Head Injury: Head injury can be defined as any alteration in mental or physical functioning that is caused due to a blow to the head. Traumatic head injuries are a major cause of death, and disability.
Causes of Head Injury
Head injury may occur when direct or indirect force is applied to the head due to any of the following:
Road accidents
Motor vehicle crashes, colliding
Assaults
Athletic participation or sports injury
Falls
Blast injuries
Signs and symptoms of Head Injury The symptoms of head injury not only depend upon its cause but they are also different for different locations and may include any of the following:
Bruising or bleeding
Fracture
Seizures
Vomiting
Hearing loss
Difficulty swallowing
Inability to smell
Confused state of mind
Disorientation
Loss of consciousness
Dizziness
Tremors and dystonia
Impairments in sitting, walking and standing balance
Loss of memory
Increased mood swings
Lethargy
Aggression
Altered sleep habits Diagnosis of Head Injury
A thorough and careful examination of the patient including cognitive testing is most important in case of head injury. Apart from this, following diagnostic procedures are performed to conclude the damage caused by head injury:
Blood tests:
Sodium levels
Magnesium levels
Coagulation studies (prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and platelet count)
Blood alcohol levels and drug screens
Renal function tests and creatine kinase levels
Neuron-specific enolase and protein S-100 B
Imaging studies:
Computed tomography scanning
Magnetic resonance imaging
Electroencephalography (EEG)
Management of Head Injury
Management of head injury specifically depend upon the patient condition and findings from the physical and diagnostic testing. It may include following or more:
Acute management of head injury need immediate assessment and stabilization of the airway and circulation.
Controlling intracranial pressure by medications like intravenous mannitol or cerebrospinal fluid drainage, or hyperventilation or high-dose barbiturate therapy.
Improving cerebral perfusion pressure
Decompressive craniectomies
Hypertonicity need oral medications like dantrolene, baclofen, diazepam, and tizanidine
My father suffered from stroke for a few years and was in a bedridden condition. We had consulted many hospitals but it was of no use. Later, one of my friends suggested me Chennai Brain and Spine Hospital.
My husband and I came to a relative's house at Chennai. We all were in a vacation trip. But unfortunately, during the journey, my husband fell down from the stairs of a famous shopping mall in Chennai.
