Head Injury
Terms
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- Cerebral perfusion pressure
- Term for the difference between inflow and outflow (of cerebral blood perfusion)--the driving pressure for cerebral blood flow.
- Intracranial pressure
- The word for the pressure of CSF in the subarachnoid space. Determined by volume of the intracranial compartments. Normal is <15 mmHg.
- Cerebral blood flow
- Term for the flow of blood in the cerebrum, autoregulated by pCO2, BP, pH of blood and O2 levels
- Contra-coup injury:
- Contusions of the brain on the side opposite the site of a blunt trauma
- Concussion
- any alteration of cerebral function caused by a force to the head resulting in: brief LOC, light-headedness, vertigo, H/A, nausea, vomiting, photophobia, cognitive dysfuncion, memory loss, tinnitus, blurred vision (one or more of above)
- Post-concussive syndrome
- condition in which patients continue to have complaints such as H/A, dizziness, inability to concentrate, memory problems
- Rapid Sequence Intubation
- The technique for intubation that optimizes the patient's physiology, prevents increased ICP and has the lowest complication rate.
- Significance of a single fixed, dilated pupil
- May indicate an ipsilateral intracranial hematoma with uncal herniation
- Significance of bilateral fixed, dilated pupils
- Suggest increased ICP with poor brain perfusion, bilateral uncal herniation, drug effect or severe hypoxia
- Significance of bilateral pinpoint pupils
- Suggest either opiate use or a pontine lesion