Question

Your adult patient has sustained a blunt force, closed head injury while playing football at a family reunion. Which of the following symptoms leads you to believe the patient is suffering from an epidural hematoma?

A) "Goose egg" noted on patient's head
B) The patient is unconscious when you arrive on the scene and remains that way throughout transport
C) The patient lost consciousness immediately following the injury, but regained consciousness quickly. He lost consciousness again just prior to calling 911.
D) Sudden, severe headache

Answer 1

The patient's symptoms of initially losing consciousness, regaining consciousness, and then losing consciousness again suggest the presence of an epidural hematoma.

Step-by-step explanation:

The symptom that leads me to believe the patient is suffering from an epidural hematoma is option C) The patient lost consciousness immediately following the injury, but regained consciousness quickly. He lost consciousness again just prior to calling 911.

An epidural hematoma is a collection of blood between the brain and the interior of the skull, usually caused by a fracture to the bones around the pterion. The symptoms associated with an epidural hematoma may not be apparent immediately following the injury, but if left untreated, blood accumulation will exert increasing pressure on the brain and can result in death within a few hours. In this case, the patient's initial loss of consciousness followed by regaining consciousness and then losing consciousness again suggests the presence of an epidural hematoma.