Ryanair Initial Practice Exam

Which of the following is a sign of a head injury?

1. Warm skin at the injury site

2. Unequal pupils

3. Persistent cough

4. Numbness in limbs

The correct answer is: Unequal pupils

Unequal pupils can indicate a head injury because they may suggest potential damage to the brain or the pathways that control pupil size. The eyes often respond similarly to light and stimuli, so when one pupil is larger or smaller than the other, it can point to increased intracranial pressure or direct trauma to the brain, which can be critical in assessing the severity of a head injury. Monitoring the pupils is a standard practice in evaluating patients for neurological conditions, making this indicator particularly significant in the context of head trauma. In contrast, warm skin at the injury site may not specifically reflect a head injury and could pertain to other conditions. A persistent cough could be associated with respiratory issues, not necessarily indicative of head trauma, while numbness in limbs usually relates to spine or peripheral nerve issues rather than direct head injuries. Therefore, all these alternatives do not provide the specific indication of a head injury as demonstrated by the context surrounding unequal pupils.