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    Lucid intervals

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    Lucid Interval

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    Lucid intervals

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    948 views8 pages

    Temporary brain injury improvement

    Uploaded by

    dsrager
    Lucid intervals

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 8

    Lucid interval

    In emergency medicine, a lucid interval is


    a temporary improvement in a patient's
    condition after a traumatic brain injury,
    after which the condition deteriorates. A
    lucid interval is especially indicative of an
    epidural hematoma. An estimated 20 to
    50% of patients with epidural hematoma
    experience such a lucid interval.[1][2]

    Indications
    When related to hemorrhage, the lucid
    interval occurs after the patient is knocked
    out by the initial concussive force of the
    trauma, then lapses into unconsciousness
    again after recovery when bleeding causes
    the hematoma to expand past the extent
    for which the body can compensate.[3]
    After the injury, the patient is momentarily
    dazed or knocked out, and then becomes
    relatively lucid for a period of time which
    can last minutes or hours.[3] Thereafter
    there is rapid decline as the blood collects
    within the skull, causing a rise in
    intracranial pressure, which damages brain
    tissue. In addition, some patients may
    develop "pseudoaneurysms" after trauma
    which can eventually burst and bleed, a
    factor which might account for the delay in
    loss of consciousness.[4]

    Because a patient may have a lucid


    interval, any significant head trauma is
    regarded as a medical emergency and
    receives emergency medical treatment
    even if the patient is conscious.

    Delayed cerebral edema, a very serious


    and potentially fatal condition in which the
    brain swells dramatically, may follow a
    lucid interval that occurs after a minor
    head trauma.[5]
    Lucid intervals may also occur in
    conditions other than traumatic brain
    injury, such as heat stroke[6] and the
    postictal phase after a seizure in epileptic
    patients.[7]

    See also
    Natasha Richardson
    Mark Donohue

    References
    1. Kushner D (1998). "Mild Traumatic Brain
    Injury: Toward Understanding
    Manifestations and Treatment" . Archives
    of Internal Medicine. 158 (15): 1617–1624.
    doi:10.1001/archinte.158.15.1617 .
    PMID 9701095 . Archived from the original
    on 2008-05-14.
    2. Kushner DS (2001). "Concussion in
    Sports: Minimizing the Risk for
    Complications" . American Family
    Physician. 64 (6): 1007–14.
    PMID 11578022 .
    3. Valadka AB (2004). "Injury to the
    cranium". In Moore EJ, Feliciano DV, Mattox
    KL. Trauma . New York: McGraw-Hill,
    Medical Pub. Division. pp. 385–406.
    ISBN 0-07-137069-2. Retrieved 2008-08-15.
    4. Roski, RA; Owen M; White RJ; Takaoka Y;
    Bellon EM (1981). "Middle meningeal artery
    trauma". Surgical Neurology. Elsevier
    Science Inc. 17 (3): 200–203.
    doi:10.1016/0090-3019(82)90280-4 .
    PMID 7079938 .
    5. Kors, EE; Terwindt GM; Vermeulen FL;
    Fitzsimons RB; Jardine PE; Heywood P;
    Love S; van den Maagdenberg AM; Haan J;
    Frants RR; Ferrari MD (2001). "Delayed
    cerebral edema and fatal coma after minor
    head trauma: role of the CACNA1A calcium
    channel subunit gene and relationship with
    familial hemiplegic migraine". Annals of
    Neurology. 49 (6): 753–760.
    doi:10.1002/ana.1031 . PMID 11409427 .
    6. Casa, DJ; Armstrong LE; Ganio MS;
    Yeargin SW (2005). "Exertional heat stroke
    in competitive athletes". Current Sports
    Medicine Reports. 4 (6): 309–317.
    doi:10.1097/01.csmr.0000306292.64954.d
    a . PMID 16282032 .
    7. Nishida, T; Kudo T; Nakamura F;
    Yoshimura M; Matsuda K; Yagi K (2005).
    "Postictal mania associated with frontal
    lobe epilepsy". Epilepsy & Behavior. 6 (1):
    102–110.
    doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2004.11.009 .
    PMID 15652742 .

    External links
    Medpix.com discussion of lucid
    interval . Retrieved on February 6, 2007.

    Retrieved from
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
    title=Lucid_interval&oldid=859383666"

    Last edited 3 days ago by Neurophyre

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