Head Injuries

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Head Injuries
Head Injuries By James Stebbing
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Head Injuries

• Objectives
• Be confident to recognise a head injury
• Be able to provide timely, appropriate interim
  treatment

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Head Injuries
Impared Consiousness / Disorders of
Conciousness Why might someone be
unconcious? F,I,S,H,S,H,A,P,E,D Levels of
conciousness A Patient is Alert V Patient
responds to Voice P Patient responds to Pain U
Patient is Unconcious
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Head Injuries

• Head Injuries An Overview
• Three types of head injury
• Concussion
• Compression
• Skull Fracture
• All head injuries are potentiall serious never
  be afraid to seek further medical advise if
  unsure.

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Head Injuries

• Concussion
• A shaking of the brain within the skull following
  a mechanism.
• Recognition features
• Brief period of impared conciousness following
  mechanism
• Loss of memory of events at the time of, or
  immediately before the injury
• Mild, generalised headache.

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Head Injuries

• Treatment
• Monitor level of conciousness
• Monitor and record vital signs (including after
  recovery)
• Give appropriate advice

Warning If you casualty does not fully recover,
or begins to deteroriate after initial recovery
you must arrange transport to hospital by dialing
999.
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Head Injuries

• Cerebal Compression
• Build up of pressue between the brain and the
  skull caused by swollen tissue or accumulation of
  blood.
• Recognition Features (Concious casualty)
• History of recent head injury (mechanism)
• Intense headache
• Unequal pupil sizes
• Weakness and/or paralysis down one side of the
  face or body
• High temperature, flushed face
• Drowsiness
• Noticeable change in personality or behaviour.

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Head Injuries

• Cerebral Compression
• Recognition Features (Unconcious casualty)
• Noisy breathing, becoming slow
• Slow yet full strong pulse
• Unequal pupil size
• High temperature / flushed face

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Head Injuries

• Cerebral Compression
• Treatment
• Dial 999 for an Ambulance
• If casualty is concious be reassuring
• Give oxygen if trained to do so
• Monitor and record vital signs
• Unconcious casualty
• Treat for spinal injury
• Open airway using Jaw Thrust method
• Prepare to assist ventilations (using oxygen if
  trained)
• Prepare to resuscitate if situation deteriorates

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Head Injuries

• Skull Fracture
• Recognition Features
• Wound or bruise on the head
• Soft area or depression on the scalp
• Bruising or swelling behind the ear and over the
  eyes
• Clear fluid or watery blood coming from the nose
  or ear
• Blood in the white of the eye
• Distortion or lack of symmetry of the head or
  face.
• Deterioration in level of consiousness

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Head Injuries
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Head Injuries

• Skull Fracture
• Treatment (Unconcious)
• Dial 999 for Ambulance
• Treat A,B,Cs by opening airway using jaw thrust
• Treat for spinal injury
• Treat any scalp wound appropriately
• Monitor vital signs
• Concious
• Dial 999
• Treat for spinal injury
• Treat scalp wound appropriately
• Monitor vital signs

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Head Injuries
Any Questions ?