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Head, Neck, and Spine Injuries Flashcards

7 cards from real First Aid practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Head, Neck, and Spine Injuries flashcards as text

  1. Which region of the spine is most commonly injured in motor vehicle accidents?

    Answer: Cervical (neck)

    The cervical spine is most vulnerable in car accidents because whiplash forces cause violent flexion-extension of the neck.

  2. A conscious car accident victim is complaining of neck pain and tingling in their arms. You should:

    Answer: Stabilize the head and neck manually and call 911

    Neck pain and neurological symptoms (tingling) after trauma indicate a possible cervical spine injury; manual stabilization and EMS activation are the correct response.

  3. What does the acronym 'AVPU' assess in a head-injured patient?

    Answer: Alert, Voice, Pain, Unresponsive — level of consciousness

    AVPU is a rapid neurological scale: Alert, responds to Voice, responds to Pain, or Unresponsive — used to quickly categorize a patient's level of consciousness.

  4. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is used to assess what in a head injury patient?

    Answer: Level of consciousness via eye, verbal, and motor responses

    The GCS scores three responses — eye opening, verbal response, and motor response — to quantify a patient's level of consciousness.

  5. What best describes 'second impact syndrome'?

    Answer: A second concussion before the first has healed, causing rapid and severe brain swelling

    Second impact syndrome occurs when a second concussion is sustained before the brain recovers from the first, potentially causing catastrophic and fatal cerebral edema.

  6. Which technique is preferred for opening the airway in a person with a suspected spinal injury?

    Answer: Jaw thrust maneuver

    The jaw thrust maneuver opens the airway by moving the jaw forward without extending the cervical spine, making it the preferred method when spinal injury is suspected.

  7. An object is embedded in a person's skull after a penetrating head injury. What should you do?

    Answer: Stabilize the object in place and do NOT remove it

    Embedded objects must never be removed from the skull because they may be controlling internal bleeding; removal can cause catastrophic hemorrhage.