What does clear fluid leaking from the nose after head trauma suggest in a patient?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: Possible cerebrospinal fluid leak needing neurosurgical review
Clear watery drainage with head trauma suggests CSF leak from skull base fracture; risk of meningitis and need for neurosurgical input.
Practice all 18 Trauma Nursing: Head and Spinal Cord Injury questions
Keep practicing
More Trauma Nursing: Head and Spinal Cord Injury questions
- What type of shock is likely causing symptoms of low blood pressure, bradycardia, and warm flushed skin in a patient with high thoracic spi…
- What is a key nursing priority in the acute management of traumatic brain injury to prevent secondary brain injury?
- Why is frequent assessment of skin integrity vital for patients with acute spinal cord injury?
- What assessment finding should be prioritised by the nurse as a sign of neurologic deterioration in head injury?
- What preventive measures should the nurse take for a patient with spinal cord injury to reduce the risk of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT)?
- 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?