NURS 364 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Diffuse Axonal Injury, Retrograde Amnesia, Peripheral Nervous System
14 Dec 2017
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Document Summary
Disorders of the central and peripheral nervous systems and the neuromuscular junction. A traumatic insult to the brain possibly producing physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and vocational changes. Causes: transportation accidents, falls, sports-related event, violence. Young children less than 4 years old, Injury breaks the dura and exposes the cranial contents to the environment. Head strikes hard surface or a rapidly moving object strikes the head. The dura remains intact and brain tissues are not exposed to the environment. Diffuse (general) brain injuries: concussion, diffuse axonal injury. Contusion---- think of as a brain bruise, bleeding within the brain. Force of impact typically produces bleeding & contusions from small tears in blood vessels. Injury directly below the point of impact--- confusion. Injury on the pole opposite the site of impact--- visual problems. Extradural (epidural) hemorrhages or hematomas----- bleeding outside of dura. Subdural hematomas----- bleeding in space right under the dura. Common in older patients--- and with alcohol abuse.
