Head trauma cases increase during summer

By Ann Marie Bush
Morris News Service

TOPEKA - Emergency rooms across the United States see all types of injuries, but during the spring and summer months, some ERs see an increase in head injuries in children.

Topeka's St. Francis Health Center had a total of 1,116 head injuries in 2004, said Ryan Hartman, a trauma program spokesman. Of those, 453 patients, or 41 percent, were between the ages of birth to 18. Of the 453 cases, 225, or 50 percent, were seen between May and September, Hartman said.

Statistics show most head injuries are caused by falls or vehicle crashes, he said.

Although most head injuries are minor and can be treated with basic first aid, some can be life-threatening, according to the June issue of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter. If a person has a loss of consciousness, even if it's for a brief period of time, help should be sought.

When to go to the ER

The Mayo Clinic recommends emergency care and evaluation if any of the following occur after head trauma:

• Loss of consciousness, sometimes occurring a few hours after the injury.
• A dazed or confused feeling.
• Memory loss.
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Partial paralysis or memory loss.
• New neck pain.
• Numbness or weakness of the extremities.
• Unusual or prolonged headache.
• Bruising or discoloration around the eyes or behind the ears.
• Blood or clear, watery fluids from the ears or nose.

"Come right into the ED (emergency department) in that case," Hartman said.

The main criterion physicians and nurses look for is a loss of consciousness, Hartman said.

"One hundred percent of the time, (that person) will get a CT scan of the head," he said.

Hartman said some national statistics show that 200,000 head injuries happen to children younger than 15, and boys are two times more likely to receive head trauma. He also said statistics show children 4 years old and younger and those 15 to 19 are most likely to receive head injuries.

Children's heads tend to be proportionally bigger than their bodies for the first six to eight years of life, which can make balance more difficult, Hartman said. Young children's skulls also are thinner and more pliable than those of adults.

If a child's head injury is minor, Hartman said, it can be treated at home with ice. He also said turning down the lights and keeping a low-key environment are important. Attention difficulty and other minor problems may be common for a few days, but if symptoms persist, a physician should be notified.

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