Module
Head Injuries
What head injury can include
- Soft tissue (cuts, abrasions, bruises) — high blood supply, bleeds heavily
- Bone fractures — facial bones, skull base, skull vault
- Intracranial — concussion, contusion, haemorrhage
- Combined
Mild head injury signs
- Headache
- Nausea, vomiting
- Dizziness
- Brief loss of consciousness with memory gap
- Confusion
SEVERE head injury signs (call 112)
- Drowsiness
- Progressive consciousness loss → unconsciousness
- Speech problems
- Paralysis of one or more limbs
- Seizures of face/limbs
- Loss of vision or hearing
Skull base fracture — classic signs
- CSF or blood from nose or ears
- Raccoon eyes (periorbital haematoma)
- Battle's sign (bruising behind the ear)
- Altered consciousness
Concussion
Brief loss of consciousness with short memory gap, often with nausea, vomiting, repeating the same questions. Caused by impact, jolt, or fall.
Knocked-out adult tooth
- Rinse the mouth with cool, clean water
- Place moist gauze where the tooth was, patient bites down
- Visibly dirty tooth: hold by the CROWN (not root), rinse gently with bottled water
- Do not scrub or touch the bloody root
- Store the tooth in: patient's saliva, cow's milk, or wrapped in food film with saliva
- See a dentist immediately
- Milk teeth: no preservation needed
First aid for head injury
- VODDO
- Call 112
- Unconscious + breathing → recovery position OR maintain airway with OPA
- Others → flat on back, secure C-spine
- Full body assessment
- Sterile cover for wounds
- Continuous monitoring of consciousness and breathing
- SAMPLE
Always think about the C-spine
High-energy mechanism + head injury = suspect cervical spine injury until proven otherwise.