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

A 25-year-old man, disoriented to time and place, is admitted to the ED. His co-worker states that the patient was hit on the head with a beam 2 hours ago and that the incident caused momentary unconsciousness. The patient was fine until 30 minutes ago, when he became tired and confused. Physical examination reveals a dilated nonreactive left pupil. Vital signs are blood pressure 160/80 mmHg, pulse rate 80 beats/minute, and respiratory rate 16 breaths/minute. Which diagnostic test would the nurse anticipate the physician to order initially?

While in the ED, the patient develops spinal shock. This condition is defined as a state of:

The nurse understands that consciousness is determined by the:

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:

Nursing assessment of the patient with a spinal cord injury reveals all of the following except:

A patient admitted to the ED with an injury to the left cerebral hemisphere may exhibit:

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:

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

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: