Lin Zhiying was hospitalized in a car accident! Is a head impact likely to cause concussion or traumatic cerebral hemorrhage? Doctor reveals "key to surgery"
There have been frequent reports of car accidents across Taiwan recently, and well-known artist Jimmy Lin was also injured in a car accident and was sent to the hospital. The severe impact force generated in a car accident may cause brain and nerve damage, leading to “concussion” or “traumatic cerebral hemorrhage”. The patient not only needs to stay in the hospital to observe whether the symptoms worsen, but also when the amount of bleeding is excessive or the normal tissue of the brain is damaged. In times of oppression, emergency surgery may even be required to have a chance of saving life.
Could a minor “concussion” from hitting your head in a car accident cause dementia?
Dr. Lin Muxi, director of the Department of Neurosurgery at Guangtian General Hospital, said in an interview that when the head is hit by an external force, bleeding may not occur immediately. Common symptoms of brain impact are “concussion”, such as dizziness, nausea, vomiting, traumatic headaches, a period of forgetfulness, and poor temper and mood control. Most of them are caused by brain inflammation caused by excessive activation of immune cells.
Dr. Lin Muxi pointed out that even if the concussion is not serious, it is still recommended to seek medical observation and interventional treatment as appropriate. Especially when symptoms become severe, such as unilateral limb weakness and persistent vomiting, further deterioration or other brain injuries should be suspected. , and undergo examinations such as brain computed tomography scans as soon as possible.
Concussion may seem like ordinary symptoms, but may it cause other brain diseases? Dr. Lin Muxi said that if a concussion damages specific areas of the brain, such as the “hippocampus” responsible for memory or the “amygdala” that controls emotions, it may cause memory loss and poor emotional control. If coupled with aging or chronic diseases, brain inflammation is not properly controlled, which can easily lead to brain diseases such as dementia.
In which cases of traumatic cerebral hemorrhage caused by a car accident will require immediate surgery?
If a severe impact in a car accident causes cerebral hemorrhage, will surgery be required immediately? Dr. Lin Muxi explained that most traumatic cerebral hemorrhages are caused by extremely powerful impacts in a short period of time, such as car accidents and violent incidents. The key to judging the severity is the “coma index”. If the symptoms are suspected to be cerebral hemorrhage at the time of admission, the patient will be arranged to undergo a computed tomography examination. If the bleeding is confirmed to exceed 30 CC, surgery will be considered as soon as possible.
Dr. Lin Muxi pointed out that there are several important conditions for determining whether to perform immediate surgery for traumatic cerebral hemorrhage, including: whether the coma index worsens by 2 or 3 points; whether the cerebral hemorrhage is greater than 30CC; and whether there is compression of normal brain tissue. In an emergency, the emergency department physician and neurosurgeon will consult and decide within 20 minutes whether surgery is needed. Usually, the patient must be sent to the operating room in 30 minutes to an hour.
Don’t ignore the dramatic changes in symptoms! What is “delayed cerebral hemorrhage”?
When a brain injury occurs, you need to stay in the hospital for observation. Is it because cerebral hemorrhage will occur after a period of time? Dr. Lin Muxi said that this situation is called “delayed cerebral hemorrhage”. It may start as spot bleeding in the brain. Due to brain atrophy or taking anticoagulants and physical condition, the bleeding gradually expands and causes brain compression. Such patients may have mild symptoms at first, but may later develop critical symptoms such as pupil dilation, vomiting, confusion, or even require emergency surgery.
Dr. Lin Muxi said that the brain structure is complex, and patients with traumatic cerebral hemorrhage are prone to relapse. In the past, patients were admitted to the hospital due to cerebral hemorrhage. They were originally conscious, but began to deteriorate significantly after 48 hours, and the coma index was once reduced to 7 or 8 points. , it returned to 13 or 14 minutes after emergency surgery. In the end, the most superficial drainage tube surgery successfully helped the patient wake up. As long as the clinician determines that surgery is needed as early as possible, most patients have a chance of recovering well.
Is it possible that a moving impact victim may injure his or her spine? Cervical spine fixed support to prevent deterioration
How to provide first aid when a car accident or other violent collision occurs? In an emergency, can the injured be moved? Dr. Lin Muxi suggested that if the environmental conditions at the scene are not critical and there are no risks such as burning or explosion, it is not recommended to move a patient who is completely unable to move or unconscious to avoid more serious damage during movement.
However, Dr. Lin Muxi explained that general trauma first aid training will teach that when the injured needs to be moved, simple cervical spine fixation can be performed to reduce the range of movement of the patient’s neck. Arms can be used to support the patient’s head side to achieve the effect of “cervical spine reduction” and prevent the worsening of spinal injuries. This type of cervical spine fixation can also be performed with bare hands, and is a treatment method that can be considered when emergency movement is required.
Further reading:
Study: 20 minutes of aerobic exercise a day can speed recovery from concussion in teenagers
