Head injuries Flashcards

1
Q

Blunt force

A
  • abrasions
  • bruises (or contusions) - degradation of haemoglobin
  • lacerations
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2
Q

Sharp force

A
  • incised wounds - longer than they are deeper

- stab wounds - deeper &more narrow (damage internally)

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3
Q

skull

A
  1. cranium
  2. bones of the face
    (mandible is considered separate)
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4
Q

primary head injuries

A
  • injury to scalp
  • surface contusions/lacerations
  • intracranial haemorrhage
  • diffuse axonal injury (D.A.I)
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5
Q

secondary head injuries

A
  • meningitis (inflammation of meninges)
  • ischaemia (reduction of blood supply)
  • increased ICP (intra-cranial-pressure)
  • Oedema (swelling of brain)
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6
Q

skull fractures

A
  • linear -straight line
  • hinge (back of skull)
  • comminuted -multiple pieces
  • ring
  • distant (impact at one point but bone breaks at another)
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7
Q

basal skull fracture

A
  • generally occiptal or temporal trauma
  • CSF rhinorrhoea (cerebral spinal fluid drips through nose)
  • Battle’s sign -mastoid process (bleeding&bruising)
  • ‘panda eyes’
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8
Q

cerebral contusion

A
  • motion of the brain within the skull
  • Pia stripped from brain (layer)
  • contact “coup” - contact site (occurs from primary impact)
  • opposite point impact - “contrecoup” (secondary impact)
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9
Q

Meninges

A
  • dura mater (most superficial)
  • arachnoid mater (just below dura)
  • subarachnoid space
  • pia mater (below subarachnoid space, above gray matter)
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10
Q

Intracranial Haemorrhage

A
  • extradural haemorrhage
  • subdural haemorrhage
  • subarachnoid haemorrhage
  • intracerebral haemorrhage
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11
Q

Extradural haemorrhage

A
  • Bleeding above dura but undersurface of skull

- usually MIDDLE MENINGEAL ARTERY

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12
Q

Subdural haemorrhage

A
  • Abover arachnoid but below dura mater
  • venous in origin
  • tearing of SUPERIOR CEREBRAL VEIN
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13
Q

Subarachnoid haemorrhage

A
  • occurs in natural disease or injury
  • AV malformation or rupture of BERRY ANEURYSM
  • can be associated with trauma eg. cranial fractures or cerebral lacerations
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14
Q

Diffuse Axonal Injury

A
  • Diffuse brain injury without obvious lesion
  • can be unconscious straight away
  • due to shearing rotational forces
  • microscopic diagnosis (can’t be diagnosed until after death)
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15
Q

Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)

A
  • eye opening (4)
  • verbal response (5)
  • motor response (6)
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16
Q

Pneumatised bones

A

air within them (frontal, sphenoid, ethmoid)

17
Q

Zygomatic bone

A

protects from injury