Question

A patient reports feeling disoriented after having been hit in the head with heavy material from a construction site. Although the patient's MRI results do not show evidence of brain damage and the patient did not lose consciousness, the patient is unable to remember events immediately following the accident, including how the patient ended up at the hospital. The nurse understands that the patient most likely has which condition?

a) Amnesia
b) Concussion
c) Seizure disorder
d) Hematoma

Answer 1

The patient with memory loss of events following a head trauma likely suffers from retrograde amnesia, as their symptoms align with this condition rather than a seizure disorder, concussion, or hematoma.

Step-by-step explanation:

The patient most likely has amnesia, specifically retrograde amnesia, which is loss of memory for events that occurred prior to the trauma. In this case, the patient cannot remember events immediately following the accident, like how they ended up at the hospital. Despite an MRI not showing evidence of brain damage, and the patient not losing consciousness, amnesia can occur from head trauma without these indicators. The fact that the patient's only symptom is disorientation and memory loss of the specific events after the incident aligns with symptoms of retrograde amnesia rather than a concussion, seizure disorder, or hematoma, which typically have broader neurological implications.