Exam 13: Head and Spine Injuries

A toddler is running in the living room and falls, striking the side of his head on the end of a coffee table. The toddler is lying very still, with a blank stare on his face. What should you do?

When assessing a victim of head injury, it is important to obtain a history that includes:

At a local ski hill, a snowboarder wipes out while doing a flip. He is responsive and says he cannot move or feel his legs and feet. He has most likely suffered a:

At the local skateboard park, a skater takes a header in the half pipe. He didn't have a helmet on, and is lying on his back confused and not able to move. As a First Aider, you should:

A local baseball league player has been struck in the side of the head with a baseball. She is lying on her back, unresponsive, with blood coming from her ear. She is breathing. What should you do?

Whenever you care for a victim of head injury, always assume:

The cervical vertebrae are the least prone to injury.

Head injuries affect 500,000 children under fourteen years of age.

When assessing a head wound, palpate the wound to determine size and depth of the injury.

The most common type of skull fracture, which causes a thin-line crack in the skull, is a:

Skull fracture itself presents little danger unless accompanied by brain injury.

Sports helmets make it easier for the First Aider to access the victim's airway.

When the brain is injured, blood vessels in the brain dilate allowing more blood into the injured area; swelling and an increase in pressure result. This can affect all but:

What technique should you use to open the airway of an unresponsive victim with spinal injury?

If a victim of a fall from a ladder has numbness and tingling in his arms and legs, you should have him stand up and walk it off.

The two major complications of spinal injury are inadequate breathing effort and:

What is the most reliable sign of spinal injury in a responsive victim?

The first priority in treating spinal injury is to ensure an adequate airway and breathing.

A helmeted child falls from a bicycle and is lying unresponsive on the sidewalk, on her side. She is breathing. As a First Aider who witnesses this accident, you should:

The first step in assessing a responsive victim of spinal injury is to: