What to Do When One Has a Head Injury
What is termed as Head injury?
Head Injury occurs when the head suddenly and violently hits an object or when an object pierces the skull and injures the brain. A head injury can be mild, moderate or severe.
Many a times patients with head injury lose consciousness for brief periods of time following the accident. Frequently, they may not remember the accident as such or sometimes the events that caused the accident. Some individuals will not remember events that happened for varying periods of time after the accident. This is called as Amnesia.
What should we look for when we see a patient with suspected head injury at the scene of the accident ?
- Immediately call an ambulance to carefully take the individual to the nearest hospital
- Find out whether the person is conscious or not.
- If he/she is conscious, find out if the person is confused or alert.(By asking basic questions)
- Look for signs of bleeding from wounds in the head/face or swelling in the head.
- Check if there is any episode of vomiting after the accident.
- Look for any bleeding from the ear/nose/ throat after the accident
- Note if the person has fits after the accident.
- Do try and gently move the arms and legs to rule out any paralysis.
- If the injured is young child watch out for persistent crying or refusal to eat or lethargy.
- Never
restrain a individual throwing fits by holding the arms and legs
- If there is profuse bleeding from the wound in the head, apply firm pressure over the wound
with a clean cloth until medical help arrives.
In case of a head injury
a CT scan may be necessary to rule out injuries to the brain and skull . Ideally get the needy
to a nearby hospital for appropriate Neurosurgical care.
Next we would make oneself
aware to Prevent Head Injury.