(EMT) Head and Neck Injuries: Diagnoses and Symptoms

Concussion (Mild Traumatic Brain Injury)

Symptoms:

Confusion, headache, dizziness

Amnesia (before or after injury), nausea/vomiting

Possible brief loss of consciousness

Difficulty concentrating, sensitivity to light/sound

Cerebral Contusion

Symptoms:

Similar to concussion but more severe/longer-lasting

Altered mental status, possible unconsciousness

Personality changes, memory loss

Intracranial Hemorrhage (e.g., Subdural, Epidural, Intracerebral)

Symptoms:

Decreasing LOC, headache, vomiting

Unequal pupils, seizures

Hypertension, bradycardia, irregular respirations (Cushing's triad)

May have lucid interval with epidural bleed

Skull Fracture

Symptoms:

Visible depression or open wound on scalp

Battle's sign (bruising behind ear), raccoon eyes

CSF leakage from nose/ears

Altered mental status

Diffuse Axonal Injury

Symptoms:

Prolonged unconsciousness or coma after trauma

No obvious bleeding on CT scan

Neck (Cervical Spine) Fracture or Dislocation

Symptoms:

Pain in neck or back, deformity or step-off

Neurologic deficits: numbness, tingling, paralysis

Incontinence, loss of motor/sensory function

Spinal Cord Injury with Neurogenic Shock

Symptoms:

Hypotension, bradycardia, warm/flushed skin

Loss of movement or sensation below injury

Penetrating Neck Trauma

Symptoms:

External bleeding, swelling

Subcutaneous emphysema (air under skin)

Difficulty breathing or speaking, hoarseness