N.B. There is an easy read version, an infographic and translations (currently mandarin chinese, hindi and spanish) at the bottom of this post.
For a minor bump, generally speaking the steps are to sit the person down, apply a cold compress (e.g. bag of peas in a tea towel), and then monitor the person for the next 24 - 48 hours to ensure their symptoms do not get any worse. They can have pain relief, but generally speaking they should stick with Paracetamol. Ibuprofen and Aspirin should definitely be avoided as these can increase the risk of bleeding.
Contact sports should be avoided for 3 weeks, and all other activities e.g. driving, work, school, cooking etc.. should be avoided until the person feels 100% better. If they are planning to fly within 3 months of their injury, then they should consider speaking with their GP for advice, particularly if they've had a head injury before or suffer from seizures.
If the person has cut their head, then you would apply pressure to the area. They will need to go to hospital for this if it is longer than 2cm, deeper than 5mm, you can see fat, muscle or bone or there is heavy bleeding / bleeding you cannot stop within 10 minutes.
Additionally, if a person has a swelling on their head of 5cm or more, this will have to be seen in hospital.
Lastly, but very importantly if the person is on any blood thinners or if they have a clotting disorder, they must go to hospital, even for the tiniest most innocuous of bumps. So this is a key question to ask them.
If they do need to go to hospital, they won't always necessarily require an ambulance. Someone who is say showing no 'red flags' (see below) but are on blood thinners can easily go with a friend or in a taxi (and may well get there faster). But equally, someone bleeding heavily will likely need an ambulance.
Serious head injury - Red flags
So these are the things to look out for and when to call an ambulance
If there has been any loss of consciousness following the injury, or if their consciousness level begins to reduce, or if they become drowsy.
If they have new or worsening confusion
If they have a seizure (or if their seizures increase / change in form if they normally have seizures)
If they've fallen from a height of more than 1 metre
If they have problems with their vision, closing their eyes, hearing, facial movements, speech or swallowing
If they have a very painful headache
If they have a black eye (and didn't hit the eye)
If clear fluid is coming from their nose / ears
If they are bleeding from their ears or has bruising behind them
If they have problems with numbness / weakness in any part of the body
If they have any sort of co-ordination and processing issues e.g. with walking, writing, balancing and understanding
If they hit their head at high speed
If they have something inside a wound or they have a dent in their head
If they are under 1 and have a bruise / swelling / large cut
If their behaviour significantly changes in any way (e.g. suddenly lose interest in things or become very irritable)
If they have repeated episodes of vomiting (a single episode is fine and can just be monitored)
Easy read
- Minor head injury first aid is to sit the person down, apply a cold compress (e.g. bag of peas in a tea towel), and then monitor the person for the next 24 - 48 hours to ensure their symptoms do not get any worse.
- They can have Paracetamol for pain, but MUST NOT have Ibuprofen or Aspirin (they can cause bleeding.
- If the person has cut their head, then you would apply pressure to the area.
- They will need to go to hospital for this if it is longer than 2cm, deeper than 5mm, you can see fat, muscle or bone or there is heavy bleeding / bleeding you cannot stop within 10 minutes.
- Additionally, if a person has a swelling on their head of 5cm or more, this will have to be seen in hospital.
- Lastly, but very importantly if the person is on any blood thinners or if they have a clotting disorder, they must go to hospital, even for the tiniest most innocuous of bumps. So this is a key question to ask them.
- If they do need to go to hospital, they won't always necessarily require an ambulance. Someone who is say showing no 'red flags' but are on blood thinners can easily go with a friend or in a taxi (and may well get there faster). But equally, someone bleeding heavily will likely need an ambulance.
- Serious head injury - So these are the red flags to look out for and when to call an ambulance
- If there has been any loss of consciousness following the injury, or if their consciousness level begins to reduce, or if they become drowsy.
- If they have new or worsening confusion
- If they have a seizure (or if their seizures increase / change in form if they normally have seizures)
- If they've fallen from a height of more than 1 metre
- If they have problems with their vision, closing their eyes, hearing, facial movements, speech or swallowing
- If they have a very painful headache
- If they have a black eye (and didn't hit the eye)
- If clear fluid is coming from their nose / ears
- If they are bleeding from their ears or has bruising behind them
- If they have problems with numbness / weakness in any part of the body
- If they have any sort of co-ordination and processing issues e.g. with walking, writing, balancing and understanding
- If they hit their head at high speed
- If they have something inside a wound or they have a dent in their head
- If they are under 1 and have a bruise / swelling / large cut
- If their behaviour significantly changes in any way (e.g. suddenly lose interest in things or become very irritable)
- If they have repeated episodes of vomiting (a single episode is fine and can just be monitored)
Mandarin Chinese
Qingtou bu shang de jiji jiuhu
Qingtou bu shang de chuli fangfa shi rang shangzhe zuoxia, fuyong leng fuyong (liru: yong maojin baozhu de qingdou dai), ranhou zai jie xialai de 24–48 xiaoshi nei jiancha shangzhe de zhengzhuang, quebao zhengzhuang meiyou ehuà.
