Head Injuries

Concussion (MTBI)

  • trauma induced alteration in mental status that may or may not not involve a loss of consciousness

  • changes brain function for period of time

  • most common type of brain injury in sport

  • don’t have to get hit in the head to get a concussion

  • athletes who have had one concussion are 1.5 times more likely to have a second concussion

signs and symptoms:

  • physical

  • cognitive

Retrograde Amnesia - unable to recall events that occurred prior to injury

Anterograde Amnesia - inability to recall events since injury occurred

* helps to know athletes well

  • Emotional

- irritable

- sad

- angry

  • Sleep

- drowsiness

- sleeping more or less than usual

Concussion assessment:

  • SCAT 6

  • CRT/Childs SCAT 6

  • IMPACT

  • VOMS

  • assess for seizures

  • eye motion and pupil reaction

  • symptoms

  • cognitive assessment

Second Impact Syndrome

  • sustains a second head injury before the symptoms of the first head injury are fully resolved

  • causes rapid development of catastrophic swelling and potential brain herniation

  • average time from second impact to brain system failure is 2-5 minutes

Intracranial Bleeding

  • bleeding of the brain

symptoms:

  • headache

  • nausea

  • unequal pupils

  • progressive and sudden loss of consciousness

  • decrease of pulse rate

Epidural Hematoma

  • tear of artery

  • rapid bleed

  • S&S get worse very quickly

Subdural Hematoma

  • tear of vein

  • slow bleed

  • S&S slowly get worse - over 12-24 hour period

Skull Fracture

  • traumatic direct blow to the head

  • may result in Battle Sign

- bruising at mastoid 

  • fluid leaves from ears and nose is a sign