Publication Date
Winter 12-3-2022
School
School of Nursing
Major
Nursing (B.S.N.)
Keywords
traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic amnesia, memory, posttraumatic confusion state, orientation, agitation
Disciplines
Bioethics and Medical Ethics | Critical Care | Critical Care Nursing | Medical Anatomy | Medical Neurobiology | Neurology | Neurosciences
Recommended Citation
Grant, Hannah, "Nursing Considerations for Post-traumatic Amnesia After a Traumatic Brain Injury" (2022). Senior Honors Theses. 1240.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/honors/1240
Abstract
A period known as post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) often follows a traumatic brain injury (TBI). PTA is characterized by anterograde and retrograde amnesia, confusion, disorientation, and agitation. The duration and severity of PTA is a key indicator of the long-term prognosis after a TBI, so proper assessment and nursing care of a PTA patient is crucial. TBIs range from mild to severe, but primarily affect the fronto-temporal lobes. In PTA, both neural lesions and white matter damage within the parahippocampal region can cause PTA. A nurse must perform a thorough assessment of a TBI patient, but, since PTA is a key indicator of a TBI, a nurse must be familiar with the PTA assessment scales, particularly when comparing the Westmead Post-Traumatic Amnesia Scale (WPTAS) and the Galveston Orientation and Amnesia Test (GOAT). Finally, multi-disciplinary care of a TBI patient within PTA patient must include evidence-based pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments, nursing considerations, nutritional considerations, physical and occupational therapy, and psychosocial implications.
Included in
Bioethics and Medical Ethics Commons, Critical Care Commons, Critical Care Nursing Commons, Medical Anatomy Commons, Medical Neurobiology Commons, Neurology Commons, Neurosciences Commons
