A head injury can be a frightening event for both the injured person and caregivers. Many times, head injuries are minor and may be effectively treated with first aid and close monitoring for signs of serious injury. It is normal for someone who has sustained a head injury to experience some neurological effects such as headache, nausea, short-term confusion and irritability or depression. However, some symptoms may indicate a more severe injury that requires immediate treatment.

Emergency services should be contacted in the following circumstances:

• Any open head injury, especially if it appears that something may have penetrated the skull. This includes serious injuries sustained as the result of an automobile accident or a gun-shot wound.
  
  
• If a person is unconscious or stops breathing for more than 30 seconds.
  
  
• Severe bleeding from the scalp that will not stop after first aid.

The following symptoms can occur up to several days after the head injury took place. They suggest that the brain has been seriously damaged. People who observe these symptoms in someone who has recently sustained a head injury should contact emergency services:

• Increasing sleepiness or confusion
  
• Persistent vomiting
  
• Paralysis or one or more limbs
  
• Inability to speak coherently
  
• Lack of coordination
  
• Clear fluid (cerebrospinal fluid) draining from nose or mouth

Parents of children who sustain head injuries should be especially vigilant. If a child loses consciousness, even for a short period of time, emergency services should be contacted. Loss of consciousness indicates that the brain has suffered trauma and may require immediate treatment.