Incomplete Spinal Cord Injuries

Which of the following is the most reliable index of a patient’s neurologic condition?

A man is brought to the ED by emergency medical service after involvement in a motor vehicle accident. He is suspected of having a spinal cord injury. Spinal X-rays confirm a lesion at the C5 to C6 level. The nurse anticipates that the patient has:

If a cervical spinal cord injury were suspected, the best way to open the patient’s airway would be to:

When planning discharge instructions for a patient with a cerebral concussion, the nurse should anticipate telling the patient that he can expect all neurologic symptoms to subside within:

A patient admitted to the ED after a motor vehicle accident is found to have a basal skull fracture with middle meningeal artery damage. The nurse assesses this patient for Battle’s sign, which is best described as:

At which level does the phrenic nerve innervate the diaphragm?

An unconscious patient with pinpoint pupils is most likely to exhibit which breathing pattern?

The nurse understands that pinpoint pupils usually are indicative of a lesion in the:

The nurse assesses a comatose patient who is exhibiting decerebrate posturing. Which brain areas are likely to have been injured in this patient?

When assessing the patient’s motor function, the nurse determines spinothalamic tract function by: