ATI LPN
Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing 14e (Hinkle 2017)
Chapter 68 : Management of Patients with Neurologic Trauma Questions
Question 1 of 5
The ED is notified that a 6-year-old is in transit with a suspected brain injury after being struck by a car. The child is unresponsive at this time, but vital signs are within acceptable limits. What will be the primary goal of initial therapy?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Preserving brain homeostasis prevents secondary brain injury and guides initial therapy. Specific ICP treatment or circulation focus is secondary.
Question 2 of 5
A patient is admitted to the neurologic ICU with a suspected diffuse axonal injury. What would be the primary neuroimaging diagnostic tool used on this patient to evaluate the brain structure?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: MRI is the primary tool for evaluating brain structure in diffuse axonal injury. PET scans assess function, while X-rays and ultrasound are inadequate for brain imaging.
Question 3 of 5
A 13-year-old was brought to the ED, unconscious, after being hit in the head by a baseball. When the child regains consciousness, 5 hours after being admitted, he cannot remember the traumatic event. MRI shows no structural sign of injury. What injury would the nurse suspect the patient has?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Grade 3 concussion with temporal lobe involvement causes prolonged unconsciousness and amnesia, with normal MRI. Grade 1 has no loss of consciousness, and DAI or contusion typically show structural damage.
Question 4 of 5
An 82-year-old man is admitted for observation after a fall. Due to his age, the nurse knows that the patient is at increased risk for what complication of his injury?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Elderly patients are at higher risk for hematomas due to adherent dura and frequent anticoagulant use. Other complications are less age-specific.
Question 5 of 5
A neurologic flow chart is often used to document the care of a patient with a traumatic brain injury. At what point in the patients care should the nurse begin to use a neurologic flow chart?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A neurologic flow chart starts with the initial assessment to track changes consistently. It is not limited to deterioration or shift changes.