Head injury: the importance of trending and reporting assessments

Authors

  • Carole Rush

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29173/cjen343

Abstract

An all-too-familiar scenario presents to the emergency department (ED) at 0200 involving alcohol and trauma. This time, it is a 48-year-old male who sustained an unwitnessed fall down eight stairs. He was found by family members who promptly called EMS. At the scene, EMS found the patient lying with a pool of blood around his head. Their initial neurological assessment revealed a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) of three with unequal and sluggish pupils (Rt pupil = 2, Lt pupil = 6). EMS performed a Rapid Sequence Intubation using Rocuronium and Fetanyl. Due to the patient’s focal neurological findings, a 20-gram dose of Mannitol 20% solution was administered.

References

Bergsneier, M., & Kelly, D.F. (2003). Brain injury. In G.P. Naude, F.S. Bongard, & D. Demetriades (Eds.), Trauma secrets (2nd ed., pp. 51-59). Philadelphia: Hanley & Belfus, Inc.

Pons, P. (1998). Head trauma. In P. Rosen, R.M. Barkin, F.J. Baker, G.R. Braen, R.H. Dailey, & R.C. Levy (Eds.), Emergency medicine: Concepts and clinical practice (4th ed., pp. 338-354). St. Louis, MO: Mosby-Year Book.

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Published

2005-01-01

How to Cite

Rush, C. (2005). Head injury: the importance of trending and reporting assessments. Canadian Journal of Emergency Nursing, 28(1), 21–22. https://doi.org/10.29173/cjen343

Issue

Vol. 28 No. 1 (2005): Spring 2005: Outlook

Section

Articles

License

The Canadian Journal of Emergency Nursing is published Open Access under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 license. Authors retain full copyright.