TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI)
NCLEX-Focused Lesson
MECHANISMS OF TBI
Acceleration
Moving object hits head
Moving object hits head
Deceleration
Head hits stationary object
Head hits stationary object
Acceleration–Deceleration
Coup–Contrecoup
Coup–Contrecoup
Rotation
Head moves out of sync
Head moves out of sync
Compression
Skull between objects
Skull between objects
- TBI = brain damage caused by external force
- Can be blunt or penetrating trauma
- Common causes: falls, violence, sports, MVAs, combat
- Mild: 13–15 | Moderate: 9–12 | Severe: 3–8
- GCS ≤ 8 → airway protection required
TBI Quiz
1. Which GCS score indicates severe TBI?
2. Coup–contrecoup injury is caused by:
