A 7-year-old with a head injury is hospitalized after losing consciousness from being hit in the head with a bat at baseball practice. The child was not wearing a helmet
The last set of vital signs showed heart rate 48, blood pressure 148/74, and respiratory rate 28 and irregular. The nurse suspects that these vital signs are which of the following? 1. Probably normal for this child
2. A sign of increased intracranial pressure
3. A sign that this child has a spinal cord injury
4. Typical for a sleeping child at this age
2. A sign of increased intracranial pressure
Rationale:
These vital signs show increased blood pressure with a wide pulse pressure, slow heart rate, and respirations that are irregular, all indicating possible significant increased intracranial pressure. Normal heart rate for an awake child at this age is 70–110. Normal blood pressure is 92–126/55–86. Normal respirations are 20 and regular. These vital signs are a sign of increased intracranial pressure. If it were a spinal cord injury, and neurogenic shock were suspected, the child would be hypotensive. Normal sleeping pulse at this age is 60–90.
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