Skull Fracture & Concussion

Authors

Alicia Aguilar, Akram Mohsin, Angelica Colores

Overview

In the athletes world he/she wants to become the best of the best, by pushing themselves to ultimate limits and possibilities. Some go so far that they don't take or look at the risks seriously. When he/she is challenged physically against a mental thought, the athlete will not be cautious about dangers which result in serious or deadly injuries. The most serious is head injuries, such as a skull fracture or concussion. Skull fractures occur when a great amount of force is being placed against the head, causing a break in the skull which could possibly damage the brain resulting in a life threatening matter. Same goes for concussions, which are also looked at with great caution because when the head is hit or moved with excessive force, the brain can also move which may cause swelling to the brain which is an uncontrollable injury.

Treatment and Recovery

Once you have received a head injury the first thing you should do is go to the nearest Emergency Room. There the doctor can then run tests on the patient such as a CT Scan as well as checking if there is dizziness, vomiting, a headache, or any sign of a concussion. A CT Scan is a computed tomography X-Ray that produces images or ‘slices’ of the body part that got scanned. A CT Scan of the skull can reveal fractures. If you do happen to have a fracture in the skull or a concussion your physical activity should be monitored for a couple of weeks. After a couple of weeks you should return to the doctor for a neurologic examination. A neurologic examination is an overlook of the sensory responses, motor responses, and your reflexes. Once you have passed that examination you are allowed to go back to physical activity but try to do as little as possible and to keep it minimal.

                   

Conclusion

I have made many discoveries as an athletic trainer student, I know not all human beings hit by a baseball bat could get a concussion. In my article, ‘Skull Fracture and Brain Contusion in a Baseball Player : A Case Report, ’ a 19 year-old male got struck on the right side of his right side of his skull with a baseball  bat. He only complained of a headache. However, on his CT scan,his brain showed that there was a ‘right parietal fracture and small parietal contusion,with no midline shift’ ! Also, his neurologic examination was normal.

I will make use of this knowledge in the future if a player gets knocked unconscious. I would have to use the ‘ABC’ which is airway, breathing,and circulation. Also the player must (MUST) have a clinical evaluation to decrease the possibility to have another concussion. I would additionally recommend the player to have a neuropsychological examination often.

I will expand my knowledge of this article by searching about what questions are asked in a neuropsychological test. So, if it ever happens to a player I will take him or her to the  hospital for examination sooner. I will also practice using my ‘ABC’’s , and be more observant to the player who had suffered a concussion.

Reference

Case Review: Skull Fracture and Brain Contusion in a Baseball Player. (n.d.).Journals.

Retrieved September 27, 2013, from http://journals.humankinetics.com/

Head Injury | Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Library. (n.d.). Johns Hopkins Medicine, based in Baltimore, Maryland. Retrieved September 27, 2013, from http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/