Concussion

Etiology / Pathophysiology

• Blow, jolt, fall, sports injury, or acceleration-deceleration force disrupts brain function.
• Functional brain disturbance can occur without visible structural injury on routine imaging.

Medications

No specific medication class was seeded for this card.

Nursing actions

• Assess LOC, vomiting, headache, confusion, amnesia, seizure, pupils, gait, anticoagulant use, and worsening symptoms.
• Teach cognitive/physical rest and gradual return to school, work, or play per provider instructions.
• Escalate repeated vomiting, worsening headache, seizure, unequal pupils, weakness, slurred speech, or declining LOC.

Complications

• Intracranial bleeding
• Second impact syndrome
• Post-concussion symptoms
• Falls/injury

NCLEX cues

• Normal CT does not mean no concussion.
• Return-to-play requires stepwise clearance.
• Worsening neuro signs are emergency.

Memory hooks

• Concussion is a brain function injury; watch for getting worse.

Labs / Diagnostics

• Neuro checks
• GCS
• CT when ordered for red flags
• Symptom scales

Review notes

• Supplemental wife-requested study card. Use for NCLEX review only and verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy.