Terminology: Clinical Consideration

TERMINOLOGY
CLINICAL CLARIFICATION o An accumulation of blood between the dura mater and brain, usually due to head trauma CLASSIFICATION o Not applicable DIAGNOSIS CLINICAL PRESENTATION History
 Recent head trauma
 Symptoms o Loss of consciousness o Nausea and vomiting o Headache o Neck stiffness o Seizures o Focal neurological deficits
 Difficulty speaking
 Difficulty comprehending speech
 Difficulty reading
 Confusion
 Amnesia
 Numbness or tingling
 Visual disturbances
 Difficultly with coordination or balance
 Weakness in extremities
 Difficulty swallowing
 Altered sense of taste
 Altered sense of smell Physical Examination
 Patient may have head lacerations and/or scalp contusions
 Patient may be unconscious or show …show more content…
o Should be performed if patient shows signs of decreased neurological function Laboratory
 Complete blood count (CBC) o Increased WBC count will could indicate presence of indicate infection o Hematocrit and Low platelets will indicatecould result in further risk of hemorrhage
 Prothombin time o To assccess bleeding risk o INR >1.4 puts patient at increased risk of deterioration and mortality3
 Blood glucose to assess for …show more content…
2011 Oct-Dec; 4(4): 472–476)

o Should be performed if patient shows signs of decreased neurological function (e.g., a worsening of the Glasgow Coma Scale > 2 points)
 Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) o Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are equivalent in detecting acute intracranial hemorrhages, but MRI is superior for detecting chronic intracerebral hemorrhageparenchymal brain injury (e.g., contusions)
 Skull x-ray 8 o To assess traumatic fractures though generally not appropriate if CT scan obtained (see reference 8: http://www.acr.org/~/media/C94E6287904E4D1CB185A7A63D1C0A37.pdf) o Functional testing
 Not applicable Procedures
 Not applicable General