Your patient is a 37-year-old male unrestrained driver of a vehicle. You find him with his upper body across the console and his head hanging down into the passenger's side floorboard area. You note pooled blood from a scalp wound. After immobilizing him and loading him into the ambulance, where you have more light for your examination, you note that he has a large, full-thickness avulsion of the scalp. The patient's heart rate is 112, respirations are 20, and blood pressure is 82/50. Which of the following statements about this patient are TRUE?
1) The scalp wound itself cannot account for the patient's vital signs.
2) The scalp wound itself may account for the patient's vital signs.
3) The patient's vital signs are consistent with increasing intracranial pressure.
4) Nothing about the vital signs indicates increased intracranial pressure.
A) 1 and 4
B) 2 and 3
C) 1 and 3
D) 2 and 4

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The scalp wound itself may account for the patient's vital signs due to potential significant blood loss, and nothing about the vital signs specifically indicates increased intracranial pressure.

Your Patient Is a 37-Year-Old Male Unrestrained Driver of a Vehicle