Incomplete Spinal Cord Injuries

A 23-year-old man is brought to the ED after suddenly feeling ill while exercising with weights at a local health spa. While in the ED, he complains of a sudden, explosive headache. The nurse suspects:

Which condition would the nurse expect to note in a patient who has sustained a head injury and damage to the sixth cranial nerve?

A patient is admitted to the ED with possible spinal cord injury between T4 and T12. Which clinical finding would the nurse not expect to note?

One of the nurse’s major concerns in caring for a patient with a spinal cord injury is to maintain optimal respiratory function. Which development would not lead to hypoventilation in this patient?

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

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

The primary objective in the plan of care for a patient with a traumatic head injury typically involves:

Which symptom is least likely to be exhibited by a patient who sustains a cerebral concussion?

The nurse typically begins to assess level of consciousness by using:

At which level does the phrenic nerve innervate the diaphragm?