Pharmacologic Case Study Essay

Additional Questions:

• How long was the patient unconscious for following the accident?

• How long was the patient responsive for on scene before she then became unconscious again?

• Did the patient state whether she was experiencing any pain after the accident? If so, what type? Where? Rated on a scale of 0-10?

• Did the patient experience nausea or vomiting?

• Did the patient experience any convulsions?

• Did the patient experience decreased respirations?

• Does the patient have a history of driving accidents?

• Does the patient have a history of participating in risky behaviors?

• Does the patient have a history of alcohol abuse?

• Does the patient use any recreational drugs?

• Does the patient have any known medical conditions?

• What

Once the patient is stable and can have a CT scan done, this is the best diagnostic test to determine craniocerebral trauma. Other diagnostic studies that may be done to indicate a head injury include an MRI, PET, transcranial Doppler studies, and a cervical spine x-ray. A Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) may be used to test neurologic function. The worst score a patient can receive is a 3, with the best being a 15. A score of 8 means the person needs to be intubated. This is important to monitor because patient’s can deteriorate very quickly. Due to the magnitude of the patient’s, vital signs should be checked at least every 15 minutes. The head of the bed should be raised to 30 degrees because of the presence of possible cerebral spinal fluid from her nose. This fluid should be checked for the presence of glucose (Halo’s sign) to confirm that it is in fact cerebral spinal fluid. Intracranial pressure should be monitored using ventriculostomy, which is when a catheter is inserted into the lateral ventricle to remove cerebral spinal fluid. Along with this, supplemental oxygen should be administered to the patient via a non-rebreather mask. It is also important to initiate at least two large bore IV’s to maintain access incase the patient is to receive any medication or