Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Intermediate Practice Exam

In the presence of significant head injury, what is a potentially life-threatening complication you should anticipate?

1. Spinal shock

2. Cerebral edema

3. Sepsis

4. Hypovolemic shock

The correct answer is: Cerebral edema

Cerebral edema is a potentially life-threatening complication that can occur following a significant head injury. When the brain sustains trauma, it can lead to inflammation and swelling, resulting in increased intracranial pressure (ICP). This rise in pressure can compress brain tissue and blood vessels, risking damage to neurological structures and impairing the brain’s ability to function effectively. If untreated, cerebral edema can progress to herniation, where brain tissue shifts from its normal position, which can be fatal. Other complications, such as spinal shock, sepsis, and hypovolemic shock, may arise under different circumstances but are not directly tied to the immediate consequences of head trauma in the same way that cerebral edema is. Spinal shock relates to injury of the spinal cord, sepsis results from infection, and hypovolemic shock is associated with blood loss or fluid depletion. While these are serious conditions, they do not specifically arise as a direct and acute result of head trauma in the manner that cerebral edema does.