Traumatic Brain Injury Flashcards
Risk factors for a TBI?
age
gender
prisoner status
What condition often plays an indirect role in the onset of a TBI?
substance abuse
More than 50% of patients who experience a TBI found to have what at the time of the injury?
elevated blood alcohol levels
Does a prior TBI of any severity affect an individuals risk of a repeat TBI?
yes, they are at an increased risk for a repeat TBI
risk rises further with each subsequent TBI.
What complex changes in physical, cognitive, neurobehavioral due to brain damage are seen?
Functions potentially compromised:
Coordinated movement Speech Memory Reasoning Altered behavioral responses
What kind of congenital or degenerative disease is associated with TBIs
none
What are the 3 TBI classifications?
Mild: <30 min loss of consciousness (GCS 13-15)
Moderate: 30min–24hrs loss of consciousness (GCS 9-12)
Severe: > 25hrs loss of consciousness (GCS 3-8)
What is a primary injury in TBIs?
occur at the moment of impact directly due to the actual trauma
What is a secondary injury in TBIs?
- occur as a consequence of the primary injury and can develop anywhere from hours to days after the initial injury.
- Closed injuries are where the skull and lining of the brain are left intact.
- Open injuries are where the intracranial vault is exposed to the outside environment.
- Blunt force trauma refers to impact against a relatively flat object or surface.
What does primary brain damage from a TBI look like?
- May be focal or diffuse
- Direct impact, acceleration, deceleration, rotation pf the brain, intrusion into the brain by penetrating object
- DAI= Diffuse Axonal Injuries: Head collision at 15mph or greater; typically results in profound coma and a poor outcome
- Coup and Contrecoup injuries
Difference between coup and contrecoup injuries?
damage to the brain on both sides: the side that received the initial impact (coup) and the side opposite the initial impact (countrecoup)
What does secondary brain damage from a TBI look like?
Occurs within hours or days following injury
Factors include:
Inflammatory response
Increased intracranial pressure
Decreased cerebral blood flow or ischemia
Potential medical complications associated with a TBI?
- Hydrocephalus: excessive accumulation of fluid in the brain
- Seizures
- Dysautonomia
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Coma
Systemic complications:
- Cardiovascular
- Respiratory
- Immunological
- Hematological
- Endocrinological
What are the 3 leading causes of TBIs?
Falls (most common)
Motor vehicle accidents (most common severe TBI)
Violence
Which age group sees the most ER visits due to TBIs?
age 5 and > age 85
Are TBIs that are associated with motor vehicle accidents seen more in males or females?
males
Who is at the greatest risk for TBIs?
Men ages 15 to 24 greatest risk for injury
Inner city environments have higher incidence rates
American Indian/ Alaskan and African American highest TBI cases
What is the most common medical complication following TBI?
hydrocephalus
What is the most common preventable cause of hospital death in TBI?
pulmonary emboli which can arise from deep vein thrombosis
What is dysautonomia characterized by?
Hypertension
Tachycardia
Increased body
Temperature
Profuse sweating
Decerebrate or decorticate posturing
Difference between decerebrate or decorticate posturing
Decerebrate: shoulder adducted, arm extended, forearm pronated, wrist flexed, feet plantar flexed
Decorticate: shoulder adducted, arm flexed, wrist flexed, leg internally rotated, feet plantar flexed
What is Post Traumatic Stress Amnesia (PTA)?
Gradual regaining of consciousness following coma
Permanent memory gap from time of injury to the point at which patient starts to remember events
PTA (with GCS) important predictor of functional recovery
What is the Australia the Westmead Post Traumatic Amnesia Scale?
most widely used measure
- PTA less than 5 minutes = “very mild injury”
- PTA between 5-60 minutes = “mild injury”
- PTA between 1-24 hours = “moderate injury”
- PTA between 1-7 days = “severe injury”
- PTA greater than 7 days = “very severe injury”.
In the early phase of recovery after a TBI what are the altered levels of consciousness in a more severely injured patient?
Coma: State of unconscious – patient cannot be aroused
Vegetative state: Patient exhibits spontaneous arousal through eye opining; No purposeful behavior or communication
Minimally conscious state: Some awareness of self and environment