Week 1 - ABI Flashcards
What can cause an ABI?
- Trauma to the head (TBI)
- Stroke
- Infection
- Oxygen deprivation (anoxic/hypoxic injury)
- Drug use
- Degenerative brain conditions
- Poisoning (eg. carbon monoxide)
- Intercranial surgery/vascular disruption
- Metabolic disorders
- Tumour (Intracranial neoplasms)
- Seizures
What are the 2 types of ABI?
- Closed brain injury
2. Penetrating brain injury
What is a closed brain injury?
- non-penetrating injury
- no break to the skull
- caused by rapid backward and forward movement and shaking the brain.
- eg. acceleration, deceleration, rotational acceleration, compression (Haemorrhage or swelling)
What is a penetrating brain injury?
- open head injury
- break in the skull
- eg. something pierces the brain, skull fracture, cerebral contusions, diffuse axonal injury (tearing of axons), haemorrhage.
What are the 2 most frequent indicators of ABI injury?
- Level of consciousness/coma (depth and duration)
2. Post traumatic amnesia (PTA)
What is a coma?
The absence of awareness of self and the environment despite maximal external stimuli
True or false: Coma involves a period of wakefulness?
False. There is no period of wakefulness in a coma.
How long does a coma last for?
4 weeks once sedating and hypnotic medications have been discontinued
What are the 2 states a person can be in after the coma resolves?
- Partially aware of self and the environment
2. Vegetative
What is a TBI?
Traumatic brain injury
What causes a TBI?
A TBI is caused by external forces for example:
- when a head suddenly and violently hits an object or something pierces the skull and enters brain tissue
What is a contra-coup contusion?
An injury to the brain on the opposite side of impact
What is whiplash?
A closed head injury with no external force to the head
How many people are affected globally by TBI each year?
69 million
what causes the highest burden of TBI disease?
Road trauma injury
True or false: TBI affects more males than females?
True
What is the peak age group for TBI?
15-35 years old
What are the top 5 risk factors for TBI?
- Vehicular collision
- Horse riding
- Falls (mainly elderly)
- Assault
- Gunshot wounds
What 3 responses does the Glasgow coma scale measure?
- Eye opening response
- Verbal response
- Motor response
True or false: The higher the score on the Glasgow coma scale, the more severe the brain injury?
False. The lower the score is, the more severe the brain injury