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Head and Neck Trauma Flashcards

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

Read the first 6 Head and Neck Trauma flashcards as text

  1. A patient presents after an assault with Battle's sign and hemotympanum. These findings are most consistent with:

    Answer: Basilar skull fracture of the posterior fossa

    Battle's sign (mastoid ecchymosis) and hemotympanum (blood behind the tympanic membrane) are classic indicators of a basilar skull fracture involving the temporal bone/posterior fossa.

  2. A TBI patient's ICP monitor shows sustained readings of 25 mmHg. The first-line medical intervention is:

    Answer: Osmotic therapy with mannitol or hypertonic saline

    Osmotic therapy (mannitol 20% or hypertonic saline 3-23.4%) is the first-line medical treatment for sustained intracranial hypertension (ICP >20-22 mmHg).

  3. Le Fort II fractures are characterized by which pattern?

    Answer: Pyramidal fracture involving the maxilla, nasal bones, and orbital floor

    Le Fort II is a pyramidal fracture that extends from the nasal bridge through the medial orbital walls, across the orbital floor, and through the pterygoid plates, separating a pyramid-shaped segment of the midface.

  4. Which medication is recommended for seizure prophylaxis in the first 7 days following severe traumatic brain injury?

    Answer: Levetiracetam or phenytoin

    Levetiracetam (Keppra) or phenytoin (Dilantin) is recommended for early seizure prophylaxis (first 7 days) after severe TBI to prevent early post-traumatic seizures.

  5. A patient with a cervical spine injury at C4 presents with hypotension and bradycardia but warm, dry skin. This presentation is consistent with:

    Answer: Neurogenic shock

    Neurogenic shock from high cervical spinal cord injury presents with hypotension, bradycardia, and warm/dry skin due to loss of sympathetic tone below the injury level.

  6. The secondary brain injury cascade in TBI is primarily caused by:

    Answer: Hypoxia, hypotension, cerebral edema, and metabolic derangements occurring after the primary injury

    Secondary brain injury encompasses all pathological processes occurring after the initial impact — hypoxia, hypotension, edema, excitotoxicity, and inflammation — which are the primary targets of trauma nursing interventions.