Head injuries

Proven content

Head injuries are the most common cause of death among people under 40. In 70% of cases, the cause is brain damage.

A few words about head injuries …

The most dangerous for the brain are head injuries which cause rapid acceleration or delay in head movement, such as in road accidents. When an injury occurs, the skull moves in the direction of the force, faster than its contents, the brain. This delay causes contusion and damage in the brain not only where the force is applied directly, but also the tissue located on the opposite side, where negative pressure is created.

Degree and extent brain damage is not always due to the severity of the injury. It can be relatively small, e.g. a fall from the bed, and lead to a large hematoma and death of the patient. Very dramatic-looking traffic accidents, in which the car is completely destroyed, can only end with abrasions of the epidermis and a short-term headache.

Symptoms of head injuries

The consequences of a head injury may include:

1. scalp damage,
2. fracture of the skull bones,
3. concussion,
4. contusion of the brain,
5. intracranial hematoma.

The most important determinant of the severity of an injury is the loss of consciousness that occurs immediately after the injury and its duration. Loss of consciousness lasting more than 6 hours is the criterion that allows the diagnosis of severe brain trauma, with a 50% mortality rate. Another symptom of an injury that is important in assessing its severity is amnesia of the event itself and the preceding period (retrograde amnesia). After the period of unconsciousness, confusion occurs, i.e. a disorder of orientation about time, place and even oneself, accompanied by agitation, anxiety and delusions.

The least serious consequence of a head injury is contusion or hematoma within the superficial tissues of the head. The injuries visible on the skin are usually accompanied by pain and dizziness, the duration of which depends mainly on the mental reaction to the injury. They may last for hours or days, and in rare cases, up to several weeks. Neurological examination shows no signs of brain damage.

More serious and longer-lasting ailments occur in the case of fractures of the skull bones. These fractures can only be linear fractures or multi-fracture fractures with displacement of bone fragments towards the inside of the skull. Taking into account whether the covering skin is torn or not, fractures are classified into open and closed. Open fractureswhere there is a break in the continuity of tissues, require immediate surgical intervention due to the possibility of intracranial infection.

As a result of each of the listed consequences of a head injury, there may be complete recovery, persistence of residual neurological symptoms or the so-called subjective post-traumatic syndrome. This term includes the long-term persistence of headaches and other symptoms such as:

1. dizziness,
2. concentration and attention disorders,
3. memory impairment,
4. general weakness.

No symptoms of brain damage are observed in the neurological examination or in repeated additional examinations.

Head injuries – complications

Among the numerous possible complications after head injuries is post-traumatic epilepsy. An injury-related epileptic seizure can occur immediately after the injury or over time, up to two years after the injury. Epilepsy often develops after injuries with damage to the brain tissue, especially after open fractures with injuries to the brain, much less often after other minor injuries. Most often it is manifested by a series of large seizures or focal seizures related to a specific area of ​​traumatic injury. Very rarely, these are attacks of short-term loss of consciousness, the so-called minor seizures.

In patients with an open fracture with brain injury, there is an indication for prophylactic treatment of epilepsybefore seizures occur. In all other cases, treatment is not initiated until the first seizure has occurred.

Yet another, unfavorable, late consequence of an injury may be stupor, developing relatively quickly after extensive or multiple contusion or hematoma, or slowly, even after minor brain damage. Typically, it is stable dementia with no tendency to increase further over time. Symptoms of intellectual dysfunction and the patient’s behavior do not differ from other types of dementia.

The consequences of an injury may appear immediately after it or with some delay. In any case of loss of consciousness, even temporary, following the injury, the patient requires observation. Consultation with a neurologist is needed in the case of increasing headache, nausea, vomiting and dizziness.

A particularly disturbing symptom is the repeated increase in disturbances of consciousness and the appearance of neurological symptoms, such as:

1. ptosis
2. limb paresis,
3. speech disorders,
4. defects in the field of vision,
5. pupil dilation in one eye.

Patients should be hospitalized immediately and in many cases undergo surgery. The speed of recognizing disturbing symptoms and transporting to the hospital determines the patient’s life and the severity of the late consequences of the injury.

The content of the medTvoiLokony website is intended to improve, not replace, the contact between the Website User and their doctor. The website is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Before following the specialist knowledge, in particular medical advice, contained on our Website, you must consult a doctor. The Administrator does not bear any consequences resulting from the use of information contained on the Website.