Head injury and concussion
A guide for patients and carers
What are the signs of a serious injury?
Features that would cause concern after a head injury are:
- A bad headache that gets worse or doesn’t go away within four to six hours
after the injury occurred. - Drowsiness, if it lasts for more than two hours, or if the person is difficult to
wake up. A certain amount of drowsiness is very common after a head injury, especially in young children. - Confusion and disorientation.
- Feeling sick or actually vomiting is common following a head injury, but if it
is persistant or appears to be getting worse, it could be serious.
What should I do if I am worried?
- During working hours ring your GP. You must be prepared to give details
of how the injury occurred and describe the state of the injured person.
Your doctor will then decide what to do next. - If you cannot contact your doctor, take the person to the nearest hospital
accident and emergency department. - In an emergency dial 999 and ask for an ambulance. This should be
reserved for the more serious cases, or if the person’s condition is getting
worse.
Contents
- Introduction
- What are the main causes of head injury?
- What are the signs of a serious injury?
- What will happen at the hospital?
- Who gets admitted to hospital?
- What if the skull is fractured?
- What is concussion?
- What will happen if there is internal bleeding?
- What happens in the neurosurgical unit?
- The intensive care unit
- Coma and level of consciousness
- Recovery from a severe head injury
- Summary
- Other organisations that may be able to help