Neurological

Concussions

Symptoms

  • Slurred speech
  • Headaches, dizzy, nauseous
  • Weakness or numbness in body
  • Sensitive to sound or light
  • Changes in behavior

Tests

  • Ask the patient what day, month, year, and day of week it is
  • Ask the patient to spell the word “world” backwards
  • Ask the patient to memorize a list of words and say it back to you
  • Ask the patient to repeat a sequence of numbers back to you
  • Ask the patient to say the months of the year in reverse order
  • Check Pupils for dilation by shining a light into them
    • A slow or non-existent pupil response could be increased intracranial pressure on the brain

Treatment

  • Increased Rest
  • Ease back into activities
  • Tylenol for headache (24 hours), shift to Ibuprofen after 24 hours
  • Encourage the patient to avoid stimulants (caffeine, alcohol, etc.) as they can make symptoms worse

Seizures

  • Only move them if they are in danger
  • Place something soft under their head
  • Protect the patient from injury
  • Allow them to recover fully