Keyi fuyong duiyixian (Paracetamol) huanjie tengtong, dan juedui bu keyi fuyong buluyifen (Ibuprofen) huo asipilin (Aspirin), yinwei tamen keneng hui zengjia chuxue fengxian.
Ruguo toubu you kouzi, yinggai dui shangkou shiyajia ya.
Ruguo shangkou changdu chaoguo 2 limi, shendu chaoguo 5 haomi, keyi kanjian zhifang, jirou huo gu tou, huo chuxue hen zhong / zai 10 fenzhong nei wufa zhuxue, jiu xuyao qu yiyuan jieshou jiancha.
Ciwai, ruguo toubu zhongqi de zhijing da yu huo dengyu 5 limi, ye bixu qu yiyuan jiancha.
Zuihou, dan feichang zhongyao de shi, ruguo shangzhe zhengzai fuyong kangningxueyao (xuerongyao) huo huan you ningxue zhang'ai, jishi zhishi feichang qingwei de pengzhuang, ye bixu qu yiyuan. Suoyi, yiding yao wen tamen shifou you zhezhong qingkuang.
Ruguo xuyao qu yiyuan, bu yiding dou xuyao jiaohushi jiuche. Liru, ruguo shangzhe meiyou renhe “hongse jinghao” zhengzhuang, dan zhengzai fuyong kangningxueyao, keyi rang pengyou song qu huo da chuzu che (you shi hou zheyang geng kuai). Dan ruguo chuxue hen zhong, tongchang xuyao jiaohushi jiuche.
Yanzhong de toubu shanghai – xuyao zhaochu de hongse jinghao (liji bo da jiji jiuji dianhua)
Ruguo shangzhe zai shanghai hou cengjing shiqu yishi, yishi shuiping kaishi xiajiang, huo bian de kunjuan.
Ruguo chuxian xin de huo jiazhong de hunluan.
Ruguo fasheng dianxian (huozhe, ruguo shangzhe pingchang you dianxian, dianxian cishu zengjia huo xingshi gaibian).
Ruguo cong gaoyu 1 mi de difang shuai xia.
Ruguo chuxian shijue, bi yan, tingli, mianbu yundong, shuohua huo tunyan fangmian de wenti.
Ruguo you feichang yanzhong de toutong.
Ruguo chuxian heiyanquan (dan bingmeiyou zhi jie zhuangji yan jing).
Ruguo bi zi huo er duo liu chu qingse ye ti.
Ruguo er duo chuxue, huo er hou chuxian qingzi.
Ruguo shenti renhe buwei chuxian mamù huo wuli de qingkuang.
Ruguo chuxian renhe xietiao huo xinxi chuli wenti, liru zoulu, xiezi, baochi pingheng huo lijie shiqing you kunnan.
Ruguo toubu zai gaosu zhuangji zhong shou shang.
Ruguo shangkou nei you yiwu, huo tougu shang chuxian aoxian.
Ruguo ying'er bu man 1 sui, bing chuxian qingzi, zhongqi huo jiaoda de kouzi.
Ruguo xingwei fasheng mingxian gaibian (liru, tu ran dui shiqing shiqu xingqu huo bian de feichang yirizao).
Ruguo fanfu outuo (dan ruguo zhishi outuo yici, keyi jixu guancha).
Hindi
Halki sir ki chot ke liye prathamik upchar
Halki sir ki chot lagne par vyakti ko baitha dein, thandi patti lagayein (jaise chai ke tauliye mein lapeta hua matar ka packet), aur agle 24–48 ghanton tak uski nigrani karein, taaki yeh sunishchit ho sake ki lakshan aur kharab na hon.
Dard ke liye Paracetamol di ja sakti hai, lekin Ibuprofen ya Aspirin bilkul nahi deni chahiye, kyunki inse khoon behne ka khatra badh sakta hai.
Agar vyakti ke sir par kata hua ghaav hai, to us jagah par dabav daalein.
Agar ghaav 2 cm se lamba hai, 5 mm se gehra hai, usmein charbi, maanspeshiyan ya haddi dikh rahi hai, ya bahut zyada khoon beh raha hai / 10 minute ke andar khoon behna band nahi hota, to vyakti ko aspataal le jana zaroori hai.
Iske alawa, agar sir par soojan ya ubhaar 5 cm ya usse bada hai, to bhi aspataal mein jaanch karani zaroori hai.
Ant mein, lekin bahut hi mahatvapurn baat: agar vyakti khoon patla karne wali dawa le raha hai ya use khoon jamne se sambandhit koi bimari hai, to sir par sabse halki chot lagne par bhi use aspataal jana chahiye. Isliye usse yeh sawal zaroor poochhein.
Agar aspataal jana zaroori ho, to har baar ambulance ki zaroorat nahi hoti. Udaharan ke liye, agar vyakti mein koi gambhir chetavani ke lakshan nahi hain, lekin vah khoon patla karne wali dawa leta hai, to dost ke saath ya taxi se aspataal ja sakta hai (aur shayad jaldi pahunch sake). Lekin agar bahut zyada khoon beh raha hai, to ambulance ki zaroorat pad sakti hai.
