hemorrhage or infection?

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the question i am having trouble with goes something like its an open head injury whts priority... i thought it would be hemorrhage but the answer is infection... i went with hemorrhage because of abc..... can someone tell me where i went wrong?

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

While an open head wound will bleed.....I am assuming that they meant an open fracture type injury...your greatest risk will be infection of the brain causing encephalitis......dirt and debris doesn't fair well in the CSF.

Let's talk about this.....

Tell me......Why would hemorrhage be indicative of ABC for a head injury that is open.......Why would the debris in the brain cause an issue? Which one would be worse?

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It might be a poorly-worded question, but if we can reasonably assume that the set-up would have mentioned big, hemodynamically-significant blood loss if it were present, I think we would have to go with infection in the absence of other information. The consequences of intracranial infection are so devastating.

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well i was sorta thinkng circulation...... if there is bleeding i thought it would affect circulation... i can see why infection woudl be the answer now thanks :)

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

The Brain injury itself will kill the patient before the bleeding will...you're welcome...anytime

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