Treatment of head injuries

A head injury may or may not be a life threatening condition, depending on the severity of the injury and the consequences of it, which can be expertly assessed by the best neurosurgeon in Rohtak, Dr. Vikas Kathuria. A head injury is defines as any type of trauma which occurs to the scalp, skull or brain. They are further classified into closed injuries (where there is break in the skin and no exposure to the external environment) and penetrating injuries (where there a break in the skin and there is exposure to the external environments as a result of breakage of the skin or bone). Head injuries are considered dangerous conditions because, the symptoms of a head injury may not always develop immediately after the injury has occurred, and instead will develop gradually, in a very insidious manner. Therefore patients who report a head injury have to always be admitted to hospital and observed for a period of 24 hours, even if they seem like they have not sustained serious injuries and they are fine.

A head injury can be involved with cranio-cerebal trauma, which means that there has been some damage to the brain tissue as a result of the injury. These types of brain injuries can again be classified according to the extent of the injury, where if the meninges are intact following the injury it is known as closed traumatic brain injury and if the meninges have been damaged, it is known as open traumatic brain injury. These traumatic brain injuries can again be classified with regard to the severity of damage to the brain tissue itself, which includes:

• Contusion –  where there is minimal amount of or no damage to the brain cells at all
• Concussion – where there is a localized and minimal alteration in structure of the brain tissue
• Brain compression –  where the alterations to the brain tissue is significant

A head injury is always caused by an external force applied directly to the head, or as a result of transmission of forces from a region close to the head, such as the back or the neck. The external forces are usually applied during a collision with a hard surface, which can occur in road traffic accidents, falls and assault.

The treatment of head injuries:

Head injuries require careful evaluation by a head injury specialist in Rohtak such as Dr. Vikas Kathuria, who will be able to identify signs and symptoms which may indicate the severity of the injury, which requires prompt treatment.

There is no standard treatment of head injuries, although all patient who complain of one, must be monitored carefully, and frequently using the head injury observation chart, which includes checking vital parameters which may indicate that there is a problem in the neurological system of the patient. Specific treatment of head injuries depends on the type and severity of the injury sustained. For example a concussion does not require any major intervention from doctors. Simple bed rest and avoidance of bright light and loud noises are adequate to help an individual recover from a concussion. In order to assess the severity of the injury, your doctor may need the assistance of investigations such as CT and MRI of the brain, along with the examination findings.