A 21-year-old patient has a head injury resulting from trauma and is unconscious. There are no other injuries. During the assessment what would the nurse expect to find when testing the patient's deep tendon reflexes?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: Reflexes will be normal. In a patient with a head injury resulting from trauma and no other injuries, deep tendon reflexes are typically unaffected by the injury. The brain stem controls deep tendon reflexes, and since there are no other injuries, the reflexes should remain normal. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because they do not align with the typical response of deep tendon reflexes in a head injury without other injuries. Choice B stating that reflexes cannot be elicited is incorrect as deep tendon reflexes are usually intact in this scenario. Choice C suggesting all reflexes will be diminished but present is incorrect as deep tendon reflexes are typically not affected by head injuries. Choice D stating that some reflexes will be present depending on the area of injury is incorrect because deep tendon reflexes are primarily controlled by the brain stem, which is not directly affected in this situation.