A nurse is educating a group of high school students about the damage caused by penetrating traumatic brain injuries.
Which statement should the nurse include in the teaching?

Damage to the brain is related to the size, route, and speed of the object entering the brain.

Damage occurs from the penetrating injury causing leakage of cerebrospinal fluid.

Damage to the brain is related to coup and contrecoup injuries.

Damage occurs from the penetrating object shattering the skull and causing an infection.

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is A

Choice A rationale
Penetrating traumatic brain injuries can cause significant damage to the brain. The extent of this damage is often related to the size, route, and speed of the object entering the brain. A larger, faster object or one that follows a path through vital areas of the brain can cause more severe injury. This is because the object can disrupt normal brain tissue and function, leading to a range of potential effects, from temporary changes in brain function to long-term complications or even death.
Choice B rationale
While it is true that a penetrating injury can cause leakage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), this is not the primary source of damage in such injuries. CSF leakage can lead to complications such as meningitis, an infection of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord.
However, the primary damage in penetrating brain injuries comes from the direct physical disruption of brain tissue by the object.
Choice C rationale
Coup and contrecoup injuries are terms used to describe injuries that occur at the site of impact (coup) and on the opposite side of the brain (contrecoup). These injuries are typically associated with blunt force trauma, not penetrating injuries. In a penetrating injury, the damage is localized to the path that the object has taken through the brain, rather than at the point of impact and its opposite side.

Choice D rationale
While a penetrating object can indeed shatter the skull and potentially cause an infection, the primary damage in penetrating brain injuries is caused by the direct injury to the brain tissue itself. Infections are a secondary complication that can occur if bacteria enter the brain through the wound.

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Correct Answer is D

Explanation

Choice A rationale
Regulation of the amount of carbon dioxide exhaled can affect cerebral blood flow, but it does not directly maintain cerebral perfusion pressure constant.
Choice B rationale
Catecholamines circulating throughout the body can affect blood pressure and heart rate, but they do not directly maintain cerebral perfusion pressure constant.

Choice C rationale
How much blood is pumped from the heart, also known as cardiac output, can affect cerebral perfusion pressure. However, it does not directly maintain cerebral perfusion pressure constant.
Choice D rationale
Regulation of constriction and dilation of blood vessels in the brain, also known as cerebral autoregulation, is a key mechanism that maintains cerebral perfusion pressure constant. When pressure autoregulation is impaired, cerebral blood flow becomes dependent on cerebral perfusion pressure.

A. Brainstem ischemia B. Tachycardia C. Agonal breathing D. Chest pain

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

Choice A rationale
Cushing’s Triad, which includes bradycardia (low heart rate), irregular respiration, and widened pulse pressure, is a nervous system response that could prevent brainstem ischemia. Brainstem ischemia is a condition where there is insufficient blood flow to the brainstem, which can lead to cell death.
Choice B rationale

While tachycardia (high heart rate) is a serious condition, it is not typically prevented by Cushing’s Triad.
Choice C rationale
Agonal breathing, which is characterized by gasping, labored breathing, particularly when lying flat, is not typically prevented by Cushing’s Triad.
Choice D rationale
Chest pain is not typically prevented by Cushing’s Triad. Cushing’s Triad is a response to increased intracranial pressure, not a cardiac condition.

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A nurse is educating a group of high school students about the damage caused by penetrating traumatic brain injuries. Which statement should the nurse include in the teaching?

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

A nurse is caring for a client who has sustained a neurologic injury with increased intracranial pressure and decreased cerebral perfusion. Which of the following will maintain cerebral perfusion pressure constant?

Correct Answer is D

Explanation

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Correct Answer is A

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A nurse is educating a group of high school students about the damage caused by penetrating traumatic brain injuries.
Which statement should the nurse include in the teaching?