Chapter 39: Caring for Clients With Head and Spinal Cord Trauma

A 6-year-old child has come to the emergency department (ED) after falling off a bike. The health care provider diagnoses a concussion and the child's parent 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."

A nurse is caring for a client with a spinal cord injury from a motorcycle accident. The nurse is instructing on the benefits of stem cell transplantation therapy. Which statement(s) should the nurse include in the teaching? Select all that apply.

-"Stems cells can be harvested from an individual's own bone marrow." -"Harvested stem cells can be reimplanted into the area surrounding the injury." -"Stem cells can replace the damaged nerve cells when they are transplanted."

The nurse suspects that a newly admitted client is in spinal shock. What is a symptom(s) of spinal shock? Select all that apply.

-Bladder distention -Poikilothermia -No perspiration below the level of the injury

The nurse is caring for a client who has undergone cervical laminectomy surgery. Which nursing intervention(s) is included in the postoperative plan of care? Select all that apply.

-Monitor vital signs -Report an inability to void or an output of less than 8 oz (240 mL) in 8 hours -Perform a neurovascular assessment below the area of the surgery. -Examine dressing for CSF leakage or bleeding.

The nurse is caring for a client with paralysis as a result of a spinal cord injury. When planning care related to the musculoskeletal system, which immediate complication(s) should the nurse consider? Select all that apply.

-Respiratory arrest -Spinal shock

The nurse is caring for a client with a spinal cord injury. What test reveals the level of spinal cord injury?

. Neurologic examination

The nurse is caring for a client with a herniation of C4. What item does the nurse anticipate to use if conservative therapy is used?

A cervical collar

The nurse is employed in the neurosurgeon's office assisting the physician in teaching. The nurse is instructing a client who is very anxious, stating, "What will happen if the conservative treatment for the degenerative changes in my spine does not help my lumbar pain?" The nurse is most correct to turn the teaching to which surgical procedure?

A spinal fusion

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 female client who is newly paraplegic. The client and the client's spouse ask the nurse about their reproductive options. Which suggestion by the nurse is most helpful?

Conception is not impaired, the birth process is determined with the health care provider.

The nurse and physician are viewing a brain scan, which indicates bleeding at the point of impact to the skull and edema on the opposite side. The client is sleeping but can be aroused. The client has no memory of the accident. The nurse provides all details to the next shift and is most accurate to report which type of injury?

Contrecoup injury

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

The nursing instructor is teaching about hematomas to a pre-nursing pathophysiology class. What would the nursing instructor describe as an arterial bleed with rapid neurologic deterioration?

Epidural hematoma

The nurse is caring for a client who has had intracranial surgery and is being discharged home. What instructions would the nurse give the client besides instructions on the medication?

Expect sensory changes, such as hearing a clicking sound, around the bone flap.

The nurse is caring for a client with a head injury after a fall. Which of the following indicates the presence of, or leaking of, cerebral spinal fluid?

Halo sign

The nurse is caring for a client who requires spine surgery to remove bone fragments and fuse the vertebrae. From which location will bone be taken for the fusion?

Iliac crest

The nurse is caring for a client with impaired physical mobility who has been hospitalized. What nursing intervention helps reduce the potential for formation of thrombi and renal calculi in this client?

Keep the client hydrated.

A nurse is reviewing a CT scan of the brain, which shows 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 middle-aged client has scheduled a sick visit to the physician's office, reporting symptoms of lower back pain with exacerbation upon movement. The nurse draws a picture of the components of the spinal cord and surrounding structures and shows potential causes of the pain. Which area of the drawing would the nurse emphasize?

Nucleus pulposus

The nurse is caring for a client who was discovered unconscious after falling off a ladder. The client is diagnosed with a concussion. All testing is normal, and discharge instructions are compiled. Which instructions have been compiled for the spouse?

Observe for any signs of behavioral changes.

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

The nurse is caring for a client experiencing autonomic dysreflexia. Which of the following does the nurse recognize as the source of symptoms?

Sympathetic nervous system

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 nurse is working on the neurologic unit at a local hospital. The nurse has four clients assigned who sustained head injuries as a result of an industrial accident. Which client would the nurse anticipate the physician sending for specialized care?

The client who played soccer in college

The intensive care unit has four clients received from a violent motor vehicle accident. Which client would the nurse assess first?

The client with a basilar fracture

A client has sustained a head injury and is unconscious in the emergency room. A family member of the client arrives and is providing details of the client's medical history. Which information is of most concern to the nurse?

The client's medications include warfarin (Coumadin).

The nurse is caring for a postoperative client who had surgery to decrease intracranial pressure after suffering a head injury. Which assessment finding is promptly reported to the physician?

The client's vital signs are temperature, 100.9° F; heart rate, 88 beats/minute; respiratory rate, 18 breaths/minute; and blood pressure, 138/80 mm Hg.

The nurse is working in the rehabilitative setting caring for tetraplegia and paraplegia clients. When instructing family members on the difference between the sites of impairment, which location should the nurse explain differentiates the two disorders?

The first thoracic vertebrae

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