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?

A man arrives at the ED via ambulance after sustaining a hemi-section of the spinal cord from a stab wound to the right side of the back. He experiences loss of movement on the right side and loss of pain and temperature sensations on the left.The nurse knows that this syndrome is called:

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?

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

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

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?

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 method is the best way of determining a patient’slevel of consciousness in the emergency department (ED)?