Prep U: Chapter 63 Adult Nursing
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."
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
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
A client with quadriplegia is in spinal shock. What finding should the nurse expect?
Absence of reflexes along with flaccid extremities
Which are risk factors for spinal cord injury (SCI)? Select all that apply.
Alcohol use Drug abuse Young age
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)
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
A patient sustained a head trauma in a diving accident and has a cerebral hemorrhage located within the brain. What type of hematoma is this classified as?
An intracerebral hematoma
A client is admitted to the hospital after sustaining a closed head injury in a skiing accident. The physician ordered neurologic assessments to be performed every 2 hours. The client's neurologic assessments have been unchanged since admission, and the client is complaining of a headache. Which intervention by the nurse is best?
Assess the client's neurologic status for subtle changes, administer acetaminophen, and then reassess the client in 30 minutes.
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
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
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
A client with a spinal cord injury has full head and neck control when the injury is at which level?
C5
At which of the following spinal cord injury levels does the patient have full head and neck control?
C5
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
The nurse is evaluating the transmission of a report from a paramedic unit to the emergency department. The medic reports that a client is unconscious with edema of the head and face and Battle sign. What clinical picture would the nurse anticipate?
Edema to the head with bruising of the mastoid process
Which type of hematoma results from a skull fracture that causes a rupture or laceration of the middle meningeal artery?
Epidural
A patient brought to the hospital after a skiing accident was unconscious for a brief period of time at the scene, then woke up disoriented and refused to go to the hospital for treatment. The patient became very agitated and restless, then quickly lost consciousness again. What type of TBI is suspected in this situation?
Epidural hematoma
A nurse is caring for a client with L1-L2 paraplegia who is undergoing rehabilitation. Which goal is appropriate?
Establishing an intermittent catheterization routine every 4 hours
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
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
Which term refers to the shifting of brain tissue from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure?
Herniation
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 is admitted with a cervical spine injury sustained during a diving accident. When planning this client's care, the nurse should assign highest priority to which nursing diagnosis?
Ineffective breathing pattern
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 is caring for a client who has sustained a spinal cord injury (SCI) at C5 and has developed a paralytic ileus. The nurse will prepare the client for which of the following procedures?
Insertion of a nasogastric tube
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 working on a neurological unit is mentoring a nursing student. The student asks about a client who has sustained a primary and secondary brain injury. The nurse correctly tells the student which of the following, related to the primary injury?
It results from initial damage to the brain from the traumatic event.
A client in the intensive care unit (ICU) has a traumatic brain injury. The nurse must implement interventions to help control intracranial pressure (ICP). Which of the following are appropriate interventions to help control ICP?
Keep the client's neck in a neutral position (no flexing).
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 weakness and tingling in both legs is admitted to the medical-surgical unit with a tentative diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome. On admission, which assessment is most important for this client?
Lung auscultation and measurement of vital capacity and tidal volume
The most important nursing priority of treatment for a patient with an altered LOC is to:
Maintain a clear airway to ensure adequate ventilation.
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
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
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
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
Autonomic dysreflexia is an acute emergency that occurs with spinal cord injury as a result of exaggerated autonomic responses to stimuli. Which of the following is the initial nursing intervention to treat this condition?
Raise the head of the bed and place the patient in a sitting position.
A client with a T4-level spinal cord injury (SCI) is experiencing autonomic dysreflexia; his blood pressure is 230/110. The nurse cannot locate the cause and administers antihypertensive medication as ordered. The nurse empties the client's bladder and the symptoms abate. Now, what must the nurse watch for?
Rebound hypotension
A client has sustained a traumatic brain injury with involvement of the hypothalamus. The health care team is concerned about the complication of diabetes insipidus. Which of the following would be an appropriate nursing intervention to monitor for early signs of diabetes insipidus?
Record intake and output.
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
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
Which condition occurs when blood collects between the dura mater and arachnoid membrane?
Subdural hematoma
A client with spinal trauma tells the nurse she cannot cough. What nursing intervention should the nurse perform when a client with spinal trauma may not be able to cough?
Suction the airway.
Autonomic dysreflexia can occur with spinal cord injuries above which of the following levels?
T6
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
The nurse learns a client 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 Monro-Kellie hypothesis refers to which of the following?
The dynamic equilibrium of cranial contents
Which of the following diagnostic test may be performed to evaluate blood flow within intracranial blood vessels?
Transcranial Doppler
Which finding indicates increasing intracranial pressure (ICP) in the client who has sustained a head injury?
Widened pulse pressure
Three hours after injuring the spinal cord at the C6 level, a client receives high doses of methylprednisolone sodium succinate (Solu-Medrol) to suppress breakdown of the neurologic tissue membrane at the injury site. To help prevent adverse effects of this drug, the nurse expects the physician to order:
famotidine (Pepcid).
A patient was admitted to a rehabilitation unit for treatment of a spinal cord injury. The admitting diagnosis is central cord syndrome. During an admissions physical, the nurse expects to find:
loss of motor power and sensation in the upper extremities.
Which are characteristics of autonomic dysreflexia?
severe hypertension, slow heart rate, pounding headache, sweating
A nurse is caring for a 16-year-old adolescent with a head injury resulting from a fight after a high school football game. A physician has intubated the client and written orders to wean him from sedation therapy. A nurse needs further assessment data to determine whether:
she'll have to apply restraints to prevent the client from dislodging the endotracheal (ET) tube.
A client has been diagnosed with a concussion and is to be released from the emergency department. The nurse teaches the family or friends who will be caring for the client to contact the physician or return to the ED if the client
vomits.
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
The earliest sign of serious impairment of brain circulation related to increased ICP is:
A change in consciousness.
The nurse is concerned that a client with a traumatic brain injury is developing an endocrine disorder. Which assessment will the nurse complete for this client? Select all that apply.
Blood glucose Urine acetone Intake and output Serum electrolytes
When caring for a client who is post-intracranial surgery what is the most important parameter to monitor?
Body temperature
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
The nurse is caring for a patient in the emergency department with a diagnosed epidural hematoma. What procedure will the nurse prepare the patient for?
Burr holes
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.
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
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
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
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
A client has a spinal cord injury. The home health nurse is making an initial visit to the client at home and plans on reinforcing teaching on autonomic dysreflexia. What symptom would the nurse stress to the client and his family?
Sweating
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 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
A client with paraplegia asks why exercises are done to the lower extremities every day. Which response will the nurse make?
"They help prevent the development of contractures."
The nurse is caring for a client with a traumatic brain injury. Which assessment findings indicate to the nurse that the client is developing Cushing's reflex? Select all that apply.
-Apical pulse is 42 beats per minute -Blood pressure is 140/38 mmHg -Systolic blood pressure is 180 mm/Hg
A client with a T4 level spinal cord injury (SCI) is complaining of a severe headache. The nurse notes profuse diaphoresis of the client's forehead and scalp. Which of the following does the nurse suspect?
Autonomic dysreflexia
Which is the most common cause of spinal cord injury (SCI)?
Motor vehicle crashes
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
The client has been brought to the emergency department by their caregiver. The caregiver says that she found the client diaphoretic, nauseated, flushed and complaining of a pounding headache when she came on shift. What are these symptoms indicative of?
Autonomic dysreflexia
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
