In the patient with a spinal cord injury, early hypoventilation is best manifested by:

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

A man is brought to the ED by ambulance after hitting his head when he dove into a 4′ deep swimming pool. Which procedure would hold the highest priority after the patient’s level of consciousness and vital signs have been checked?

Which assessment finding would indicate deterioration of this patient’s respiratory status?

Which nursing measure will benefit a patient with a basal skull fracture?

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

Which nursing diagnosis would be the highest priority for a patient with a cervical spinal cord injury?

Which drug is the treatment of choice to prevent seizures from traumatic head injury?

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

Diagnostic studies reveal a temporal fracture with a pineal shift. The nurse would interpret this finding to indicate: