Head and spinal injuries, Notes
these are only lecture notes. read the material
The major components of the nervous system are the brain, and the spinal cord.
the nervous system is divided into two subsystems, the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system
The brain is the major organ of life. It lives in the cranium of the skull.
The brain is bathed and receives protection from cerebro spinal fluid.
The scalp has many blood vessels in a small area. injury here always looks bad. Bleeding is profuse.
with an injury to the head there are 2 terms to remember. Open and closed. these refer to the cranial bones, joints to these bones are the suture lines.
in the closed head injury the shock of the impact is transferred to the brain.
in an open head injury the brain is lacerated and punctured, or bruised by broken bones or foreign objects.
Hypo perfusion from blood loss is generally not a sign of head injury except in an infant.
In addition to the AVPU scale (Alert to Voice, Pain, or Unresponsive.) you may also use the Glasgow coma scale for ongoing assessment.
Of primary concern with facial fracture and injury is the patients airway.
an emt-b should "Up-Triage" (over treat) a head injury or spinal injury patient.
assume that any fall of more than 3 times the patients height will also be accompanied by a spinal injury.
Assume that all unconscious trauma patients will have a spinal cord injury.
In the rapid trauma assessment an EMT-B should assess the head and neck, then apply a c-collar or other method of immobilizing the cervical spine. when It comes time to place the patient on the back board. Log Roll the victim. while holding the c-spine in line.
Whenever you see a spider webbed windshield on a vehicle the passengers in the front need Cervical spine immobilization.
In documenting injuries to the head and spine, carefully take note of any change in your patients condition. document them and report changes in mental status and your neuro exam. continue assessment and treatment throughout transport.
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