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head and spinal cord
head and spinal cord injuries
Question | Answer |
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Concussion: | minor, closed head injury, brief disruption of LOC, amnesia, headache Skull fractures: Linear or depressed Simple, comminuted, or compound Closed or open |
Open | • Open injury there is laceration of the scalp and fracture from broken vessels accumulates, and edema develops causing increased intracranial pressure (ICP) |
Closed | • Closed injury is one in which the scalp and skull remain intact, but the underlying brain tissue is damaged. |
contusion | o brain tissue is bruised, blood from broken vessels accumulates, edema, ICP |
Coup-contrecoup injury | o Acceleration-deceleration injury o Elder care points o Brain atrophies with age o Allows for more movement inside the cranium |
•Subdural hematoma | oRupture blood vessels between arachnoids’ membrane covering the brain and dura mater. oAnticoagulant therapy, elderly as a result of a fall, small vessels, slow developing oRisk factor: patient who are taking anticoagulants are at a higher risk of gett |
•Epidural hematoma | oLife threatening, rapid, above dura matter from meningeal artery unconsciousness, headache, nausea/vomiting, dilation of opsilateral pupil, quick increase ICP oOpsilateral bleeding: same side bleeding. Change in pupil on opsilateral. |
•Intracerebral hematoma | o Within the brain, the edema is going to find a way to get out and the only way out is the nose, ear, and mouth. |
diagnosis of head injuries | radiography ofthe skull computed tomography EEG MRI |
treatment of head injuries | all measures to keep ICP from rising are intituted for serious head injuries |
ICP prevention or keep it from rising Intracranial Pressure | patent airway head raised 30-40 degrees with the body in correct alignment close monitoring of neurologic signs vascular access for medications (diuretics) slow |