A 30-year-old patient has been treated at the emergency department for a head injury and is to be discharged. As the nurse provided health instruction to the family, she explained signs of complications and the appropriate measures to perform if they occur. Which statement by the patient's spouse requires further teaching?

Explanation

• Contusion or hematoma development can cause an increase in ICP which disrupts neural function

• A head injury, whether it is a concussion, contusion, or hemorrhagic with hematoma formation can result in a decreased LOC which could be masked by a long nap. It is important to monitor the patient frequently to assess for unusual sleepiness, which might indicate increasing ICP. Sleeping is allowed, but the wife should check on him frequently and make sure she is able to wake him

• Vomiting and difficulty talking are signs of increased ICP, and the wife would be correct to report these

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