A head injury can have various causes, even a seemingly irrelevant blow to the head. Recognizing the symptoms is important, because the condition of the sufferer can worsen suddenly and without warning. Careful observation and quick reaction help diagnose head trauma and provide first aid while awaiting medical attention.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Identifying a Possible Head Injury
Step 1. Make sure the person is conscious
Even if she is awake, there may be other problems: quickly check that she is alert and responsive. A good way is to use the AVPU rating scale:
- Alert: Verify that he is alert and that his eyes are open. Does it answer questions?
- Verbal (verbal): Ask him simple questions and check that he can answer. To test his comprehension, you can also try giving him simple instructions, such as "Sit here".
- Pain: If he doesn't respond, try pinching him. Make sure he reacts to pain by at least moving or opening his eyes. Don't shake him, especially if he appears dazed.
- Unresponsive (non-reactive): If he still doesn't react, give him a slight shake to elicit some reaction. Otherwise it means that the person is unconscious and could be the victim of a serious head injury.
Step 2. Check for any bleeding
If you see blood, check for a cut or scratch. If, on the other hand, it comes out of the nose or ears, it can be a sign of severe head injury.
Step 3. Check for skull fractures
Some fractures are easy to spot, especially if there are skin lesions. Note the location of these fractures so that you can report them to your doctor when they intervene.
Other fractures, on the other hand, are under the skin, therefore not immediately visible. Bruises under the eyes and behind the ears can be a sign of a fracture at the base of the skull. If you notice clear fluid leaking from your nose or ears it may be a leak of cerebrospinal fluid, which indicates a skull fracture
Step 4. Pay attention to signs of spinal injuries
This is a very serious condition that can only be treated by qualified medical personnel. The signs that make it possible to diagnose a spinal injury are different.
- The head is in an unusual position, or the person is unwilling or unable to move their neck or back.
- Numbness, tingling or paralysis of the extremities (arms or legs). Another sign is a weaker heartbeat at the extremities than in the center of the body.
- Weakness and difficulty walking.
- Loss of bladder or bowel control.
- Unconsciousness or decreased alertness.
- Stiffness in the neck, headache or neck pain.
- If a spinal injury is suspected, the person must remain completely still and stretched out until medical assistance arrives.
Step 5. Check for other symptoms of a severe head injury
If you have one or more of the following symptoms, seek immediate medical attention. Check if the person:
- You feel very drowsy.
- He begins to behave abnormally.
- Get a severe headache or stiff neck.
- Has pupils of different sizes (this can be a symptom of stroke).
- He can no longer move an arm or a leg.
- Loses consciousness (even a temporary loss of consciousness indicates a serious problem).
- Vomits several times.
Step 6. Identify any concussion symptoms
It is a lesion of the brain that is less easily visible than a cut or scratch. For concussion there are typical symptoms, which should be particularly monitored:
- Headache or buzzing.
- Confusion about the surrounding environment, dizziness, flashes and flickering, amnesia about events that just happened.
- Nausea and vomit.
- Sputtering or delay in answering questions.
- After a few minutes, check again for these symptoms. Some concussion symptoms don't show up right away. So if you suspect the person is a victim, sit them down for a while and watch for symptoms appear.
- If certain symptoms get worse, it's a sign of an even more serious problem. The person needs medical attention as quickly as possible. Check for worsening head or neck pain, weakness or numbness in the arms or legs, repeated vomiting, increased confusion or clouding, gibbering or seizures.
Step 7. Some symptoms are specific to children
There are other symptoms that occur in children suffering from head trauma. Some of these require careful observation, as children are unable to exhibit their ailments as easily as an adult. In addition, their skulls and brains are not yet fully developed, so head trauma can be particularly severe and require immediate treatment. If you think a child may have suffered a severe head injury, focus on the following symptoms:
- Persistent crying
- Refusal to take food.
- Repeated vomiting episodes.
- In infants, check for swelling at the fontanel.
- If the child has symptoms of head injury, do not pick him up.
Part 2 of 2: Provide First Aid
Step 1. Put the person seated
In the event of head trauma, the first thing to do is to make the person sit quietly and apply something cold to the traumatized spot. A cold pack or ice pack is ideal, but if you're at home, a bag of frozen vegetables may work too.
The ideal is for the person to remain stationary, unless you have to move them to take them to the hospital. If the injured child is a child who has been injured by falling, do not pick him up unless absolutely necessary
Step 2. Prepare to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
If the person suddenly loses consciousness or stops breathing, you must start CPR immediately. Put the person on their back and put pressure on the chest. If you have received adequate training and feel comfortable resuscitating a person with CPR, open the airways and give them mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Do this several times if necessary.
While you wait for the ambulance to arrive, keep checking their breathing, heart rate, and any indicators that the person is conscious and responsive
Step 3. Call 118
If you suspect a serious head injury or see signs of a skull fracture or bleeding, call the emergency room right away. During the call, try to be as calm as possible while explaining what happened and the kind of assistance you need. Make sure you provide a specific address where the ambulance can reach you. Stay on the line until the switchboard hangs up, so you can ask for any advice on what to do.
Step 4. Provide first aid for spinal injuries
A spinal injury can cause paralysis or other serious problems. The actual care will be provided by qualified medical personnel, but there are some steps you can take to prevent the situation from getting worse before the ambulance arrives.
- Keep the person still. If necessary, keep her head and neck still, or place heavy towels on the sides of her neck to provide stability.
- If the person is no longer breathing, do a modified CPR (known as a "jaw lift" maneuver). Do not tilt her head back to open her airways. Instead, kneel behind the person's head and place a hand on either side of their jaw. Keeping the head still, push the jaw upwards: it will appear that the person has an extremely protruding chin. Do not practice mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, just compress your chest.
- If the person starts vomiting, do not turn them over to avoid choking on vomiting. Rather, ask someone else for help to keep your head, neck, and back aligned. One of you has to hold his head, while the other has to stand beside the person.
Step 5. Get first aid in the event of a bleeding
If the person has a wound on their head, you need to stop any bleeding. Be sure to take precautions not to infect the wound.
- With water, if available, wash the wound and remove any dirt or grime.
- Press a clean, dry cloth directly onto the wound to stop bleeding. Secure the bandage with gauze and tape, if available. If not, ask someone to put a hand on the bandage.
- If you fear a skull fracture, do not press hard. Try to press gently, to avoid aggravating the fracture or pushing any bone fragments into the brain matter.
- Do not wash the wound if it is particularly deep or if the bleeding is severe.
Step 6. Provide first aid in the event of a skull fracture
A skull fracture can only be treated by qualified medical personnel, but there are some steps you can take to keep the situation under control while waiting for an ambulance.
- Without touching anything, observe the area affected by the fracture and take note of any useful details. You will then be able to inform the healthcare staff upon arrival. Just make sure you don't touch the wound with any foreign body, not even with a finger.
- Control bleeding by placing a clean, dry cloth directly on the wound. If it becomes soaked in blood, do not remove it, rather add another and continue to apply pressure if necessary.
- Be very careful not to move the person. If you are forced to, do your best to keep your head and neck still (make sure they can't twist or twist).
- If the injured person begins to vomit, gently turn his entire body to his side so that he does not choke from the vomit.
Advice
- A head injury can be associated with other complications: possibly be prepared to provide first aid in case of shock.
- If you are away from home, it is good practice to always have a first aid kit and a telephone available for any emergency calls.
- If the injured person was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, do not take it off. Let the medical staff deal with it if necessary.
- Some symptoms of head injury may not show up right away. If you suspect a head injury, check that the symptoms don't just appear later.
