Catastrophic, Cervical, and Facial Injuries

Commotio Cordis

  • blunt blow to the chest causing sudden cardiac death

  • causes ventricular fibrillation

  • occurs when heart is beating at an exact and specific time

  • has a survival rate of 15%

  • shock from an AED gives best chance of survival

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

  • complex type of heart disease

  • thickening of the heart

  • it can be inherited, developed, or random

  • makes less blood able to get in and out of the blood

Sickle Cell Trait

  • inherited cell from a parent

  • results in log jamming of the blood vessels

  • chokes off blood supply for muscles

Exertional Rhabdomylosis

  • fairly uncommon, but potentially fatal

  • breakdown of skeletal muscle, eventually entering bloodstream, reaching the kidneys

  • happens when an athlete is overworked too fast

Cervical Injuries

  • 7 cervical

  • 12 thoracic

  • 5 lumbar

  • sacrum

  • coccyx

test question: major injury - axial load with 30 degrees flexion on crown of head

Cervical Fractures and Dislocations

  • dislocations are more common than fractures

Symptoms:

  • hear pop or snap 

  • difficulty swallowing

  • deformity

  • numbness, burning, or tingling

Cervical Sprain

  • ligaments which stabilize the vertebrae torn or stretched

Cervical strains

  • muscles and tendons stretched 

  • not as common in sports 

Acute Torticollis

  • stiff neck

  • treated with massage, heat, and rest

Brachial Plexus Neuropraxia

  • “burner”

  • stretching of the nerves that lead through the arms

  • give tingling and burning

Facial injuries

Epistaxis

  • nose bleed

treatment:

  •  sit upright

  • don’t tilt the head back

  • cold compress 

  • vaseline

  • Afrin

  • don’t blow nose

Nasal Fracture

  • swelling

  • visible or palpable deformity

treatment:

  • control bleeding

  • refer

- get x ray 

- get splint

- surgery

Deviated Septum

  • septum is broken to one side and blocks one sides airway

treatment:

  • ice

  • x ray

  • surgery

Zygomatic Fracture

  • tender

  • deformity 

Ruptured eardrum

  • caused from trauma, diving, and pressure changes

Auricular Hematoma (cauliflower ear)

  • hemorrhage

  • fluid filled

  • hardens up after so much time

treatment

- vaseline or ear protection 

- compression 

- drainage

Retinal Detachment

  • Retina fall off of orbit 

  • flashing lights

  • blurred vision

  • floating specks

  • bed rest with both eyes covered or surgery

Hyphema

  • pooling or blood in the anterior chamber of the eye

  • caused from direct blow

treatment

- refer to hospital

- rest with head elevated

- medication to reduce pressure