Who am I? and "Can you tell me where we are?" This will help you be sure the injured person is able to fully wake up and think clearly. If they cannot answer your questions, call for help or go to the emergency room.
Encourage the injured person to rest. They should not do heavy activities like using exercise machines or a treadmill. Light activity is OK. These are things like taking a shower or a walk. Cooking is one more kind of light activity.Help the person with the injury to rest their brain. They may need to stay away from things that need a lot of thought or focus. They should stay away from TV, computers, and video games. Ask the doctor when the person can go back to these things.Watch children closely after a head injury. Let teachers and coaches know about the injury.It is important to help the injured person avoid another head injury. This means that they will need to avoid playing sports, climbing, or other activities where they may fall. Ask the doctor when the injured person may go back to these activities.
What follow-up care is needed?
The injured person may need to go to see rehab experts. They may be able to help get brain function back and help the injured person get better faster. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain
- Help with dizziness
- Treat or prevent seizures
Ask if the injured person needs help to remember to take their drugs. ‚
What problems could happen?
The injured person may develop problems such as: ‚
- Bleeding or swelling in the brain
- Damage to the brain. This may lead to changes in mental, physical, and emotional behavior
- Seizures
- Low mood
- Hearing, smelling, or eye problems
- Memory loss
When do I need to call the doctor?
If you notice the injured person having: ‚
- Problems with their brain, like:
- More confusion or any change in ability to think clearly
- Not being able to remember things
- Very sleepy (more than expected) or hard to wake up
- Behavior changes, like angry outbursts or thoughts of hurting themself or others
- Headache gets worse or feels different
- Problems with their eyes, ears, or mouth, like:
- Trouble speaking or slurred speech
- Blurry eyesight, seeing double, or other problems with their eyesight
- Bleeding or clear liquid drainage from their ears or nose
- Problems with how they move or feel, like:
- Upset stomach and throwing up that wont go away
- Dizziness or fainting
- Staggering or trouble walking
- Lack of strength or numbness of an arm, leg, or any part of their body
- Stiff neck
- Seizure
- Losing control of their bladder or bowels
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about head injuries.
- I can tell you what I will do to help the injured person rest their brain.
- I can tell you what I will do if the injured person has problems remembering things.
Where can I learn more?
Brain Injury Association ‚
http://www.biausa.org/mild-brain-injury.htm ‚
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ‚
http://www.cdc.gov/concussion/pdf/TBI_Patient_Instructions-a.pdf ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