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SPINAL CORD INJURY NCLEX
QUESTIONS
| NEURO & TRAUMA NURSING |
NCLEX-RN & PN COMPREHENSIVE
NURSING PRACTICE Q&A WITH
DETAILED RATIONALES
A patient has manifestations of autonomic dysreflexia. Which of these
assessments would indicate a possible cause for this condition?
Select all that apply.
1. hypertension
2. kinked catheter tubing
3. respiratory wheezes and stridor
4. diarrhea
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5. fecal impaction - --Correct-Answer✅✅....Correct Answer: 2,5
Rationale: Autonomic dysreflexia can be caused by kinked catheter
tubing allowing the bladder to become full, triggering massive
vasoconstriction below the injury site, producing the manifestations of
this process. Acute symptoms of autonomic dysreflexia, including a
sustained elevated blood pressure, may indicate fecal impaction. The
other answers will not cause autonomic dysreflexia.
An unconscious patient receiving emergency care following an
automobile crash accident has a possible spinal cord injury. What
guidelines for emergency care will be followed?
Select all that apply.
1. Immobilize the neck using rolled towels or a cervical collar.
2. The patient will be placed in a supine position
3. The patient will be placed on a ventilator.
4. The head of the bed will be elevated.
5. The patient's head will be secured with a belt or tape secured to the
stretcher. - --Correct-Answer✅✅....Correct Answer: 1,2,5
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Rationale: In the emergency setting, all patients who have sustained a
trauma to the head or spine, or are unconscious should be treated as
though they have a spinal cord injury. Immobilizing the neck,
maintaining a supine position and securing the patient's head to prevent
movement are all basic guidelines of emergency care. Placement on the
ventilator and raising the head of the bed will be considered after
admittance to the hospital.
A patient with a spinal cord injury is recovering from spinal shock. The
nurse realizes that the patient should not develop a full bladder because
what emergency condition can occur if it is not corrected quickly?
1. autonomic dysreflexia
2. autonomic crisis
3. autonomic shutdown
4. autonomic failure - --Correct-Answer✅✅....Correct Answer: 1
Rationale: Be attuned to the prevention of a distended bladder when
caring for spinal cord injury (SCI) patients in order to prevent this chain
of events that lead to autonomic dysreflexia. Track urinary output
carefully. Routine use of bladder scanning can help prevent the
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occurrence. Other causes of autonomic dysreflexia are impacted stool
and skin pressure. Autonomic crisis, autonomic shutdown, and
autonomic failure are not terms used to describe common complications
of spinal injury associated with bladder distension.
Which patient is at highest risk for a spinal cord injury?
1. 18-year-old male with a prior arrest for driving while intoxicated
(DWI)
2. 20-year-old female with a history of substance abuse
3. 50-year-old female with osteoporosis
4. 35-year-old male who coaches a soccer team - --
CorrectAnswer✅✅....Correct Answer: 1
Rationale: The three major risk factors for spinal cord injuries (SCI) are
age (young adults), gender (higher incidence in males), and alcohol or
drug abuse. Females tend to engage in less risk-taking behavior than
young men.
The nurse understands that when the spinal cord is injured, ischemia
results and edema occurs. How should the nurse explain to the patient
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SPINAL CORD INJURY NCLEX
QUESTIONS
| NEURO & TRAUMA NURSING |
NCLEX-RN & PN COMPREHENSIVE
NURSING PRACTICE Q&A WITH
DETAILED RATIONALES
A patient has manifestations of autonomic dysreflexia. Which of these
assessments would indicate a possible cause for this condition?
Select all that apply.
1. hypertension
2. kinked catheter tubing
3. respiratory wheezes and stridor
4. diarrhea
Page 1 of 48
,2 | Page
5. fecal impaction - --Correct-Answer✅✅....Correct Answer: 2,5
Rationale: Autonomic dysreflexia can be caused by kinked catheter
tubing allowing the bladder to become full, triggering massive
vasoconstriction below the injury site, producing the manifestations of
this process. Acute symptoms of autonomic dysreflexia, including a
sustained elevated blood pressure, may indicate fecal impaction. The
other answers will not cause autonomic dysreflexia.
An unconscious patient receiving emergency care following an
automobile crash accident has a possible spinal cord injury. What
guidelines for emergency care will be followed?
Select all that apply.
1. Immobilize the neck using rolled towels or a cervical collar.
2. The patient will be placed in a supine position
3. The patient will be placed on a ventilator.
4. The head of the bed will be elevated.
5. The patient's head will be secured with a belt or tape secured to the
stretcher. - --Correct-Answer✅✅....Correct Answer: 1,2,5
Page 2 of 48
,3 | Page
Rationale: In the emergency setting, all patients who have sustained a
trauma to the head or spine, or are unconscious should be treated as
though they have a spinal cord injury. Immobilizing the neck,
maintaining a supine position and securing the patient's head to prevent
movement are all basic guidelines of emergency care. Placement on the
ventilator and raising the head of the bed will be considered after
admittance to the hospital.
A patient with a spinal cord injury is recovering from spinal shock. The
nurse realizes that the patient should not develop a full bladder because
what emergency condition can occur if it is not corrected quickly?
1. autonomic dysreflexia
2. autonomic crisis
3. autonomic shutdown
4. autonomic failure - --Correct-Answer✅✅....Correct Answer: 1
Rationale: Be attuned to the prevention of a distended bladder when
caring for spinal cord injury (SCI) patients in order to prevent this chain
of events that lead to autonomic dysreflexia. Track urinary output
carefully. Routine use of bladder scanning can help prevent the
Page 3 of 48
, 4 | Page
occurrence. Other causes of autonomic dysreflexia are impacted stool
and skin pressure. Autonomic crisis, autonomic shutdown, and
autonomic failure are not terms used to describe common complications
of spinal injury associated with bladder distension.
Which patient is at highest risk for a spinal cord injury?
1. 18-year-old male with a prior arrest for driving while intoxicated
(DWI)
2. 20-year-old female with a history of substance abuse
3. 50-year-old female with osteoporosis
4. 35-year-old male who coaches a soccer team - --
CorrectAnswer✅✅....Correct Answer: 1
Rationale: The three major risk factors for spinal cord injuries (SCI) are
age (young adults), gender (higher incidence in males), and alcohol or
drug abuse. Females tend to engage in less risk-taking behavior than
young men.
The nurse understands that when the spinal cord is injured, ischemia
results and edema occurs. How should the nurse explain to the patient
Page 4 of 48
