Treating A Concussed Casualty

Concussion is defined as 'shaking of the brain' which causes a temporary disturbance in normal brain activity. The condition typically occurs after a heavy fall or after a high impact event. Concussion will typically cause a casualty to become unconscious, which is dangerous, and potentially life threatening. The main other risk factor is 'bleeding on the brain', which is not always detectable when examining a casualty.

First aiders will typically want to help a casualty who has become concussed, but first you need to know how to spot the symptoms of the condition. It is crucial to spot the initial phase which is often a brief period of unconsciousness. This can range from several seconds to several minutes, whereby it could easily be missed. First aid personnel are not always first on the scene; therefore it may be necessary to ask questions centred on whether or not the casualty has been responsive.

'Memory loss' is another key symptom associated with concussion. First responders should initiate dialect with the casualty, with the priority being on offering reassurance. Simple questions should then be incorporated i.e. do you know where you are? And do you know what has just happened? Casualties who cannot answer these questions are more than likely suffering with concussion.

In less clear-cut cases it may be useful to look out for possible nausea, intense headaches and blurred vision. Simply hold several fingers up to the casualty and ask them how many they see. It is common for a concussed casualty to be seeing double, treble or even stars.

Spotting the symptoms of the condition is important as it means you can move onto the treatment protocol. The first port of call is to work out how long they were unconscious for. The emergency services should be called in cases when they are 'out cold' for three minutes or over. This is not normal and should be treated very seriously.

Next it is important to rule out a skull fracture. This is done via a physical examination of the head, whereby the first aider will need to look out for low response levels, physical deformity, and the appearance of fluid coming from the ears / nose. The emergency services will need to be called immediately if there is even a 1% chance that the casualty may have suffered a skull fracture.

In many instances this will not be the case and the casualty should be gradually assisted back to their feet. The next phase is probably the most important of all as it involves transporting the casualty to the nearest hospital. The final verdict on the casualty's health is outside the realms of first aid, and is solely the responsibility of a qualified doctor.

Concussed individuals can easily be suffering with 'bleeding on the brain', which does not always exhibit physical symptoms. Sadly many people die each year just because they do not seek hospital treatment after a concussion. If you do come across the condition the best thing you can do is get the person off to hospital, even when they resist. Let them know that it might just save their life.

Bill Casserley has had his first aid skills called upon in deserts, mountains and at sea. Nowadays you will most likely see him hosting a range of basic life support training courses, whilst at the same time offering a range of free content on his website

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