Chapter 28 --> Head and Spine Injuries

Following a head injury, a 20-year-old female opens her eyes spontaneously, is confused, and obeys your commands to move her extremities. You should assign her a GCS score of:

14

Coordination of balance and body movement is controlled by the:

cerebellum

When placing a patient onto a long backboard, the EMT at the patient's _________ is in charge of all patient movements.

head

When immobilizing a child on a long backboard, you should:

place padding under the child's shoulders as needed.

Lacerations to the scalp:

may be an indicator of deeper, more serious injuries.

The _________ nervous system consists of 31 pairs of spinal nerves and 12 pairs of cranial nerves.

peripheral

The cervical spine is composed of _____ vertebrae.

7

Which of the following statements regarding cervical collars is correct? A. Once a cervical collar is applied, you can cease manual head stabilization. B. A cervical collar is used in addition to, not instead of, manual immobilization. C. Cervical collars are contraindicated in patients with numbness to the extremities. D. The patient's head should be forced into a neutral position to apply a cervical collar.

A cervical collar is used in addition to, not instead of, manual immobilization.

Which of the following statements regarding the cranium is correct?

Eighty percent of the cranium is occupied by brain tissue.

Which of the following skull fractures would be the LEAST likely to present with palpable deformity or other outward signs?

Linear

The body's functions that occur without conscious effort are regulated by the _________ nervous system.

autonomic

When controlling bleeding from a scalp laceration with a suspected underlying skull fracture, you should:

avoid excessive pressure when applying the bandage.

You are assessing a man who has a head injury and note that cerebrospinal fluid is leaking from his ear. You should recognize that this patient is at risk for:

bacterial meningitis.

When assessing a conscious patient with an MOI that suggests spinal injury, you should:

determine if the strength in all extremities is equal.

The MOST important immediate treatment for patients with a head injury, regardless of severity, is to:

establish an adequate airway.

During your primary assessment of a semiconscious 30-year-old female with closed head trauma, you note that she has slow, irregular breathing and a slow, bounding pulse. As your partner maintains manual in-line stabilization of her head, you should:

instruct him to assist her ventilations while you perform a rapid assessment.

When opening the airway of a patient with a suspected spinal injury, you should use the:

jaw-thrust maneuver.

A high school football player was injured during a tackle and complains of neck and upper back pain. He is conscious and alert and is breathing without difficulty. The EMT should:

leave his helmet and shoulder pads in place.

When caring for a patient with a possible head injury, it is MOST important to monitor the patient's:

level of consciousness.

A patient who cannot remember the events that preceded his or her head injury is experiencing:

retrograde amnesia.