Questions and Answers
What is the most appropriate airway management for a female patient with a suspected spinal injury who has a marked reduction in tidal volume?
Assisting ventilations at an age-appropriate rate.
During your primary assessment of a semiconscious 30-year-old female with closed head trauma, what should you instruct your partner to do?
Instruct him to assist her ventilations while you perform a rapid assessment.
What should you do for a 45-year-old male who fell approximately 12′ and is conscious with stable vital signs?
Immobilize his spine and perform a focused secondary exam.
What term describes a temporary loss or alteration of part or all of the brain's abilities to function without physical damage?
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What is an indicator of an expanding intracranial hematoma?
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In which situation would it be most appropriate to perform a focused secondary assessment?
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What is the most common and serious complication of a significant head injury?
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What is the most important treatment for patients with a head injury?
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What condition is indicated if a patient cannot remember the events that preceded his or her head injury?
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Which of the following statements regarding a basilar skull fracture is correct?
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What is bleeding within the brain tissue itself called?
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When immobilizing a trauma patient's spine, when should the EMT stabilizing the head let go?
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Which of the following statements regarding motor nerves is correct?
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Which of the following head injuries would cause the patient's condition to deteriorate most rapidly?
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When should a tight-fitting motorcycle helmet be left in place?
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When immobilizing a child on a long backboard, what should you do?
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What is an epidural hematoma?
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What two components make up the central nervous system (CNS)?
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The __________ nervous system consists of 31 pairs of spinal nerves and 12 pairs of cranial nerves.
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When immobilizing a patient on a long backboard, what should you do first?
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Which of the following statements regarding motor nerves is correct?
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What is the difference between a cerebral concussion and a cerebral contusion?
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The body's functions that occur without conscious effort are regulated by the __________ nervous system.
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What hormone is responsible for the actions of the sympathetic nervous system?
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What are the five sections of the spinal column, in descending order?
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What is the most reliable sign of a head injury?
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When immobilizing a seated patient, when should you apply a cervical collar?
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When the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, what happens to heart rate and blood vessels?
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Coordination of balance and body movement is controlled by which part of the brain?
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What can lacerations to the scalp indicate?
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Which of the following nerves carry information from the body to the brain via the spinal cord?
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Which of the following sets of vital signs depicts Cushing's triad?
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What should you do for an unconscious male who has rapid, irregular respirations and bloody secretions from his mouth and nose?
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What injuries does rapid deceleration of the head cause?
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What numeric value should you assign to a patient with abnormal flexion of his extremities for motor response?
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What is most important to monitor in a patient with a possible head injury?
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What GCS score should you assign to a 20-year-old female who opens her eyes spontaneously, is confused, and obeys commands?
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What should you do if you do not have the appropriate size cervical collar?
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What is the least likely skull fracture to present with palpable deformity or other outward signs?
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Which of the following statements regarding the cranium is correct?
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Common signs and symptoms of a serious head injury include all of the following, EXCEPT:
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The __________ contains about 75% of the brain's total volume.
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What is an indicator of an expanding intracranial hematoma or rapidly progressing brain swelling?
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What should you do when assessing a conscious patient with an MOI that suggests spinal injury?
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What characterizes moderate elevation in intracranial pressure with middle brain stem involvement?
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You should be most suspicious of a significant head injury if a patient's pulse is:
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What is the best-protected part of the CNS and controls the functions of the cardiac and respiratory systems?
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What function do the meninges and cerebrospinal fluid provide?
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Which of the following nerves allow sensory and motor impulses to be sent from one nerve directly to another?
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How should you control bleeding from a scalp laceration with a suspected underlying skull fracture?
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When opening the airway of a patient with a suspected spinal injury, which maneuver should you use?
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What should you do after your partner assumes manual in-line stabilization of the patient's head?
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What are the frontal and parietal bones of the skull especially susceptible to?
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What may lacerations to the scalp indicate?
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Which of the following statements regarding secondary brain injury is correct?
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Distraction injuries of the spine are most commonly the result of:
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Study Notes
Airway Management
- For a female patient with suspected spinal injury and reduced tidal volume, assist ventilations at an age-appropriate rate.
- In a semiconscious patient with closed head trauma, maintain manual in-line stabilization while assisting ventilations during rapid assessment.
Trauma Assessment and Management
- For a 45-year-old male who fell from a height, immobilize the spine and perform a focused secondary exam; he's stable with lower back pain.
- A focused secondary assessment is indicated for patients who fainted from a standing position.
Head Injuries
- A cerebral concussion refers to a temporary loss of brain function without physical damage.
- An expanding intracranial hematoma is indicated by rapid deterioration of neurologic signs.
- Cerebral edema is the most common and serious complication following a significant head injury.
Treatment Protocols
- Establish an adequate airway as the most critical treatment for all head injury patients.
- Retrograde amnesia is the inability to remember events preceding a head injury.
Skull Fractures
- The absence of raccoon eyes or Battle’s sign does not rule out a basilar skull fracture.
- Bleeding within brain tissue is termed an intracerebral hematoma.
Spinal Injury Management
- When immobilizing a trauma patient's spine, ensure the head is stabilized until secured to the backboard.
- Secure the torso first when immobilizing a patient on a long backboard.
Nervous System Overview
- The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord, while the peripheral nervous system comprises 31 pairs of spinal nerves and 12 cranial nerves.
- The autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary bodily functions, influenced by the hormone epinephrine during sympathetic activation.
Signs of Significant Head Injury
- Cushing’s triad is characterized by high blood pressure, bradycardia, and irregular respirations.
- A decreased level of consciousness is regarded as the most reliable sign of a head injury.
Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)
- Assess a patient who opens eyes spontaneously, is confused, and follows commands with a GCS score of 14.
- Assign a numeric value of c for abnormal flexion of extremities after a head injury.
Patient Positioning and Assessment
- Use a jaw-thrust maneuver to open the airway in suspected spinal injury cases.
- Assess distal neurovascular status once manual in-line stabilization is in place.
Scalp Injuries and Protocols
- Monitor scalp lacerations as they may indicate deeper injuries; avoid excessive pressure when controlling scalp bleeding with a suspected skull fracture.
- The brain stem controls vital functions and is highly protected within the central nervous system.
Other Key Points
- Rapid deceleration incidents may cause anterior brain compression injuries and posterior brain stretching.
- Sluggishly reactive pupils and widened pulse pressure can indicate moderate intracranial pressure with brainstem involvement.
- Distraction injuries are most commonly associated with hangings, highlighting the importance of careful assessment in such situations.
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Description
This quiz focuses on airway management techniques as discussed in Chapter 28 of Emergency Medical Care. It covers critical scenarios involving respiratory distress and assessment of patients with spinal injuries and head trauma. Test your knowledge on appropriate interventions and emergency response.
