Overview
Incidence
Risk Factors
Symptoms
Evaluation
Treatment
questions for doctor
specialist
Home Care
neuro checks
return to sports
skin wound
vomiting
warning signs
Underlying Cause
Types
concussion
epidural hematoma
penetrating
SAH
scalp contusion
scalp laceration
skull fracture
subdural hematoma
Anatomy
Head Injury Warning Signs
Notify your doctor if you have a head injury and any of the following:
- Abnormal behavior
- Arm weakness (unilateral)
- Blurry vision
- Bruising around both eyes
- Bruising behind the ear
- Confusion
- Difficulty speaking
- Difficulty walking
- Fainting
- Forceful blow to the head
- Leg weakness (unilateral)
- Loss of consciousness
- Memory loss
- Worsening headache
- Repeated vomiting
- Scalp laceration
- Scalp puncture wound
- Seizure
- Worsening neck pain
Continue to Head Injury Underlying Cause
Last Updated: Nov 6, 2008 References
Authors: Stephen J. Schueler, MD; John H. Beckett, MD; D. Scott Gettings, MD
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PubMed Head Injury 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. [15936423]
- Grappling with traumatic brain injury. Lancet. 2007 Dec 8;370(9603):1879. [18068492]
- 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. [14637305]
- McKinley J. New challenges in assessing and managing concussion in sports. Am Fam Physician. 2007 Oct 1;76(7):948-9. [17956064]
- 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. [17215534]
- 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. [16189365]
- 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. [14750754]