How to administer first aid for a concussion

Written by Jiang Fang Shuai
Neurosurgery
Updated on September 16, 2024
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After a concussion occurs, the injured should be quickly moved from a dangerous environment to a safe area. The injured person should lie flat and rest quietly without sitting up or standing. The head can be appropriately cooled, and it is important to keep the body warm. For patients who are unconscious, it is necessary to keep the airway clear and closely observe their consciousness and pupils. If there are airway secretions or vomiting, they should be cleaned up promptly. If the patient has already experienced respiratory or circulatory problems, immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation should be performed. After the aforementioned emergency treatment, the next step is to transport the patient to a nearby well-equipped hospital for further diagnosis and treatment.

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Written by Gao Yi Shen
Neurosurgery
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How long should one rest for a concussion?

Concussions generally require about one to two weeks of rest, depending mainly on the specific symptoms of the patient. If the symptoms are relatively mild and the injury was not particularly severe, then about a week of rest is usually sufficient for returning to normal work and study. In some cases, if the concussion was relatively severe at the time of injury and subsequent complications or sequelae occur, then the rest period may need to be appropriately extended, possibly to about a month, depending on the patient's specific symptoms. In the vast majority of cases, resting for two weeks is generally sufficient for returning to normal work and study without involving any special issues. As long as medical advice is followed and treatment is correctly administered, many concussions can heal completely.

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Written by Li Jin Quan
General Surgery
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Does a concussion cause a fever?

Concussion is a relatively mild form of traumatic brain injury. The main clinical manifestations are disturbances of consciousness, usually including disturbances such as unconsciousness, but typically not exceeding half an hour. There is also recent memory loss, and the inability to recall the incident causing the injury. Some patients may experience dizziness, headache, nausea, loss of appetite, insomnia, tinnitus, or difficulty concentrating and decreased memory. Additionally, a very small number of concussion patients might experience a low-grade fever.

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Written by Li Jin Quan
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Can you drink alcohol with a concussion?

Patients with concussions typically experience transient disturbances of consciousness after injury, such as coma, along with recent memory loss. Some also suffer from various degrees of headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, insomnia, and other clinical symptoms. The diet for concussion patients should be light and easy to digest, avoiding spicy foods and other strong irritants, as well as avoiding alcohol, since alcohol can aggravate symptoms like headaches, dizziness, and insomnia. Therefore, patients with concussions should not drink alcohol.

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Written by Gao Yi Shen
Neurosurgery
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How is a concussion treated?

The choice of treatment for concussion must be based on the situation. In the majority of cases, symptomatic treatment combined with corresponding therapies is adopted. However, sometimes complications can occur and treatment depends on the patient's current state. The first step is to ensure adequate sleep; a concussion involves damage to some of the brain's neuronal cells and only with sufficient sleep can the functional recovery of these cells be relatively thorough, otherwise, there could be residual long-term effects. The second measure is to actively improve cerebral circulation and provide neuroprotective treatment. The third step involves providing the respective auxiliary treatments like controlling blood pressure, stabilizing blood sugar, and reducing blood lipids. Fourthly, if complications such as headaches and dizziness occur, hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be used to effectively reduce the likelihood of residual effects, so early treatment is very necessary.

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Written by Li Pei
Neurosurgery
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Symptoms of concussion

Concussion is the mildest form of traumatic brain injury. The symptoms of concussion primarily include: first, a brief period of clouded consciousness shortly after the injury, typically lasting from a few seconds to a few minutes, generally not exceeding half an hour; second, retrograde amnesia, where the patient cannot clearly recall the events during the injury, but memory of events prior to the injury remains clear; third, common symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, poor sleep, and decreased memory; fourth, the patient's cranial examination reveals no significant abnormalities, and lumbar puncture cerebrospinal fluid color and tests are normal.