First aid measures for a head injury

A bump as a result of a head injury

By far the largest number of all head injuries, children escape with a bump. Once the tears have dried, there is usually a bump that may turn blue and green, but disappears after a few days without complications. As a first-aid measure, you should immediately cool the bump according to the so-called LUCKY rule and put some Bach flower emergency cream on it, for example, then it will disappear all the faster.

Lacerations from a head injury

A head laceration is an injury to the scalp that usually bleeds heavily and is one of the external bleedings. The scalp surrounds the bony skull and is very well supplied with blood. So don’t be alarmed if your child is covered in blood after a head injury. This can happen quickly, but usually looks worse than it actually is.

Wrap a bandage or gauze bandage so the bandage doesn’t slip off. If you put the bandage around your head in criss-cross fashion, for example under your chin, it cannot slip off. For cosmetic reasons, wounds or lacerations in the facial area should always be treated by a doctor. A well-cared for wound with sewn edges does not leave any unsightly scars that your child could suffer from for a long time.

Press a clean cloth or piece of clothing against the wound to stop blood loss. As soon as you have the dressing material for a pressure bandage at hand, apply a pressure bandage.

Concussions after a head injury

In concussion, the brain is irritated by the concussion of the accident but is not noticeably injured or altered. Bleeding and injuries to the brain do not occur. Concussions after a head injury come in different degrees of severity. Vomiting and headaches are signs of a concussion, but are not necessarily present. When you have a concussion, your brain needs rest to regenerate.

skull base fracture

If the base of the skull is fractured as a result of a head injury, blood and the milky, cloudy cerebrospinal fluid can leak out of the nose, mouth and ears. Since bleeding from the mouth and nose usually originates from the nose, only bleeding from the ear is actually a direct indication of a skull base injury.

Cerebral hemorrhage as a result of a head injury

Severe trauma to the head can cause internal cerebral hemorrhage. The brain is a well-perfused, sensitive organ. Even small bleeding and swellings in the area of ​​the brain are so dangerous because the brain is surrounded by the skull bones. So there is no opportunity for swelling to expand and the brain is compressed. If the pressure inside the skull increases, this can lead to unconsciousness and respiratory failure due to pressure on the respiratory center. Cerebral hemorrhages after head injuries are not visible from the outside. Even in the hospital, a normal X-ray can only show bones and not tissue. Cerebral hemorrhages typically only occur some time after the accident. It can take several hours for a cerebral hemorrhage to appear.

This is done in the hospital

A normal X-ray cannot detect bleeding in the brain. Since bleeding can also occur many hours after the accident and is manifested by increased intracranial pressure, patients with abnormal symptoms are monitored for between 24 and 48 hours. Consciousness, pulse, blood pressure and pupillary reaction are checked regularly.

When does a head injury need to be evaluated?

• unconsciousness after the accident
• impaired consciousness and severe headaches
• Purgatory vomiting
• Pillow-like swelling
• bleeding from the ear

Going to the doctor or hospital for a head injury?

An X-ray is usually only possible in the hospital. It’s best to go to a hospital with a children’s department, or let the ambulance take you there. A doctor can usually not take an X-ray, so a reliable diagnosis is only possible in the hospital.