Health Education

Pay attention to:

• During hospitalization

1. No food is allowed at the first day of the head injury; patients would be given some soup, milk, or juice on the 2nd day; no food intake if vomiting occurs.
2. When patients rest in bed, have them sleep with their head slightly lifted to 30 degree; avoid exertions like coughing and defecation.
3. Inform our medical staff immediately if there is any transparent liquid and bloody discharg from nose or ears; also do not sneeze or pick any external acoustic meatus.
4. Local ice packing for injured scalp.

• Please return to emergence room if any of following situations occur:

1. Severe headache
2. Severe neck stiffness and pain
3. Continuous vomiting
4. Dyspnea
5. Sleepiness or unconsciousness
6. Numbness, weakness, and convulsion of the four limbs, weakness, convulsion.
7. Clear to pink otorrhea or rhinorrhea
8. Seizure
9. Unknown causes of fever

• Self-care at home

1. Bed rest
2. Maintain dryness and cleanness of the wound; avoid direct exposure of sunlight
3. Take medication on time
4. Outpatient Department follow up on time.

Conclusions

1. There is no brain saving drug available now but diuretic drugs for lowering intracranial pressure.
2. The symptoms of headache and dizziness may last for days to weeks; do not panic and just follow the instructions given by the doctors and have plenty of rest.
3. If there is no apparent change of a patient’s conscious status, no CT scan is required and it is mostly preserved for surgical decision making and outcome prediction. Such a examination is arranged by the doctors according to patients’ conditions.