How to Identify Closed Head Injuries
A closed head trauma is one of the most serious conditions one can face. It means the brain is injured, while the head and skull are still intact. The brain swells and presses against the skull. This causes more damage to be done and leads to more swelling. It is a vicious cycle. There are two types of closed head traumas: those that stop swelling on their own, and those that never stop and eventually lead to death. If caught early enough, both types are treatable. The first challenge is spotting and identifying closed head trauma patients. This guide will show you hot to spot others with closed head trauma injuries so you can quickly seek medical attention.Things You'll Need
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Instructions
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Check for a loss of consciousness. Typically, closed head trauma patients lose consciousness at the time of impact. This can last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes.
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Ask the potential patient if she has any blurry vision. Make sure she is wearing her regular glasses or contacts she would normally wear before asking this question. Hold three fingers up and ask how many fingers you are holding from about 3 feet away from her head.
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Determine if the patient is confused and if he is repeating a lot of questions. Most of the time closed head trauma patients won't know what is going on and will keep asking why they are lying on the ground or why they are in a particular location.
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Ask the person to stand and walk in a straight line. If she loses her ballance and needs to hold on to something to walk, this is another sign of a closed head trauma.
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Ask him if he feels any sort of nausea. If the nausea is accompanied by vomiting, there is a good chance a closed head trauma has taken place.
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Check the patient's pulse on her wrist. Right below the hand on the side of her thumb, on the uppermost portion of her wrist, feel for a pulse with the tips of your fingers. If her pulse is lower than 60 beats per minute it could be a sign of closed head trauma.
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