Paramedic National Registry Practice

You respond to an unconscious patient who suffered a brief loss of consciousness after a biking accident. What type of bleed may this incident indicate?

1. Subdural Hematoma

2. Intracranial Hemorrhage

3. Epidural Hematoma

4. Contusion

The correct answer is: Epidural Hematoma

In the context of a biking accident where the patient experienced a brief loss of consciousness, an epidural hematoma is particularly relevant. This type of bleed typically occurs after a traumatic injury, especially when there is a skull fracture, often associated with a brief initial loss of consciousness followed by a lucid interval before symptoms worsen rapidly. Epidural hematomas are characterized by bleeding between the dura mater and the skull, usually from a tear in an artery, which can lead to a quick accumulation of blood under pressure. This is why the timing of the loss of consciousness—initially brief but potentially followed by a rapid deterioration—is suggestive of this kind of injury. In contrast, other types of intracranial bleeding, such as a subdural hematoma, which involves venous bleeding, or intracranial hemorrhages that may not have such a clear onset pattern associated with trauma, would typically not result in the same clinical presentation. A contusion refers to bruising of brain tissue itself, which might not directly correlate with the acute loss of consciousness observed in this scenario. By identifying these key factors, it becomes clear that the nature of the traumatic event and the sequence of symptoms make epidural hematoma the most likely type of bleed indicated