SPS321

Sports Safety and Emergency

Care
Mohd Fadzil b. Hj. Kamarudin
SR113 UiTM/INSTEDT
 Head Injuries
• Skull injuries
– Can be “open” or “closed”.
– Open injuries includes lacerations to the
scalp, fractures to the cranium and facial
bones.
– When there is no fracture of the cranium , this
is considered a closed head injury.
• Brain injuries
– Involves “direct” and “indirect” injuries
– Direct injury is when the brain is physically
lacerated, punctured or bruised by broken
pieces of the skull or by a foreign object.
– Indirect injury of the brain is due to the
transfer of impact from the skull to the brain.
– This can lead to concussions and contusions.
– Concussions can be very mild, to causing
headaches, altered mental status,
unconciousness or even short or long term
memory loss (amnesia).
– Contusions in the brain occur when a blow to
the head is strong enough to rupture small
blood vessels on the surface, on within the
brain.
– The force from the blow causes an
acceleration/deceleration injury where the
brain accelerates and hits one side of the
skull, decelerates and bounces off the skull,
and then accelerates and hits the opposite
side.
Signs & Symptoms of Head Injuries
• Confusion, disorientation, deteriorating
mental status, unresponsiveness.
• Short term memory loss.
• Personality changes – irritable/irrational
behaviour.
• Deformity of the skull, large swellings.
• Sever pain or swelling at site of a head
injury.
• Deep laceration or severe bruises to the
scalp or forehead.
• Visible bone fragments and bits of brain
tissue.
• Bleeding from ears and/or nose.
• CSF flowing from ears and/or nose.
• “Battle’s sign” – bruise/swelling behind
ears. This is sign of base of skull (basilar)
fracture.
• Black or discoloured soft tissue around the
eyes.
• One eye appears to be sunken.
• Blurred or multiple-image vision.
• Deteriorating vital signs (ABCs).
• Irregular breathing patterns.
• Increased blood pressure but decreased
pulse rate.
• Unequal pupils’ reaction
• Increased/decreased temperature,
indicating damage to temperature control
centres in the brain.
• Forceful/projectile vomiting.
• Paralysis on one side of the body
(hemiplegia).
 Treatment
• ABCs
• Open and maintain airway.
• Immobilize the spine.
• Be prepared for vomiting.
• Administer oxygen.
• Control bleeding.
• Dress and bandage openj wounds.
• Keep victim at rest.
• Perform ongoing assessment.