AACN CCRN-Adult Exam - Topic 1 Question 18 Discussion

Actual exam question for AACN's CCRN-Adult exam

Question #: 18
Topic #: 1

[All CCRN-Adult Questions]

A patient with a spinal cord injury at T7 tells the nurse that they now have a pounding headache. The nurse should

Acheck for bladder distension.

Badminister PRN acetaminophen.

Cplace the patient in supine position.

Dperform a stroke assessment.

Show Suggested Answer

Suggested Answer: A

A sudden and severe headache in a patient with a spinal cord injury at T7 could be a symptom of autonomic dysreflexia12. This condition is a potentially life-threatening medical emergency that can occur in individuals with spinal cord injuries above the T6 level12. It is most commonly triggered by an overfull bladder or a blocked catheter12. Therefore, the nurse should first check for bladder distension123.

by Francoise at Jan 05, 2026, 05:16 AM

Limited Time Offer

25%

Off

Get Premium CCRN-Adult Questions as Interactive Web-Based Practice Test or PDF

Contribute your Thoughts:

Submit Cancel

Margot

24 hours ago

I think acetaminophen is too basic for this situation.

upvoted 0 times

...

Arlette

6 days ago

Definitely check for bladder distension first!

upvoted 0 times

...

Yuette

11 days ago

A pounding headache can be a sign of autonomic dysreflexia.

upvoted 0 times

...

Scot

16 days ago

If the patient's headache is as bad as mine after studying for this exam, they deserve a whole bottle of acetaminophen!

upvoted 0 times

...

Belen

22 days ago

I bet the patient's headache is pounding as hard as their bladder right now. Time to check for some distension!

upvoted 0 times

...

Nicholle

27 days ago

D) perform a stroke assessment? Really? I don't think a spinal cord injury at T7 is the same as a stroke.

upvoted 0 times

...

Yesenia

2 months ago

C) place the patient in supine position could help, but it's important to first check for the root cause of the headache.

upvoted 0 times

...

Tony

2 months ago

B) administer PRN acetaminophen seems like a good option to relieve the headache, but it doesn't address the underlying cause.

upvoted 0 times

...

Clorinda

2 months ago

I think the correct answer is A) check for bladder distension. Spinal cord injuries can cause autonomic dysreflexia, which can lead to a pounding headache.

upvoted 0 times

...

Miesha

2 months ago

I vaguely remember that stroke assessments are crucial, but I don't think that's the immediate priority in this scenario.

upvoted 0 times

...

Izetta

2 months ago

I feel like placing the patient supine could make things worse if it's autonomic dysreflexia, but I can't recall the exact details.

upvoted 0 times

...

Abel

2 months ago

I think I saw a practice question where they mentioned administering acetaminophen for headaches, but I'm not sure if that's the right first step here.

upvoted 0 times

...

Hermila

3 months ago

I remember something about headaches in spinal cord injury patients possibly indicating autonomic dysreflexia, so checking for bladder distension might be important.

upvoted 0 times

...

Martin

3 months ago

I'd want to be really thorough and check all the options. Gotta make sure I don't miss anything on this exam question.

upvoted 0 times

...

Felix

3 months ago

A stroke assessment? I don't think that's the right approach here. This is more likely an issue with the spinal cord injury itself.

upvoted 0 times

...

Shizue

3 months ago

Okay, I remember learning about this in class. Placing the patient supine is important to help manage the blood pressure spike.

upvoted 0 times

...

Leslee

3 months ago

Hmm, I'm not sure. The pounding headache could be from a lot of things. I'd probably try the acetaminophen first to see if that helps.

upvoted 0 times

...

Allene

3 months ago

This seems like it could be autonomic dysreflexia. I'd check for bladder distension first.

upvoted 0 times

...