Which behaviors by the patient diagnosed with a chronic head injury would the nurse expect to find?
Being increasingly non-compliant with therapeutic care plans.
Playing chess with fellow patients within one week of admission.
Difficulty planning and organizing thoughts and behaviors.
Ability to process multiple pieces of information at the same time.
The Correct Answer is C
Choice A rationale
Chronic head injuries can impair judgment, leading to non-compliance with care plans due to reduced awareness and impulse control. However, non-compliance alone is not a definitive behavioral characteristic of chronic head injury.
Choice B rationale
Rapid engagement in cognitively demanding tasks like chess within a week suggests intact neurological and cognitive function, which contradicts the expected deficits in chronic head injury patients.
Choice C rationale
Chronic head injuries commonly affect the frontal lobe, impairing executive functions such as planning, organizing, and controlling thoughts and behaviors. These deficits result from damage to neural pathways crucial for these cognitive tasks.
Choice D rationale
The ability to process multiple pieces of information simultaneously requires intact cognitive functioning, typically disrupted in chronic head injuries due to neuronal damage, particularly in the prefrontal cortex.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A rationale
Fluid intake does not directly impact intraocular pressure. Management of glaucoma focuses on medications like eye drops and surgical interventions rather than restricting fluid intake.
Choice B rationale
Glaucoma treatments, including eye drops, aim to manage intraocular pressure. These medications are required lifelong to prevent optic nerve damage and preserve vision.
Choice C rationale
Excess salt impacts systemic blood pressure but does not directly influence intraocular pressure. Glaucoma management targets ocular pressure, not dietary sodium reduction.
Choice D rationale
Avoiding eye overuse may reduce strain but does not address intraocular pressure. Effective glaucoma treatment relies on pharmacological or surgical measures rather than activity limitation.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
Choice A rationale
Restlessness and altered mental status are early signs of increasing intracranial pressure, resulting from cerebral edema compressing neural tissue and reducing oxygen supply to critical brain regions.
Choice B rationale
Widening pulse pressure is a later sign of increased intracranial pressure, indicating significant disruption of autonomic regulation and brainstem function. Early symptoms like restlessness occur first.
Choice C rationale
Fixed and dilated pupils signify severe and advanced intracranial pressure, often indicating brain herniation, which is a critical stage beyond initial compensatory mechanisms.
Choice D rationale
Tachycardia and hypotension are not hallmark signs of raised intracranial pressure. Bradycardia and hypertension align more closely with Cushing's triad, associated with late-stage intracranial hypertension. .
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