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Emergency Nursing

Trauma Nursing: Head and Spinal Cord Injury Practice Questions

18 free Trauma Nursing: Head and Spinal Cord Injury practice questions for the NCLEX Exam, each with the correct answer and a detailed explanation. Open any question below, or take the full set as an interactive quiz.

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Questions

All Trauma Nursing: Head and Spinal Cord Injury questions

18 questions
  1. Q1. What is the first nursing action for a patient who fell from a height and is unconscious with a suspected cervical spine injury?
  2. Q2. What does a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 7 indicate in a head-injured patient?
  3. Q3. What does the triad of bradycardia, hypertension, and irregular respirations indicate in a head-injured patient?
  4. Q4. What respiratory change can be anticipated in a patient with a spinal cord injury at level C4?
  5. Q5. What presentation characterizes neurogenic shock in the acute phase of spinal cord injury?
  6. Q6. Why is monitoring intracranial pressure (ICP) recommended for head-injured patients?
  7. Q7. Why is elevating the head of the bed to 20-30° recommended for head-injured patients?
  8. Q8. Which nursing intervention is essential for a patient with high-level spinal cord injury to prevent respiratory complications?
  9. Q9. What target range should the nurse set the ventilator to maintain PaCO₂ for a head-injured patient with a GCS of 6?
  10. Q10. What does sudden onset headache, flushed skin above the injury level, and elevated blood pressure indicate in a patient with a spinal cord injury?
  11. Q11. Why is the 'log-roll' technique used when repositioning a patient with an acute cervical spine injury?
  12. Q12. What does clear fluid leaking from the nose after head trauma suggest in a patient?
  13. Q13. What type of shock is likely causing symptoms of low blood pressure, bradycardia, and warm flushed skin in a patient with high thoracic spine trauma?
  14. Q14. What is a key nursing priority in the acute management of traumatic brain injury to prevent secondary brain injury?
  15. Q15. Why is frequent assessment of skin integrity vital for patients with acute spinal cord injury?
  16. Q16. What assessment finding should be prioritised by the nurse as a sign of neurologic deterioration in head injury?
  17. Q17. What preventive measures should the nurse take for a patient with spinal cord injury to reduce the risk of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT)?
  18. Q18. What action should the nurse take if the plateau pressures in a patient on mechanical ventilation for acute TBI are rising above 30 cm H₂O?