What vital signs may be elevated in a patient who has suffered a brain injury?

What vital signs may be elevated in a patient who has suffered a brain injury?

• A. Hypotension and bradycardia
• B. Hypertension and fever
• C. Hypoxia and tachycardia
• D. Normotension and afebrile

Answer: (B)

Elevated vital signs in a patient who has suffered a brain injury can indeed include hypertension and fever. Following a brain injury, the body may respond with a sympathetic nervous system reaction, leading to elevated blood pressure as a compensatory mechanism. This can occur due to an increase in intracranial pressure or a response to stress on the body. Additionally, fever can develop as a result of inflammatory responses or infections, especially if the injury leads to complications such as pneumonia or meningitis. The hypothalamus, which regulates body temperature, can be affected in brain injuries, contributing to altered thermoregulation and fever. While other choices include vital signs that can occur in various conditions, they do not directly reflect the typical response to brain injury as well as hypertension and fever do. For example, hypotension and bradycardia are not usually characteristic responses to brain injury; instead, a more common response includes increased heart rate (tachycardia) due to stress. Hypoxia and tachycardia can arise due to other complications but are not indicative of the initial response to a brain injury. Normotension and afebrile conditions would suggest no significant neurovascular response to a brain injury, which is often not the case. Therefore, hypertension and

Elevated vital signs in a patient who has suffered a brain injury can indeed include hypertension and fever. Following a brain injury, the body may respond with a sympathetic nervous system reaction, leading to elevated blood pressure as a compensatory mechanism. This can occur due to an increase in intracranial pressure or a response to stress on the body.

Additionally, fever can develop as a result of inflammatory responses or infections, especially if the injury leads to complications such as pneumonia or meningitis. The hypothalamus, which regulates body temperature, can be affected in brain injuries, contributing to altered thermoregulation and fever.

While other choices include vital signs that can occur in various conditions, they do not directly reflect the typical response to brain injury as well as hypertension and fever do. For example, hypotension and bradycardia are not usually characteristic responses to brain injury; instead, a more common response includes increased heart rate (tachycardia) due to stress. Hypoxia and tachycardia can arise due to other complications but are not indicative of the initial response to a brain injury. Normotension and afebrile conditions would suggest no significant neurovascular response to a brain injury, which is often not the case. Therefore, hypertension and