Need help right now?
If someone needs immediate help with severe head injury, use emergency mode.
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DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — A person hit their head hard — from a fall, crash, blow, or object — and is confused, vomiting, bleeding, or not responding normally.
The essentials if you need to act right now.
Call 112. Keep them still. Do not move the neck. Press on bleeding. Watch breathing.
What might I see? Observable signs — no diagnosis required.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Knocked out, even briefly, or cannot stay awake.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Confused, slurred speech, trouble walking, or not knowing where they are.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Repeated vomiting, severe headache, or one pupil larger than the other.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Clear fluid or blood coming from the nose or ears.
Optional deeper explanation — not required to act.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — A hard blow to the head can injure the brain even when the outside wound looks small. Swelling or bleeding inside the skull can be life-threatening.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — The person may seem okay at first and then get worse over minutes or hours.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Scalp wounds bleed heavily. Controlling outside bleeding does not mean the brain is safe.
Check the scene before you approach.
Do not move the head or neck unless the person is in immediate danger such as fire or traffic.
Civilian-safe actions you can take.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Make sure the area is safe for you — traffic, falling objects, or an attacker.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Tell the person not to move. Ask someone to call 112 or 108 right away.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — If they are awake, ask simple questions: name, where they are, what day it is.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Keep the head and neck as still as possible in the position you found them.
When and how to get professional help.
Any serious head blow, loss of consciousness, repeated vomiting, or worsening confusion needs emergency care.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Keep the person still and call for help. Do not diagnose brain injury or remove embedded objects.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Call 112 or 108. Put the phone on speaker.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Say: "Head injury. Person is confused / unconscious / vomiting. Do not move neck."
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Give exact location, what caused the injury, and whether they are breathing normally.
Dangerous actions, when not to attempt rescue, and common myths.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT move the head or neck to make them more comfortable.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT give water, food, or pain medicine — they may need surgery.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT pull out objects stuck in the head.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT assume they are fine because they can talk — serious brain injury can still be developing.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — If they can walk and talk, the head injury is not serious
Other scenarios in the same family.
Spinal injury
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — After a fall, crash, dive, or blow, the person has neck or back pain, tingling, weakness, or cannot feel or move parts of the body.
Concussion
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — A person bumped or hit their head and now has headache, dizziness, confusion, nausea, or just does not feel right — but they are awake and talking.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — If the scalp is bleeding, press firmly with a clean cloth around the wound — not into a deep hole.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — If they vomit while lying down, carefully roll the whole body as one unit onto the side if trained to do so — otherwise keep still and clear the mouth if safe.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Watch their chest — are they breathing normally?
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — All severe head injuries need emergency hospital evaluation — even if the person seems to recover.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Call immediately if they stop responding, have a seizure, or breathing becomes slow or noisy.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Brain bleeding and swelling can worsen over time. A person who seems fine can collapse later.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Delaying emergency care until the person suddenly deteriorates.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — You should keep them awake by slapping or shaking them
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Rest helps injured brains. Monitor alertness gently — do not force stimulation.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Agitation and further injury from rough handling.