Soar High with the 2025 CFRN Test – Elevate Your Nursing Career to New Heights!

The NEXUS Criteria (National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization Study) is a set of rules that helps determine whether a patient needs radiographic imaging of the cervical spine after a blunt trauma. A GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale) score of 15 indicates that the patient is fully conscious and has a normal level of responsiveness, which is a positive finding suggesting that the patient is unlikely to have a significant cervical spine injury.

In contrast, positive findings on the NEXUS Criteria indicate risk factors that might necessitate further imaging or investigation. Intoxication, distracting injuries, and focal neurological deficits are all considered red flags. Intoxication may impair a patient's ability to communicate their symptoms accurately, distracting injuries can mask more serious conditions, and focal neurological deficits suggest potential neurological compromise. Thus, a GCS of 15 is not considered a positive finding within the context of the NEXUS Criteria, as it points toward a stable and alert condition rather than indicators of risk or injury.