UCLA EMT TRAUMA REVIEW SET QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Depressed skull fracture - ✔✔Inward indentation of the skull with possible pressure
on brain
- Usually caused from direct trauma to skull (I.e. baseball bat to head)
- Will feel abnormal
✔✔Open skull fracture - ✔✔a skull fracture with an associated open wound to the
overlying scalp
- pierced brain cavity
- worst injury, most deadly
✔✔Basilar skull fracture - ✔✔- Fracture at the base of the skull
- leak in cranial vault (usually occurs at high speeds)
✔✔Symptoms of basilar skull fracture (& when will they show up) - ✔✔- Raccoon eyes
(bruises around/underneath)
- Battle's sign: red circular bruises behind ears
- Symptoms will usually show up a day after major trauma (takes a while for blood to
pool causing symptoms)
✔✔TBI - ✔✔Traumatic brain injury: injury capable of producing physical, intellectual,
emotional, social, vocation changes
✔✔Primary TBI - ✔✔Immediate injury from bruising or penetrating objects
✔✔Secondary TBI - ✔✔Injury resulting from hypoxia (lack of perfusion) in the brain
✔✔Epidural hematoma - ✔✔- hematoma (bleeding) located superior to the dura mater
- results from direct trauma to brain
, ✔✔symptoms of epidural hematoma - ✔✔lucid interval
- pt. will usually be knocked unconscious initially, wake up and be able to answer
questions, then go unconscious again after pressure builds as a result of bleeding
✔✔What type of bleeding is associated with epidural hematoma - ✔✔ARTERIAL- which
means it comes on much more quickly than subdural
✔✔Subdural hematoma - ✔✔- bleeding beneath dura
- usually a result of falls (deceleration forces)
✔✔What type of bleeding is associated with subdural hematoma - ✔✔VENOUS
- slower formation, symptoms show up hours to days after trauma
✔✔Symptoms of subdural hematoma - ✔✔- decreased LOC
- slurred speech
- stroke symptoms
✔✔Subarachnoid bleeding symptoms - ✔✔- meningeal irritation (rigid neck, headache)
✔✔Intracranial pressure symptoms - ✔✔- Headache
- Nausea/vomiting (esp. vomiting w/o nausea)
- Cheyene stokes respirations
- Decrease HR
- Sluggish/non-reactive pupils
- Posturing (decorticate/decerebrate)
✔✔Herniation syndrome signs/symptoms - ✔✔Cushing's reflex (triad)
- Hypertension
- Bradycardia
- Irregular respiration patterns
✔✔Treatment for herniation syndrome - ✔✔- Controlled hyperventilations (20 bpm)
- Tricks body into thinking it has enough O2 by decreasing CO2
- Goal: capnography 30-35
✔✔Concussion - ✔✔- stretching of brain that leads to temporary loss/alteration of
function without permanent damage
- may result in unconsciousness, confusion, amnesia
- 90% don't result in unconsciousness
✔✔Cerebral contusion - ✔✔- Brian sustains bruise when it strikes inside of skull during
trauma
- Can lead to bleeding and swelling (increased pressure)
✔✔Cerebral contusion treatment - ✔✔- Monitor ABCs, O2 if needed, rapid transport
AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Depressed skull fracture - ✔✔Inward indentation of the skull with possible pressure
on brain
- Usually caused from direct trauma to skull (I.e. baseball bat to head)
- Will feel abnormal
✔✔Open skull fracture - ✔✔a skull fracture with an associated open wound to the
overlying scalp
- pierced brain cavity
- worst injury, most deadly
✔✔Basilar skull fracture - ✔✔- Fracture at the base of the skull
- leak in cranial vault (usually occurs at high speeds)
✔✔Symptoms of basilar skull fracture (& when will they show up) - ✔✔- Raccoon eyes
(bruises around/underneath)
- Battle's sign: red circular bruises behind ears
- Symptoms will usually show up a day after major trauma (takes a while for blood to
pool causing symptoms)
✔✔TBI - ✔✔Traumatic brain injury: injury capable of producing physical, intellectual,
emotional, social, vocation changes
✔✔Primary TBI - ✔✔Immediate injury from bruising or penetrating objects
✔✔Secondary TBI - ✔✔Injury resulting from hypoxia (lack of perfusion) in the brain
✔✔Epidural hematoma - ✔✔- hematoma (bleeding) located superior to the dura mater
- results from direct trauma to brain
, ✔✔symptoms of epidural hematoma - ✔✔lucid interval
- pt. will usually be knocked unconscious initially, wake up and be able to answer
questions, then go unconscious again after pressure builds as a result of bleeding
✔✔What type of bleeding is associated with epidural hematoma - ✔✔ARTERIAL- which
means it comes on much more quickly than subdural
✔✔Subdural hematoma - ✔✔- bleeding beneath dura
- usually a result of falls (deceleration forces)
✔✔What type of bleeding is associated with subdural hematoma - ✔✔VENOUS
- slower formation, symptoms show up hours to days after trauma
✔✔Symptoms of subdural hematoma - ✔✔- decreased LOC
- slurred speech
- stroke symptoms
✔✔Subarachnoid bleeding symptoms - ✔✔- meningeal irritation (rigid neck, headache)
✔✔Intracranial pressure symptoms - ✔✔- Headache
- Nausea/vomiting (esp. vomiting w/o nausea)
- Cheyene stokes respirations
- Decrease HR
- Sluggish/non-reactive pupils
- Posturing (decorticate/decerebrate)
✔✔Herniation syndrome signs/symptoms - ✔✔Cushing's reflex (triad)
- Hypertension
- Bradycardia
- Irregular respiration patterns
✔✔Treatment for herniation syndrome - ✔✔- Controlled hyperventilations (20 bpm)
- Tricks body into thinking it has enough O2 by decreasing CO2
- Goal: capnography 30-35
✔✔Concussion - ✔✔- stretching of brain that leads to temporary loss/alteration of
function without permanent damage
- may result in unconsciousness, confusion, amnesia
- 90% don't result in unconsciousness
✔✔Cerebral contusion - ✔✔- Brian sustains bruise when it strikes inside of skull during
trauma
- Can lead to bleeding and swelling (increased pressure)
✔✔Cerebral contusion treatment - ✔✔- Monitor ABCs, O2 if needed, rapid transport
