Chapter 68

A client suffers a head injury. The nurse implements an assessment plan to monitor for potential subdural hematoma development. Which manifestation does the nurse anticipate seeing first?

Alteration in level of consciousness (LOC)

Level of consciousness (LOC) can be assessed based on criteria in the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). Which of the following indicators are assessed in the GCS? Select all that apply.

Eye opening Verbal response Motor response

The nurse is caring for a client with a head injury. The client is experiencing CSF rhinorrhea. Which order should the nurse question?

Insertion of a nasogastric (NG) tube

The nurse received the report from a previous shift. One of her clients was reported to have a history of basilar skull fracture with otorrhea. What assessment finding does the nurse anticipate?

The client has cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) leaking from the ear.

The nurse receives a call from the caregiver of a client with a spinal cord injury. The caregiver informs you that the client has a reddened, macerated area at the base of the sacrum. What would the nurse suspect is going on with the client?

They have the beginning of a pressure sore.

The nurse is admitting a client from the emergency department with a reported spinal cord injury. What device would the nurse expect to be used to provide correct vertebral alignment and to increase the space between the vertebrae in a client with spinal cord injury?

Traction with weights and pulleys

Elevated ICP is most commonly associated with head injury. Which of the following are clinical signs of increased ICP that a nurse should evaluate? Select all that apply.

Widened pulse pressure Respiratory irregularities Slow bounding pulse

Which are risk factors for spinal cord injury (SCI)? Select all that apply.

Young age Alcohol use Drug abuse

A client with a spinal cord injury is to receive Lovenox (enoxaparin) 50 mg subcutaneously twice a day. The medication is supplied in vials containing 80 mg per 0.8 mL. How many mL will constitute the correct dose? Enter the correct number ONLY.

0.5 mL

When caring for a client who is post-intracranial surgery what is the most important parameter to monitor?

Body temperature

The nurse is caring for a client immediately after a spinal cord injury. Which assessment finding is essential when caring for a client in spinal shock with injury in the lower thoracic region?

Pulse and blood pressure

A nurse completes the Glasgow Coma Scale on a patient with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Her assessment results in a score of 6, which is interpreted as:

Severe TBI.

Which term refers to muscular hypertonicity in a weak muscle, with increased resistance to stretch?

Spasticity

The nurse is caring for a client immediately following a spinal cord injury (SCI). Which is an acute complication of SCI?

Spinal shock

Autonomic dysreflexia can occur with spinal cord injuries above which of the following levels?

T6

Which of the following is not a manifestation of Cushing's triad (Cushing reflex)?

Tachycardia

The nurse is offering suggestions regarding reproductive options to a husband and paraplegic wife. Which option is most helpful?

Conception is not impaired; the birth process is determined with the physician.

Which type of brain injury has occurred if the client can be aroused with effort but soon slips back into unconsciousness?

Contusion

Which type of brain injury is characterized by a loss of consciousness associated with stupor and confusion?

Contusion

For a patient with an SCI, why is it beneficial to administer oxygen to maintain a high partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2)?

Because hypoxemia can create or worsen a neurologic deficit of the spinal cord

A patient is admitted to the emergency room with a fractured skull sustained in a motorcycle accident. The nurse notes fluid leaking from the patient's ears. The nurse knows this is a probable sign of which type of skull fracture?

Basilar

The nurse in the emergency department is caring for a patient brought in by the rescue squad after falling from a second-story window. The nurse assesses ecchymosis over the mastoid and clear fluid from the ears. What type of skull fracture is this indicative of?

Basilar skull fracture

At which of the following spinal cord injury levels does the patient have full head and neck control?

C5

When the nurse observes that the patient has extension and external rotation of the arms and wrists, and extension, plantar flexion, and internal rotation of the feet, she records the patient's posturing as which of the following?

Decerebrate

Which activities would the client with a T4 spinal cord injury be able to perform independently? Select all that apply.

Eating Breathing Transferring to a wheelchair Writing

The nurse working on the neurological unit is caring for a client with a basilar skull fracture. During the assessment, the nurse expects to observe Battle's sign, which is a sign of basilar skull fracture. Which of the following correctly describes Battle's sign?

Ecchymosis over the mastoid

A client has sustained a traumatic brain injury. Which of the following is the priority nursing diagnosis for this client?

Ineffective airway clearance related to brain injury

A client with a concussion is discharged after the assessment. Which instruction should the nurse give the client's family?

Look for signs of increased intracranial pressure

A client with tetraplegia cannot do his own skin care. The nurse is teaching the caregiver about the importance of maintaining skin integrity. Which of the following will the nurse most encourage the caregiver to do?

Maintain a diet for the client that is high in protein, vitamins, and calories.

The nurse is planning the care of a patient with a TBI in the neurosurgical ICU. In developing the plan of care, what interventions should be a priority? Select all that apply.

Making nursing assessments Setting priorities for nursing interventions Anticipating needs and complications Initiating rehabilitation

A nurse is reviewing a CT scan of the brain, which states that the client has arterial bleeding with blood accumulation above the dura. Which of the following facts of the disease progression is essential to guide the nursing management of client care?

Monitoring is needed as rapid neurologic deterioration may occur.

A client was hit in the head with a ball and knocked unconscious. Upon arrival at the emergency department and subsequent diagnostic tests, it was determined that the client suffered a subdural hematoma. The client is becoming increasingly symptomatic. How would the nurse expect this subdural hematoma to be classified?

acute

While snowboarding, a client fell and sustained a blow to the head, resulting in a loss of consciousness. The client regained consciousness within an hour after arrival at the ED, was admitted for 24-hour observation, and was discharged without neurologic impairment. What would the nurse expect this client's diagnosis to be?

concussion

When planning care for a client with a head injury, which position should the nurse include in the care plan to enhance client outcomes?

