Head Injury
The following guidelines should be followed for 24 hours from the time of injury.
You may give acetaminophen (Tylenol, Tempra) every four hours, if necessary, to relieve pain. Do not give pain relievers such as Aspirin, Advil, codeine or anything that would cause an increased bleeding tendency or drowsiness.
If any of the following occur, return to the Emergency Department immediately: Difficulty waking the patient. (The patient should be awakened every 1-2 hours during the first 24 hours. Talk to them briefly and make sure their answers make sense.); Increasing confusion or drowsiness; Vomiting more than twice after the injury; Worsening headache; Stiff neck; Bleeding or clear fluid dripping from ears or nose; Bruising around eyes or behind the ear; Eye pain, blurred vision, double vision; Slurred speech; Increasing dizziness; Loss of balance or touch sensation; Weakness of arms or legs; Convulsions or seizures; Unusual or bizarre behavior.
Especially in children, watch for: Increasing confusion or drowsiness or unable to wake up completely; Change in personality or behavior; Irritability; Vomiting more than twice or forceful/projectile vomiting; Abnormal speech; Stumbling or other problems with walking or moving arms equally both sides.
In some cases, people experience mild changes in mood or behavior after a head injury such as: Forgetfulness; Irritability or low frustration tolerance; Chronic fatigue or tiredness; Loss if interest in social activities/hobbies; Difficulty adjusting to work or school. If any of these difficulties last longer than one month after the injury, see your family doctor.
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