Chapter 29 Head and Spine Injuries cccc

Which of the following sets of vital signs depicts Cushing triad?

Blood pressure, 190/110 mm Hg; pulse, 55 beats/min; respirations, 30 breaths/min

Which of the following breathing patterns is most indicative of increased intracranial pressure?

Irregular rate, pattern, and volume of breathing with intermittent periods of apnea

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

Linear

Common signs and symptoms of a serious head injury include all of the following, except:

a rapid, thready pulse.

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

avoid excessive pressure when applying the bandage.

A man jumped from the roof of his house and landed on his feet. He complains of pain to his heels, knees, and lower back. This mechanism of injury is an example of:

axial loading

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.

An epidural hematoma is most accurately defined as:

bleeding between the skull and dura mater.

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

ensure that you secure the torso before securing the head.

The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is used to assess:

eye opening, verbal response, and motor response.

A 45-year-old male was working on his roof when he fell approximately 12 feet, landing on his feet. He is conscious and alert and complains of an ache in his lower back. He is breathing adequately and has stable vital signs. You should:

immobilize his spine and perform a focused secondary exam.

Bleeding within the brain tissue itself is called a(n):

intracerebral hematoma.

A tight-fitting motorcycle helmet should be left in place unless:

it interferes with your assessment of the airway.

When a patient experiences a severe spinal injury, he or she:

might lose sensation below the level of the injury.

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

place padding under the child's shoulders as needed.

When activated, the sympathetic nervous system produces all of the following effects, except:

pupillary constriction.

An indicator of an expanding intracranial hematoma or rapidly progressing brain swelling is:

rapid deterioration of neurologic signs

During your primary assessment of a 19-year-old unconscious male who experienced severe head trauma, you note that his respirations are rapid, irregular, and shallow. He has bloody secretions draining from his mouth and nose. You should:

suction his oropharynx for up to 15 seconds.

Common signs of a skull fracture include all of the following, except:

superficial scalp lacerations.

A female patient with a suspected head injury has slow, shallow breathing. The most appropriate treatment for her includes:

ventilation assistance to maintain an ETCO2 of 30 to 35 mm Hg.