Question

A 70 y/o female fell and struck her head two days ago, but did not seek medical attention. Today, she is confused, vomiting, and has slurred speech. The EMT should suspect a/an:

A) Intracerebral hematoma
B) Acute ischemic stroke
C) Epidural hematoma
D) Subdural hematoma

Answer 1

A 70-year-old female presenting with a delayed onset of confusion, vomiting, and slurred speech after a fall should be suspected of having a subdural hematoma, especially considering the delayed onset of symptoms characteristic of this condition.

Step-by-step explanation:

The 70-year-old female who fell and struck her head and is now presenting with confusion, vomiting, and slurred speech should be suspected of having a subdural hematoma. While each of the given options can present with neurologic deficits, her symptoms combined with the delayed timeline (symptoms presenting two days after the initial injury) are typical of a subdural hematoma. Subdural hematomas often result from trauma that causes bleeding to occur between the dura mater and the brain, and they can have a slower onset compared to epidural hematomas which usually present acutely following head trauma.

A hemorrhagic stroke could also present with similar symptoms, but the history of trauma makes a traumatic cause of bleeding, such as a subdural hematoma, more likely in this case.