Head Injury Alert!
When should you go to the hospital?
Hit head: When to seek help?
A hard impact that directly hits the head is very likely to cause head injury a abnormalities in the structure of the head due to physical trauma or impact which has the potential to cause brain function disorders. Data from the Central Statistics Agency of the Republic of Indonesia:
- 18–40 years -> 116,411 accident cases occurred throughout 2019
- Newborns - 4 years -> group susceptible to head injuries, excessive head shaking in babies ( shaken baby syndrome )
If you find family or children, someone who has had a head injury, immediately go to the emergency room if -> K 3 EBAL (immune)
- K: Loss of consciousness, memory loss, confusion
- K: Losing balance
- K: Seizures
- E: Nausea (nausea, vomiting)
- B: Very strong impact (car/motorbike accident, fall from cliff, roof, etc.)
- A: I forgot the accident that happened
- L: Wounds, bleeding
Alert: If there are no signs above, but within a few hours/days (>24 hours) symptoms appear,
- The headache doesn't go away
- Changes in behavior, mood swings
- Slurred or difficulty writing
- Numbness, dizziness, weakness
- Difficulty sleeping or even sleeping continuously
- Clear fluid coming from the eyes or ears
Keep it checked immediately, because the brain is very sensitive to impact and can cause lifelong disability if not treated immediately.
If you don't seek help?
- 53% of veterans with head injuries experience recurrent seizures (epilepsy)
- 50-80% of post-head injury headaches occur immediately after the incident and continue 1-2 years later (20-30%)
- 28% vertigo
- 25-50% of insomnia in head injury patients
Reference:
- Vietnam Head Injury Study
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/traumatic-brain-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-20378557
- https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7041a3.htm
- http://r2kn.litbang.kemkes.go.id:8080/handle/123456789/56078