44-Year-Old Male with Skull Fracture
William Hancock, 44, fell from the scaffolding at a construction site. When emergency personnel arrived, they found him unconscious but with stable vital signs. As paramedics placed him on a backboard to stabilize his head, neck, and back, they noted watery blood leaking from his right ear. In the hospital, Mr. Hancock regained consciousness and was treated for deep lacerations on his scalp and face. Head CT scans revealed both longitudinal and transverse fractures of the right petrous temporal and sphenoid bones that extended through the foramen rotundum and foramen ovale.
The following observations were recorded on Mr. Hancock’s chart on admission:
•Complete loss of hearing in the right ear.
•Paresthesia (sensation of “pins and needles’) at the right corner of the mouth, extending to the lower lip and chin.
•Numbness of the right upper lip, lower eyelid, and cheek.
•Right eye turned slightly inward when looking straight ahead. Diplopia (double vision), particularly when looking to the right.
Mr. Hancock was given a course of antibiotics, the head of his bed was elevated by 30°. and he was placed under close observation. After 24 hours, doctors noted that the right side of Mr. Hancock’s face showed signs of drooping, with incomplete eye closure and asymmetric facial expressions.Mr. Hancock’s right eye showed minimal tear production. The weakness and asymmetry on the right side of his face began to subside after a few days, and the leak of fluid from his ear stopped, but he continued to complain of paresthesia, diplopia, and an inability to hear with his right ear.
3. Why would Mr. Hancock’s doctors give him antibiotics based on these observations? Why was the head of his bed elevated?
Want to see the full answer?
Check out a sample textbook solutionChapter 13 Solutions
Human Anatomy & Physiology (11th Edition)
- JL, a 50-year-old woman, fell and broke the left tibia at the ankle. She is in the emergency department, waiting for the fracture to be immobilized. The leg hurts and she notes that the ankle is red and swollen. A diagnosis of a simple fracture and sprain (damage to ligaments) is made. Describe the pathophysiology of her pain and swelling as related to both the fracture and the strainarrow_forwardAbnormal softening of the skull is known as _________________arrow_forwardWhat are the dens, Jefferson's and Hangman's fractures?arrow_forward
- Lin, a 5-year-11-month-boy was admitted to a paediatric hospital. No neck stiffness, Kernig's sign (-), Brudzinski's sign (-), Babinski's sign (-). All joints had no swollen and tenderness. The outpatient physician then ordered blood routine and peripheral blood smear tests. To find out the reasons for the elbows pain, bilateral tibia, ulnar, femur and fibula films were taken. Blood routine test: WBC=7.2 x 109/L, RBC=3.1 x 109/L, BPC=64 x 109/L, Hb=90g/L, atypical cells 7%. Peripheral blood smear test: blast=18%, L=48%, N=31%. Bilateral tibia, ulnar, femur and fibula films: no obvious bone tissue damage in the bilateral ulnar, fibula, lower section of the tibia and the distal part of the femur. The outpatient physician suggested the parents to sign the consent form of bone marrow aspiration immediately and wished to proceed with the procedure as soon as possible to analyse the immune markers. The physician also informed the parents that, if necessary, Lin may need to have a bone marrow…arrow_forwardA high-school football player died 2 days after a serious head wound received on the field during the game. He butted heads with another player hard enough to cause his skull to fracture. For a few moments, his injury did not seem serious; however, the referee ordered him off the field where he collapsed. Paramedics were called, and he was rushed to the emergency room. 1.How could such an injury be prevented? 2.As a parent or a coach, what precautions would you want to take during practices and games? 3.Identify the appropriate steps taken in this situation. ****PLEASE INCLUDE CITATIONS MLA 9TH EDITION PERDUE OWL****arrow_forwardWhat serious consequence could result from a rupture of the transverse ligament?arrow_forward
- A. B- LE identify the following labeled structures:arrow_forwardAfter falling off a horse, Mary complained of pain on the right side of her thorax that intensified when she took a deep breath or coughed. The emergency medical technician suspected a broken rib. Using palpation, how could the EMT identify the precise location of the injury?arrow_forwardMedical terminology for advanced dysplasia?arrow_forward
- Fundamentals of Sectional Anatomy: An Imaging App...BiologyISBN:9781133960867Author:Denise L. LazoPublisher:Cengage LearningUnderstanding Health Insurance: A Guide to Billin...Health & NutritionISBN:9781337679480Author:GREENPublisher:CengageSurgical Tech For Surgical Tech Pos CareHealth & NutritionISBN:9781337648868Author:AssociationPublisher:Cengage
- Medical Terminology for Health Professions, Spira...Health & NutritionISBN:9781305634350Author:Ann Ehrlich, Carol L. Schroeder, Laura Ehrlich, Katrina A. SchroederPublisher:Cengage Learning