2/17/2017 HeadInjury(BrainInjury)Causes,Symptoms,TreatmentWhatIstheMedicalTreatmentforaHeadInjury?

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HowIsaHeadInjuryDiagnosed? INTHISARTICLE
Brainand HeadInjuryFacts
NervousSystem Thephysical PatientComments WhatMayCauseaHead
Topics examinationandthe
Read12Comments Injury?
MultipleSclerosis historyoftheexact
Slideshow detailsoftheinjury WhatAretheSymptomsof
MeningitisinAdults arethefirststepsin ShareYourStory aHeadInjury?
ADHDQuiz caringforapatient HeadInjuryinInfantsand
withheadinjury.Thepatient'spastmedical YoungChildren
Neuropathy
historyandmedicationusagewillalsobe
ADHD HeadInjuryGuidelinesand
importantfactorsindecidingthenext
Assessment:Glasgow
MedicalDictionary steps.PlainskullXraysarerarelydonefor
ComaScale
theevaluationofheadinjury.Itismore
SearchforMedicalTerms
importanttoassessbrainfunctionthanto WhenShouldICallthe
orAZList lookatthebonesthatsurroundthebrain. DoctorAboutaHead
PlainXrayfilmsmaybeconsideredin Injury?
infantstolookforafracture,depending HowIsaHeadInjury
upontheclinicalsituation. Diagnosed?
WhatAreHomeRemedies
Computerizedtomography(CT)scanof
toTreataHeadInjury?
theheadallowsthebraintobeimagedand
examinedforbleedingandswellinginthe WhatIstheMedical
brain.Itcanalsoevaluatebonyinjuriesto TreatmentforaHead
theskullandlookforbleedinginthe Injury?
sinusesofthefaceassociatedwithbasilar HowDoIPreventaHead
skullfractures.CTdoesnotassessbrain Injury?
function,andpatientssufferingaxonal
WhatIsthePrognosisfor
shearinjurymaybecomatosewitha
aHeadInjury?
normalCTscanofthehead.
HeadInjuryTopicGuide

Numerousguidelinesexisttogivedirection
From
astowhenaCTshouldbecompletedinpatientswhopresentawakeafter
sustainingaminorheadinjury. BrainandNervousSystemResources
AssessYourMSSymptoms
TheOttawaCTheadrulesapplytopatientsage2to65. 14WaystoAvoidEpilepsyInjuries
MSandDepression:HowAreTheyLinked?

HighRisk FeaturedCenters
FeelingShortofBreath?
GlasgowComaScalelessthan15,twohoursafterinjury WhatRadiationCanDoForCancer
Suspectopenordepressedskullfracture Top3AnaphylaxisTriggers

Signofbasilarskullfracture HealthSolutionsFromOurSponsors
Vomitingmorethanonce FightMetastaticBreastCancer
KneeTreatmentPlan
Olderthan65yearsofage
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2/17/2017 HeadInjury(BrainInjury)Causes,Symptoms,TreatmentWhatIstheMedicalTreatmentforaHeadInjury?eMedicineHealth
Olderthan65yearsofage

MediumRisk

PopularCollections
Amnesiabeforeimpactgreaterthan30minutes
Dangerousmechanismofinjury allimages
allslideshows
WhatAreHomeRemediestoTreataHeadInjury?

Manypeoplewhohittheirheadsdonotneedtoseekmedicalattention.
Peopleoftenhittheirheadsonacupboardortripandfallonasoftsurface,
getupanddustthemselvesoffandareotherwisewell.

Occasionally,abumpcanoccurunderneaththeskinofthescalpor BadBugs
forehead.This'gooseegg'isahematomaontheoutsideoftheskullandis andTheirBites
notnecessarilyrelatedtoanypotentialbleedingthatcanaffectthebrain.
Treatmentisthesameasanyotherbruiseorcontusionandincludesice,
andoverthecounterpainmedication.

WhatIstheMedicalTreatmentforaHeadInjury?

Treatmentforheadinjurywillbeindividualizedfor PatientComments ReadWhatYourPhysicianisReadingonMedscape
eachpatientdependingupontheunderlyinginjuryand HeadInjury
Read5Comments
thepatient'ssituation. Headinjurycanbedefinedasanyalterationinmentalor
physicalfunctioningrelatedtoablowtothehead.
Aswithanyotherinjury,theABCsofresuscitationtake ShareYourStory
ReadMoreonMedscapeReference
prioritytorestoreorsupportbreathingandcirculation
inthebody.Carefortheheadinjuryoftenoccursatthesametimeother
injuriesareattendedtointhemultiplytraumatizedpatient.

HowDoIPreventaHeadInjury?

Fallsarethenumberonecauseofheadinjuries.Some,liketoddlers
fallingwhenlearningtowalk,areunavoidable.Othersmaybe
preventable,especiallyintheelderly.Opportunitiesexisttominimize
theriskoffallingathomewiththeuseofproperfloorcoverings,the
useofassistdevicessuchascanesandwalkers,andbyevaluating
homesforhighriskareaslikebathroomsandstairs.Aprimarycare
healthcarepractitioneroracountyhealthnursemaybeabletohelp
withhomeassessment.
Routineuseofhelmetsmaydecreaseheadinjurywhileridingabicycle
ormotorcycle.Theiruseisalsoencouragedforsportingactivitieslike
skateboarding,skiing,andsnowboarding.
Headinjuriesareamajorconsequenceofmotorvehiclecrashes.Lives
canbesavedbywearingseatbelts,drivingcarswithairbags,andby
avoidingriskydrivingbehavior(drinkinganddriving,textingwhile
driving).

WhatIsthePrognosisforaHeadInjury?

Therecoveryfromheadinjurydependsupontheamountofdamage
inflicteduponthebrain.Notsurprisingly,thebraincannotrecoverfrom
severeinjury,butthegoaloftreatmentistoreturnasmuchfunctionas
possible.

Ofnoteisthatconcussion,oncethoughttoberelativelyminor,mayhave
morelongtermeffectsthaninitiallyappreciatedandshouldnotbe
ignored.ContinueReading

MedicallyreviewedbyJosephCarcione,DOAmericanboardofPsychiatry
andNeurology

REFERENCES:

AmericanAcademyofPediatrics.

CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention.InjuryPrevention&Control:
TraumaticBrainInjury.

StielIG,etal.TheCanadianCTHeadRuleforPatientswithMinorHead
Injury.Lancet2001357:139196.

S.A.Schutzman,MD,P.BarnesMD,A.Duhaime,MD,D.Greenes,MD,C.
Homer,MD,D.Jaffe,MD,R.J.Lewis,MD,PHD,T.G.Luerssen,MD,J.
Schunk,MD"EvaluationandManagementofChildrenYoungerThanTwo
YearsOldWithApparentlyMinorHeadTrauma:ProposedGuidelines."
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/head_injury/page4_em.htm 2/4
2/17/2017 HeadInjury(BrainInjury)Causes,Symptoms,TreatmentWhatIstheMedicalTreatmentforaHeadInjury?eMedicineHealth
YearsOldWithApparentlyMinorHeadTrauma:ProposedGuidelines."
JournaloftheAmericanAcademyofPediatrics,Vol.107No.5

WolfsonAB.HarwoodNuss'ClinicalPracticeofEmergencyMedicine.
LippincottWilliamsandWilkins2009.

MedicallyReviewedbyaDoctoron11/8/2016

MedicalAuthor: BenjaminWedro,MD,FACEP,FAAEM
MedicalEditor: MelissaConradStppler,MD,ChiefMedicalEditor

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