FreeMD® Concussion Home Care: Neuro Checks

Concussion

neuro checks

Concussion Home Care: Neuro Checks

Neuro checks should be performed once an hour, for the first 24 hours in someone with a concussion:

Make sure the person can be awakened
Make sure the person can walk
Make sure the person can speak normally
Make sure the person can move the arms and legs normally

Seek medical care immediately for:

Abnormal pupils
Arm weakness (unilateral)
Confusion
Difficulty speaking
Difficulty walking
Excessive sleepiness
Leg weakness (unilateral)
Loss of consciousness
Memory loss
Poor balance
Repeated vomiting
Unusual behavior

Continue to Concussion Home Care: Return To Sports

Related Topics:

Brain contusion
Epidural hematoma
Head injury
Skull fracture
Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Subdural hematoma
More...

Head injury with laceration
Head injury without laceration

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Last Updated: Nov 5, 2008 References

Authors: Stephen J. Schueler, MD; John H. Beckett, MD; D. Scott Gettings, MD

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Concussion References:

Edwards P, Arango M, Balica L, et al. CRASH trial collaborators. Final results of MRC CRASH, a randomised placebo-controlled trial of intravenous corticosteroid in adults with head injury-outcomes at 6 months. Lancet. 2005 Jun 4-10;365(9475):1957-9.
Grappling with traumatic brain injury. Lancet. 2007 Dec 8;370(9603):1879.
Lee AC, Ou Y, Fong D. Depressed skull fractures: a pattern of abusive head injury in three older children. Child Abuse Negl. 2003 Nov;27(11):1323-9.
McKinley J. New challenges in assessing and managing concussion in sports. Am Fam Physician. 2007 Oct 1;76(7):948-9.
Ropper AH, Gorson KC. N Engl J Med. 2007 Jan 11;356(2):166-72. Review. No abstract available. Erratum in: N Engl J Med. 2007 Apr 26;356(17):1794.
Smits M, Dippel DW, de Haan GG, Dekker HM, Vos PE, Kool DR, Nederkoorn PJ, Hofman PA, Twijnstra A, Tanghe HL, Hunink MG. External validation of the Canadian CT Head Rule and the New Orleans Criteria for CT scanning in patients with minor head injury. JAMA. 2005 Sep 28;294(12):1519-25.
Tender GC, Awasthi D. Risk stratification in mild head injury patients: the head injury predictive index. J La State Med Soc. 2003 Nov-Dec;155(6):338-42.