This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

History of head injury

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Most usually, the history of events before and after the injury must be obtained from witnesses or ambulance staff.

Important points to determine include:

  • period of altered consciousness } indicates severity of
  • period of post traumatic amnesia} diffuse brain damage
  • cause and circumstances of injury - violent injuries, e.g. road traffic accidents, are associated with greater risk of extracranial injuries. Ask about relevant medical history - e.g. epilepsy.
  • presence of headache - if persistent, raises possibility of intracranial haemorrhage
  • presence of vegetative features - e.g. vomiting, inappropriate salivation, abnormal sweating/shivering, respiratory disturbances, e.g. Cheynes-Stokes breathing, hyperventilation; suggests brain stem lesions.

Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.