30-degree head elevation

You are a neurotrauma nurse working in a neuro ICU. What would you know is an acute emergency and is seen in clients with a cervical or high thoracic spinal cord injury after the spinal shock subsides?

Autonomic dysreflexia

A client presents to the emergency department stating numbness and tingling occurring down the left leg into the left foot. When documenting the experience, which medical terminology would the nurse be most correct to report?

Paresthesia

Which finding indicates increasing intracranial pressure (ICP) in the client who has sustained a head injury?

Widened pulse pressure

A client with a spinal cord injury is to receive methylprednisolone sodium succinate 100 mg intravenously twice a day. The medication is supplied in vials containing 125 mg per 2 mL. How many mL will constitute the correct dose? Enter the correct number ONLY.

1.6 mL

The ED nurse is receiving a client handoff report at the beginning of the nursing shift. The departing nurse notes that the client with a head injury shows Battle sign. The incoming nurse expects which to observe clinical manifestation?

An area of bruising over the mastoid bone

The nurse is providing information about spinal cord injury (SCI) prevention to a community group of young adults. The nurse mentions that all of the following are predominant risk factors for SCI except?

Being an athlete

At a certain point, the brain's ability to autoregulate becomes ineffective and decompensation (ischemia and infarction) begins. Which of the following are associated with Cushing's triad? Select all that apply.

Bradycardia Hypertension Bradypnea

A 24-year-old female rock climber is brought to the emergency department after a fall from the face of a rock. The young lady is admitted for observation after being diagnosed with a contusion to the brain. The client asks the nurse what having a contusion means. How should the nurse respond?

Contusions are bruising, and sometimes, hemorrhage of superficial cerebral tissue.

The nurse is evaluating the transmission of a report from a paramedic unit to the emergency room. The medic reports that a client is unconscious with edema of the head and face and Battle's sign. What clinical picture would the nurse anticipate?

Edema to the head with bruising of the mastoid process

A nurse is assisting with the clinical examination for determination of brain death for a client, related to potential organ donation. All 50 states in the United States recognize uniform criteria for brain death. The nurse is aware that the three cardinal signs of brain death on clinical examination are all of the following except:

Glasgow Coma Scale of 6

A client arrives at the ED via ambulance following a motorcycle accident. The paramedics state the client was found unconscious at the scene but briefly regained consciousness during transport to the hospital. Upon initial assessment, the client's GCS score is 7. The nurse anticipates which action?

Immediate craniotomy

A patient comes to the emergency department with a large scalp laceration after being struck in the head with a glass bottle. After assessment of the patient, what does the nurse do before the physician sutures the wound?

Irrigates the wound to remove debris

A patient was body surfing in the ocean and sustained a cervical spinal cord fracture. A halo traction device was applied. How does the patient benefit from the application of the halo device?

It allows for stabilization of the cervical spine along with early ambulation.

The nurse in the neurologic ICU is caring for a client who sustained a severe brain injury. Which nursing measures will the nurse implement to help control intracranial pressure (ICP)?

Maintain cerebral perfusion pressure from 50 to 70 mm Hg

Which nursing intervention can prevent a client from experiencing autonomic dysreflexia?

Monitoring the patency of an indwelling urinary catheter

The nurse is discussing spinal cord injury (SCI) at a health fair at a local high school. The nurse relays that the most common cause of SCI is

Motor vehicle crashes

Which of the following are the immediate complications of spinal cord injury?

Respiratory arrest Spinal shock

A client who is disoriented and restless after sustaining a concussion during a car accident is admitted to the hospital. Which nursing diagnosis takes the highest priority in this client's care plan?

Risk for injury

Which are characteristics of autonomic dysreflexia?

severe hypertension, slow heart rate, pounding headache, sweating

A mother brings her 6-year-old to the emergency department (ED) after the child fell off a bike. The physician diagnoses a concussion. The mother asks the nurse what a concussion is. What should the nurse's response be?

"A concussion is a blow to the head that jars the brain, resulting in diffuse and microscopic injury to the brain."

The nurse is caring for a client following a spinal cord injury who has a halo device in place. The client is preparing for discharge. Which statement by the client indicates the need for further instruction?

"I can apply powder under the liner to help with sweating."

The nurse is caring for a patient diagnosed with an acute subdural hematoma following a craniotomy. The nurse is preparing to administer an IV dose of dexamethasone (Decadron). The medication is available in a 20-mL IV bag and ordered to be infused over 15 minutes. At what rate (mL/hr) will the nurse set the infusion pump?

80 mL/hr

The earliest sign of serious impairment of brain circulation related to increased ICP is:

A change in consciousness.

Which signs are considered cardinal signs of brain death? Select all that apply.

Absence of brainstem reflexes Apnea Coma

Which of the following types of hematoma results from venous bleeding with blood gradually accumulating in the space below the dura?

Subdural

Which condition occurs when blood collects between the dura mater and arachnoid membrane?

Subdural hematoma

A client has sustained a traumatic brain injury with involvement of the hypothalamus. The nurse is concerned about the development of diabetes insipidus. Which of the following would be an appropriate nursing intervention to monitor for early signs of diabetes insipidus?

Take daily weights.

The nurse is caring for a client with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Which clinical finding, observed during the reassessment of the client, causes the nurse the most concern?

Temperature increase from 98.0°F to 99.6°F

Pressure ulcers may begin within hours of an acute spinal cord injury (SCI) and may cause delay of rehabilitation, adding to the cost of hospitalization. The most effective approach is prevention. Which of the following nursing interventions will most protect the client against pressure ulcers?

Meticulous cleanliness