Gambhir sir ki chot – khatre ke sanket (ambulance bulayein)
Agar chot lagne ke baad vyakti behosh ho gaya ho, uski chetna ka star girne lage, ya vah bahut sust ya neend mein dikhai de.
Agar use pehli baar bhram ho ya pehle se maujood bhram badhne lage.
Agar use daura pade (ya agar use aam taur par daure padte hain, to dauron ki sankhya badh jaye ya unka tareeka badal jaye).
Agar vah 1 metre se zyada oonchai se gira ho.
Agar use dekhne, aankhen band karne, sunne, chehre ko hilane, bolne ya nigalne mein dikkat ho.
Agar use bahut tez sir dard ho.
Agar uski aankh ke aas-paas kaala nishan ho, lekin uski aankh par seedhi chot na lagi ho.
Agar naak ya kaan se saaf taral padarth nikal raha ho.
Agar kaan se khoon beh raha ho ya kaan ke peeche neelapan ho.
Agar sharir ke kisi bhi hisse mein sunnpan ya kamzori ho.
Agar use samanvay ya sochne-samajhne mein dikkat ho, jaise chalne, likhne, santulan banaye rakhne ya baat samajhne mein pareshani.
Agar uske sir par tez gati se chot lagi ho.
Agar ghaav ke andar koi vastu phansi ho ya sir par dhansav ho.
Agar bachcha 1 saal se chhota ho aur use neelapan, soojan ya bada ghaav ho.
Agar uske vyavahar mein koi bada badlav aaye, jaise achanak cheezon mein dilchaspi kho dena ya bahut chidchida ho jana.
Agar use baar-baar ulti ho. (Sirf ek baar ulti hone par nigrani ki ja sakti hai.)
Spanish
Primeros auxilios para una lesión leve en la cabeza
Si una persona sufre una lesión leve en la cabeza, hay que sentarla, aplicar una compresa fría (por ejemplo, una bolsa de guisantes envuelta en un paño de cocina) y vigilarla durante las siguientes 24–48 horas para asegurarse de que sus síntomas no empeoren.
Puede tomar paracetamol para aliviar el dolor, pero NO debe tomar ibuprofeno ni aspirina, ya que pueden aumentar el riesgo de hemorragia.
Si la persona tiene una herida abierta en la cabeza, hay que aplicar presión sobre la zona.
Debe acudir al hospital si la herida mide más de 2 cm, tiene más de 5 mm de profundidad, se puede ver grasa, músculo o hueso, o si hay una hemorragia abundante o no se consigue detener el sangrado en 10 minutos.
Además, si tiene un bulto o una hinchazón en la cabeza de 5 cm o más, debe acudir al hospital para que la examinen.
Por último, pero muy importante: si la persona toma anticoagulantes o tiene un trastorno de la coagulación, debe acudir al hospital incluso si el golpe en la cabeza parece insignificante. Por eso, es fundamental preguntárselo.
Si necesita ir al hospital, no siempre será necesario llamar a una ambulancia. Por ejemplo, si la persona no presenta ninguna señal de alarma, pero toma anticoagulantes, puede ir acompañada de un amigo o en taxi (e incluso podría llegar más rápido). Sin embargo, si tiene una hemorragia abundante, probablemente necesitará una ambulancia.
Lesión grave en la cabeza: señales de alarma (llamar a una ambulancia)
Si ha perdido el conocimiento después de la lesión, su nivel de consciencia empieza a disminuir o presenta somnolencia.
Si presenta una confusión nueva o si la confusión que ya tenía empeora.
Si sufre una convulsión (o si normalmente tiene convulsiones, estas aumentan en frecuencia o cambian de forma).
Si se ha caído desde una altura superior a 1 metro.
Si tiene problemas de visión, para cerrar los ojos, de audición, de movimientos faciales, del habla o para tragar.
Si tiene un dolor de cabeza muy intenso.
Si presenta un ojo morado sin haberse golpeado directamente el ojo.
Si sale un líquido transparente por la nariz o los oídos.
Si sangra por los oídos o presenta hematomas detrás de ellos.
Si tiene entumecimiento o debilidad en cualquier parte del cuerpo.
Si presenta problemas de coordinación o de procesamiento de la información, por ejemplo, al caminar, escribir, mantener el equilibrio o comprender.
Si se ha golpeado la cabeza a gran velocidad.
Si hay algún objeto dentro de una herida o una hundimiento en el cráneo.
Si tiene menos de 1 año y presenta un hematoma, una hinchazón o una herida grande.
Si su comportamiento cambia significativamente de cualquier manera, por ejemplo, si pierde repentinamente el interés por las cosas o se vuelve muy irritable.
Si tiene episodios repetidos de vómitos. (Si vomita una sola vez, se puede vigilar su evolución.)
