Loading...
Civilian Emergency Platform
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — The scalp is bleeding from a cut, fall, or blow. Head wounds often bleed heavily because the scalp has many blood vessels.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — NOT EXPERT REVIEWED — NOT FOR PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Heavy bleeding that does not slow with firm pressure.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Person was knocked out, even briefly, or cannot remember what happened.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Confusion, slurred speech, severe headache, vomiting, or one pupil larger than the other.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Clear fluid or blood coming from nose or ears after head injury.
Scene hazards: Unstable surfaces, Traffic, Further falls
If a fall from height or vehicle crash is suspected, avoid moving the head or neck.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Keep the person still. Support their head in a neutral position.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Place a thick cloth on the wound and press firmly — do not press into a depressed area of skull.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Ask someone to call 112 if the injury was serious or the person seems altered.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Maintain steady pressure. Add cloth on top if soaked — do not remove the first layer.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Talk to the person: ask their name, what day it is, and what happened.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — If vomiting, roll them carefully as one unit (head and body together) onto their side if trained to do so.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Call 112. Say: "Head injury with bleeding" and whether they were unconscious or confused.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Tell dispatch how the injury happened — fall, hit, road accident.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Any head injury with loss of consciousness, confusion, worsening headache, or repeated vomiting needs emergency care.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Even scalp bleeding that stops needs medical assessment if the injury was from a fall, blow, or crash.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT wash deep scalp wounds with running water if bleeding is active.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT remove embedded objects from the head.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT let the person sleep or leave them alone after a significant head injury.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT move the neck if a fall or crash caused the injury.
MYTH: DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — If they can talk, the head injury is minor
REALITY: DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — A person with a serious brain injury may speak normally at first and then worsen. Monitor closely.
DANGER: DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Delaying emergency care because the person seems okay initially.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Scalp cuts bleed a lot but may look worse than they are. However, the force that caused the wound may also have injured the brain.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Bleeding on the outside does not tell you whether there is bleeding or swelling inside the skull.