Your job is preventing secondary injury: normal oxygen, pressure, and glucose — and imaging those who meet criteria.
Epidural hematoma
A deceptive lucid interval then rapid decline — recovery must not reassure you.
Raised intracranial pressure
Worsening headache, vomiting, bradycardia with hypertension (Cushing).
Associated cervical spine injury
Every severe head injury = an injured neck until proven otherwise.
Timestamp every GCS — the trend beats any single number.
Before blaming alcohol for low consciousness: image.
Head up, prevent hypoxia and hypotension, and take severe injuries directly to a neurosurgical centre.
GCS 15, no alarm features — written return advice.
Elderly/alcoholic, gradual decline after minor trauma.
Syncope or arrhythmia preceded the injury — treat that too.
Info
A patient discharged after minor head injury needs written return instructions + a responsible adult for the first night.
بنية العرض مقتبسة من Notfallguru.de بموافقة فريقه — المحتوى بانتظار مراجعتهم
This content is an educational reference and does not replace clinical judgement or local protocols.
