Head Injury
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- Battle's sign
- bruising behind the ear
- instructions for CSF drainage/ basilar skull fracture/ dural tear
- allow CSF to flow freely, do not blow the nose
- soft tissue injury s/s associated with basilar skull fx
- "raccoon eyes", periorbital edema, Battle's sign
- coup injury
- area under the direct impact is injured
- through mouth rather than nose to avoid penetrating the brain
- if halo sign is present, where should you insert suction tubes, NG, or ETT tubes?
- "raccoon's eyes"
- bilateral periorbital edema and bruising
- halo sign
- blood encircled by yellowish stain on dressing or bed linen: indicates CSF
- diffuse axonal injury
- widespread white matter axonal damage secondary to tearing and shearing forces: no signs of recovery
- free oxygen radicals
- disrupt cellular membrane and cause early brain damage
- basilar skull fracture
- occurs at base of cranial vault and can extend into anterior middle and posterior fossae
- open head injury
- scalp torn or fracture extends into the sinuses or middle ear/ meninges can also be penetrated
- contracoup injury
- injury to adjacent poles from movement of brain inside skull
- s/s stretching neurons
- altered or loss of conciousness, cranial nerve defects, motor and sensory dysfunction
- acceleration-deceleration injury
- movement of head in straight line, hits stationary object: rotation or twisting of brain can occur
- contusion
- result of coup and contracoup injury and results in hemorrhage into brain tissue
- lasting effects are not common
- concussion may cause loss of consciousness for a few seconds, but ..
- linear skull fracture
- most common type of skull fracture: usually no significant complications unless fracture extends to orbit, sinus or across vessel
- depressed skull fracture
- skull depressed : may cause bruising or tearing of dura and lead to menengitis or seizures
- s/s depressed skull fracture
- altered LOC, impaired motor and sensory function, impaired crainial nerve function
- ischemia and impaired cerebral autoregulation
- result of brain injury leading to vasogenic edema and increased ICP
- s/s concussion
- altered LOC, confusion, disorentation, retrograde amnesia
- clip hair around the laceration
- once bleeding has stopped from scalp laceration it is important to
- observation of signs of intercranial bleeding and epidural hematoma
- if patient is admitted b/c linear fracture has extended across orbit, sinus or vessel what is observed for?
- s/s torn dura
- CSF leak, headache, photophobia, nuchal rigidity
- comminuted skull fracture
- multiple linear fractures with depressed area at site of impact (eggshell)
- concussion
- focal injury: temporary failure of impulse conduction
- s/s contusion
- altered LOC, retrograde amnesia, weakness to paralysis, restlessness, combativeness, confusion, speech problems, decorticate and decerebrate posturing, abn. breathing, coma
- Primary brain injury
- direct injury that occurs to the brain from an impact
- dural tears
- common with basilar skull fx's and may lead to menengitis
- closed head injury
- no break in the scalp