Neurology - Closed Head Injuries
1. What is the MCC of death in young people?: MCC = traumatic closed head injury
2. What are open head injuries and how are they obtained?: Penetration of the scalp and
skull
- bullets/sharp objects that cause skull fracture due to severe blunt force
3. What are closed head injuries?: Head is struck, strikes an object, or is shaken violently
- causes rapid brain acceleration and deceleration
- either axons, blood vessels, or both can be sheared or torn
4. WHat are the most vulnerable lobes for closed head injuries?: Frontal and Temporal
lobes
5. What are examples of closed head injuries?: - concussion
- contusion
- diffuse axonal injury
- basilar skull fracture
- subarachnoid hemorrhage
- subdural hematoma
- epidural hematoma
6. What is a coup vs. contrecoup injury?: Coup injury = at the site of trauma
Contrecoup injury = occurs at OPPOSITE site of trauma
7. What does the complete neurological examination include?: 1. Mental status
,2. Cranial nerves
3. Motor system
4. Gait, stance, and coordination
5. Sensory system
6. Reflexes
8. What is the MC used level of consciousness scale in traumatic brain injury?: MC
scale = Glasgow Coma Scale
9. What is included in the mental status?: - Level of Consciousness
- Content of Consciousness
10. How is level of consciousness classified?: - Conscious
OR
Altered Level of Consciousness (ALOC)
- confused
, - delirious
- somnolent (drowsy)
- obtunded (mentally dull and decreased interest into surroundings)
- stuporous (non-spontaneous patient state and a response is only elicited through painful stimuli)
- comatose (unresponsive)
11. What is included in content of consciousness?: - Appearance, attitude
- Behavior, mood, affect
- Memory, focus, attention
- Thoughts, perception, insight, judgment
- Intelligence
12. How is content of consciousness assessed?: Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE)
- good for outpatient/nonurgent setting
13. What is the single cutoff to declare someone as having an altered mental
status?: <24 is abnormal
14. What are causes of a loss of consciousness?: A
- acidosis
- abuse of substances
- arrhythmias
E
- environmental
- electrolytes
- encephalopathy
1. What is the MCC of death in young people?: MCC = traumatic closed head injury
2. What are open head injuries and how are they obtained?: Penetration of the scalp and
skull
- bullets/sharp objects that cause skull fracture due to severe blunt force
3. What are closed head injuries?: Head is struck, strikes an object, or is shaken violently
- causes rapid brain acceleration and deceleration
- either axons, blood vessels, or both can be sheared or torn
4. WHat are the most vulnerable lobes for closed head injuries?: Frontal and Temporal
lobes
5. What are examples of closed head injuries?: - concussion
- contusion
- diffuse axonal injury
- basilar skull fracture
- subarachnoid hemorrhage
- subdural hematoma
- epidural hematoma
6. What is a coup vs. contrecoup injury?: Coup injury = at the site of trauma
Contrecoup injury = occurs at OPPOSITE site of trauma
7. What does the complete neurological examination include?: 1. Mental status
,2. Cranial nerves
3. Motor system
4. Gait, stance, and coordination
5. Sensory system
6. Reflexes
8. What is the MC used level of consciousness scale in traumatic brain injury?: MC
scale = Glasgow Coma Scale
9. What is included in the mental status?: - Level of Consciousness
- Content of Consciousness
10. How is level of consciousness classified?: - Conscious
OR
Altered Level of Consciousness (ALOC)
- confused
, - delirious
- somnolent (drowsy)
- obtunded (mentally dull and decreased interest into surroundings)
- stuporous (non-spontaneous patient state and a response is only elicited through painful stimuli)
- comatose (unresponsive)
11. What is included in content of consciousness?: - Appearance, attitude
- Behavior, mood, affect
- Memory, focus, attention
- Thoughts, perception, insight, judgment
- Intelligence
12. How is content of consciousness assessed?: Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE)
- good for outpatient/nonurgent setting
13. What is the single cutoff to declare someone as having an altered mental
status?: <24 is abnormal
14. What are causes of a loss of consciousness?: A
- acidosis
- abuse of substances
- arrhythmias
E
- environmental
- electrolytes
- encephalopathy
