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Seminar
On
Head Injury

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Table of Content
1. Introduction
2. Definition
3. Why Important
4. Why Care
5. Basic Anatomy
6. What causes a head injury?
7. What are the major types of head injuries?
8. What are the symptoms of a head injury?
9. When does a head injury require medical attention?
10. How is a head injury treated?
11. Prevention Tips
Definition
❖ Head injury is defined as any trauma to
the head other than superficial injuries
to the face (NICE 2017)
❖ Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a non
specific term describing blunt,
penetration or blast injuries to the
brain. TBI can be classified as mild,
moderate or severe, typically based on
the GCS
❖ Head injuries may be either closed or
open. A closed head injury is any injury
that doesn’t break your skull. An open
(penetrating) head injury is one in
which something breaks your scalp and
skull and enters your brain.
Why important?
• 1.4 million attendances in EDs England &
Wales with head injuries
• 200,000 admitted to hospitals pa
• Of these 1 in 5 have skull fracture or evidence brain damage

• 95% people sustained head injury normal /

minimally impaired conscious level (GCS >12)
• Lower GCS increased morbidity / mortality
• Although most recover without specialist
intervention others experience long-term
disability
Why Care?
• Head injury commonest cause of death /
disability in people aged 1 – 40 years in UK
• High potential for poor outcome (especially if not
recognised)
• Deaths occur at three points in time after injury:
• Immediately after the injury
• Within 2 hours after injury
• 3 weeks after injury
Basic Anatomy
What causes a head injury?
Head injuries caused by a
blow to the head are
usually associated with:
• motor vehicle accidents
• falls
• physical assaults
• sports-related accidents
What are the major types of
head injuries?
❖Hematoma
❖Hemorrhage
❖Concussion
❖Edema
❖Skull fracture
❖Diffuse axonal injury
Hematoma
• A hematoma is a
collection, or clotting, of
blood outside the blood
vessels. It can be very
serious if a hematoma
occurs in the brain.
• The clotting can lead to
pressure building up
inside your skull. This
can cause you to lose
consciousness or result
in permanent brain
damage.
Hemorrhage
• A hemorrhage is
uncontrolled bleeding. There
can be bleeding in the space
around your brain, called
subarachnoid hemorrhage,
or bleeding within your brain
tissue, called intracerebral
hemorrhage.
• Subarachnoid hemorrhages
often cause headaches and
vomiting. The severity of
intracerebral hemorrhages
depends on how much
bleeding there is, but over
time any amount of blood
can cause pressure buildup.
Concussion
• A concussion occurs when
the impact on the head is
severe enough to cause brain
injury. It’s thought to be the
result of the brain hitting
against the hard walls of your
skull or the forces of sudden
acceleration and
deceleration.
• Generally speaking, the loss
of function associated with a
concussion is temporary.
However, repeated
concussions can eventually
lead to permanent damage.
Edema
• Any brain injury can lead
to edema, or swelling.
Many injuries cause
swelling of the
surrounding tissues, but
it’s more serious when it
occurs in your brain.
• Your skull can’t stretch to
accommodate the
swelling. This leads to
pressure buildup in your
brain, causing your brain
to press against your skull.
Skull fracture
• Unlike most bones in
your body, your skull
doesn’t have bone
marrow. This makes
the skull very strong
and difficult to break.
• A broken skull is
unable to absorb the
impact of a blow,
making it more likely
that there’ll also be
damage to your brain.
Diffuse axonal injury
• A diffuse axonal injury (sheer
injury) is an injury to the
brain that doesn’t cause
bleeding but does damage
the brain cells. The damage
to the brain cells results in
them not being able to
function.
• It can also result in swelling,
causing more damage.
Though it isn’t as outwardly
visible as other forms of
brain injury, a diffuse axonal
injury is one of the most
dangerous types of head
injuries.
What are the symptoms of a
head injury?
Common symptoms of a
minor head injury
include:
• a headache
• lightheadedness
• a spinning sensation
• mild confusion
• nausea
• temporary ringing in
the ears
When does a head injury
require medical attention?
In particular, you should always seek immediate
medical attention if you experience any of the
following:
• loss of consciousness
• confusion
• disorientation
How is a head injury
diagnosed?
• One of the first ways your doctor will assess your
head injury is with the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS).
The GCS is a 15-point test that assesses your
mental status. A high GCS score indicates a less
severe injury.
• Your doctor will need to know the circumstances of
your injury. Often, if you’ve had a head injury, you
won’t remember the details of the accident. If it’s
possible, you should bring someone with you who
witnessed the accident. It will be important for
your doctor to determine if you lost consciousness
and for how long if you did.
How is a head injury treated?
The treatment for severe head injuries can
include:
❖Medication
❖Surgery
❖Rehabilitation
What’s to be expected in the
long term?
• The outlook depends on the severity of your injury. Most
people who’ve had minor head injuries experience no lasting
consequences. People who’ve had serious head injuries may
face permanent changes in their personality, physical abilities,
and ability to think.
• Severe head injuries in childhood can be particularly
concerning. It’s generally thought developing brains are
susceptible to injuries. There’s ongoing research studying this
issue.
• Your healthcare team will work with you to ensure that you
have as full of a recovery as possible.
Sports and Recreation Head
Injury Prevention Tips
• For specific sports, 100 percent of the time, buy and use
helmets or protective headgear approved by the American
Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).
• Supervise younger children at all times.
• Do not allow younger children to use sporting equipment or
play sports unsuitable for their age.
• Avoid the use of playgrounds with hard surfaces.
• Follow all rules and warning signs at water parks, swimming
pools and public beaches.
• Do not dive in water less than 12 feet deep or in above-ground
pools. Check the depth – and check for debris in the water
before diving.
• Wear appropriate clothing for the sport.
References
• Google.com
• Wikipedia.org
• Studymafia.org
Thanks