A 41-year-old male snowboarder struck his head on a metal rail. As you approach him, you note that he appears confused and has blood on the left side of his face and head, and on his shirt. His breathing appears to be labored. Which of the following actions should you perform immediately?
a. Check his pupils for equality and reactivity.
b. Apply oxygen at 15 LPM via nonrebreather mask.
c. Apply manual in-line spinal immobilization.
d. Expose the chest to look for possible bleeding.
Question 2
A male soccer player was struck in the head with a soccer ball. Players state that he was dazed for several seconds following the impact and then asked the same questions over and over. He is currently conscious and oriented to person but is confused as to place and time. He also has a reddened area on the side of his head and face. As you proceed with your assessment, his memory continues to improve. Based on these findings, you would suspect which of the following injuries?
a. A concussion/TBI
b. An open head injury
c. An epidural hematoma
d. A cerebral contusion