| coup injury of brain | An injury occurring directly beneath the skull at the area of impact. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| current of injury | The current set up when an injured part of a nerve, muscle, or other excitable tissue is connected through a conductor with the uninjured region; the injured tissue is negative to the uninjured. Synonym: demarcation current. (05 Mar 2000) |
| head injury | Refers to a group of head injuries ranging from minor to major. Examples include scalp contusion, scalp haematoma, concussion, brain contusion, skull fracture, epidural haematoma, intracerebral haemorrhage, subarachnoid haemorrhage and subdural haematoma. Features shared by all head injuries (serious and nonserious) include: dizziness, nausea, vomiting, giddiness, sleepiness and headache. More serious features include: protracted vomiting, lethargy, difficulty waking up, loss of consciousness, seizure, confusion, change in mentation or coma. (27 Sep 1997) |
| hyperextension-hyperflexion injury | Violence to the body causing the unsupported head to hyperextend and hyperflex the neck rapidly; does not imply any specific resultant trauma or pathology. (05 Mar 2000) |
| smoke inhalation injury | Pulmonary injury following the breathing in of toxic smoke from burning materials such as plastics, synthetics, building materials, etc. This injury is the most frequent cause of death in burn patients. (12 Dec 1998) |
| spinal cord injury | Any injury to the spinal cord via blunt or penetrating trauma. Extreme flexion or extension (particularly in the neck) of the spine can result in traction on the spinal cord with subsequent injury and the development of neurologic symptoms. See: neurologic symptoms. (27 Sep 1997) |
| neck injury | Any injury to the soft tissues or bony structures (cervical spine) of the neck. (27 Sep 1997) |
| steering wheel injury | Trauma to the anterior chest wall caused by impact with the steering wheel during an automobile accident; can include fractured sternum and ribs, cardiac contusion, tear of the aorta or other great vessels, as well as lung injuries. (05 Mar 2000) |
| degloving injury | Avulsion of the skin of the hand (or foot) in which the part is skeletonised by removal of most or all of the skin and subcutaneous tissue. (05 Mar 2000) |
| inhalational injury | A term used to describe damage the respiratory tract and lungs secondary to the inhalation of a toxin. Some inhalation toxin may cause direct damage (irritants and chemicals) or indirectly through their systemic effects (carbon monoxide). (27 Sep 1997) |
| injury | The damage or wound of trauma. Origin: L. Injuria, fr. In-neg. + jus (jur-), right (05 Mar 2000) |
| injury of intervertebral disk | traumatic cervical discopathy |
| injury potential | The difference in potential recorded when one electrode is placed on intact nerve fibres or muscle fibres and the other electrode is placed on the injured ends of the same fibres; the intact portion is positive with reference to the injured portion. Synonym: injury potential. (05 Mar 2000) |
| injury severity score | An anatomic severity scale based on the abbreviated injury scale (ais) and developed specifically to score multiple traumatic injuries. It has been used as a predictor of mortality. (12 Dec 1998) |
| open head injury | A head injury in which there is a loss of continuity of scalp or mucous membranes; the term is sometimes used to indicate a communication between the exterior and the intracranial cavity. See: penetrating wound. (05 Mar 2000) |