, responds inconsistently with delays, deficits in vision, movement and cognition

Answer 28

Level III