The Dangers of Blunt Head Trauma

Head injuries are frightening no matter what type of injury or how it occurs. Blunt trauma, medically speaking, is non-penetrating. However, it only refers to the trauma itself. The fact that a trauma is referred to as non-penetrating does not mean that there are no internal injuries as a result. Blunt trauma to the head is especially troubling to the attending physicians since such an injury can result in very serious damage.

Complications

Blunt head trauma calls for treatment as soon as is possible. Ideally, a first-responder to an accident should attend to any head injuries to avoid complications. Since an impact to the head can cause injury to the neck and spine, the head is often immobilized at the scene before transporting the injured person. Sometimes an airway is inserted in case the neck injury interferes with breathing. Often, the patient is brought to a hospital with neurosurgical specialists in case of injury to the brain.

Once at the hospital, the blunt head trauma patient is examined for bruises on the back or neck, pain in the back or radiating to the arms since these are signs of cervical spine injury. While drowsiness, headache and vomiting are not unusual for the blunt head trauma patient, these are not always a sign of complications unless he or she cannot be awakened easily or the symptoms continue for more than one or two days.

The doctor will examine the head to determine whether the injury is closed, the skull not broken, or open. Diffuse brain injuries cover a large area while focal injuries are those that occur in a specific place.

A blunt head trauma can result in a skull fracture. If there is intracranial hemorrhage or bleeding in the brain, blood can collect and put pressure on the brain. This is called a hematoma and is dangerous since blood in the brain does not easily drain off. Often, some sort of surgery is needed to relieve the pressure. Injury to the brain can occur at the site of the blunt head trauma or at the opposite side of the skull.

This happens when the impact of the trauma causes the brain to move suddenly to the other side of the skull and impact against it. The types of injury that result from blunt head trauma can cause dizziness, confusion, personality change, seizures, drowsiness and intervals of lucidity interspersed with loss of consciousness. Often, following an accident, the first-responders will make sure that there is no blunt head trauma or problem breathing before attending to other injuries.

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