how to find csf with head trauma???

[InmyblooD]

Let's say you have a head trauma pt and there is minor bleeding from the nose and ears.

For the sake of this question, you don't have any gauze in the whole dept. to do a halo test.

How else can you find out if there is CSF leakage?

Would an accucheck that tested positive for sugar be one??

And let's say that the pt was a non-compliant diabetic. Would the blood from his nose or ears test positive even in the absence of CSF leakage??

[wonderbee, BSN, RN]

Those are a lot of "ifs". It would be safe to assume, until it can be ruled out, that any clear fluid leaking from the ears is CSF in a head trauma event.

As for the noncompliant diabetic thing, we test capillary blood for standard blood glucose monitoring. Testing blood coming from any unknown source would not give a reliable result.

[nurseby07]

Let's say you have a head trauma pt and there is minor bleeding from the nose and ears.

For the sake of this question, you don't have any gauze in the whole dept. to do a halo test.

How else can you find out if there is CSF leakage?

Would an accucheck that tested positive for sugar be one??

And let's say that the pt was a non-compliant diabetic. Would the blood from his nose or ears test positive even in the absence of CSF leakage??

What about a paper towel? Blood or no it would show a halo more easily than gauze, or am I wrong? I don't know about the accucheck.

[ozinurse]

It might be questionable whether you would base the diagnosis of base of skull fracture on the halo test or positive glusose anyway.

A significant head injury with blood from the ear/nose would be of high suspicion and most likey score a CT.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

Agree with ozinurse.

I understand what you're asking, but in practice it would be a moot point. Head trauma gets a head CT.

[lamarblack]

You can check the fluid for glucos, and if it has it, then it is CSF

[ImThatGuy, BSN, RN]

Yeah, it doesn't matter. It's cool to know, but when they're leaking fluid after some type of traumatic exposure they're getting a CT regardless.

I've read about testing sugar in CSF but it's more of a lab thing.

[syckRN]

For trauma protocols there is a door to CT goal. Doesn't matter if CSF no CSF...need to know where, what, how bad the inury, and whether to transport if no neuro at your facility. Whatever...gotta have that CT