A patient struck in the back of the head with a baseball bat may sustain a cerebral contusion to which area of the brain?

Prepare for the Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) exam. Access diverse quizzes and multiple-choice questions, each with hints and comprehensive explanations. Enhance your readiness and confidence for the PHTLS certification exam!

Multiple Choice

A patient struck in the back of the head with a baseball bat may sustain a cerebral contusion to which area of the brain?

A blow to the back of the head primarily injures the occipital lobe, which sits at the posterior aspect of the brain. A cerebral contusion is a bruise from the brain tissue hitting the inner skull and tearing small vessels, so the area directly under the impact—the occipital lobe—is the most likely site to be contused. The occipital lobe is responsible for visual processing, so visual disturbances can accompany this injury. Frontal and parietal contusions would be more likely with blows to the front or top/middle of the head, respectively.

A blow to the back of the head primarily injures the occipital lobe, which sits at the posterior aspect of the brain. A cerebral contusion is a bruise from the brain tissue hitting the inner skull and tearing small vessels, so the area directly under the impact—the occipital lobe—is the most likely site to be contused. The occipital lobe is responsible for visual processing, so visual disturbances can accompany this injury. Frontal and parietal contusions would be more likely with blows to the front or top/middle of the head, respectively.

More practice questions