Patient education: Minor head injury in adults – ED discharge instructions (The Basics)

What are discharge instructions? — 

Discharge instructions are information about how to take care of yourself after getting medical care in the emergency department ("ED").

What should I know? — 

You came to the ED for a minor head injury. You might have hit your head on a hard surface or were hit in the head with something.

The doctor thinks your head injury is not serious, and it is safe for you to recover at home. But sometimes, symptoms of serious injuries do not show up right away and instead happen hours or days later. It's important to watch for the problems listed below.

How do I care for myself at home? — 

Ask the doctor or nurse what you should do when you go home. Make sure you understand exactly what you need to do to care for yourself. Ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.

You should also do the following:

●Call your regular doctor and tell them you were in the ED. Make a follow-up appointment if you were told to.

●Take all your medicines as instructed, if the doctor gave you any.

●Take non-prescription medicines to relieve pain, if the doctor says it's OK. Examples include acetaminophen (sample brand name: Tylenol), ibuprofen (sample brand names: Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (sample brand name: Aleve).

●The doctor might have told you to have someone stay with you for the next 24 hours. They should watch you for new or worsening symptoms. It is important they know when to get you emergency help.

●If you have bruising on your head, ice can help with pain and swelling. Apply a cold gel pack, bag of ice, or bag of frozen vegetables on your head every 1 to 2 hours, for 15 minutes each time. Put a thin towel between the ice (or other cold object) and your head.

●Until your symptoms go away:

•Rest your body. Avoid heavy exercise or any activity that could lead to another head injury (like organized sports). Get plenty of sleep.

•Rest your brain. Do not do anything that requires a lot of thought or focus. Avoid reading and looking at screens.

•Avoid alcohol and recreational drugs.

When should I get emergency help?

●Someone should call for emergency help right away (in the US and Canada, call 9-1-1) if you:

•Cannot be fully woken up

•Are acting confused or disoriented

•Have a sudden and persistent change in your behavior

•Cannot walk normally

•Have trouble speaking or slurred speech

•Have severe weakness, or cannot move an arm, leg, or 1 side of your face

•Have a seizure, or jerking of your arms or legs you cannot control

●Return to the ED if you:

•Have blurry eyesight, double vision, or other problems seeing

•Have blood or clear liquid draining from your ears or nose

•Have a headache that is severe, gets worse, feels different, or does not get better with over-the-counter medicines

When should I call the doctor? — 

Call for advice if you:

●Have trouble concentrating, thinking clearly, or remembering things

●Have trouble waking from sleep or staying awake

●Have nausea or vomiting that is not improving

●Feel dizzy or faint

●Feel weak, or have numbness in an arm, leg, or other body part

●Have a stiff neck

If any of the above symptoms seem severe, or if you are concerned but cannot reach the doctor or nurse, seek emergency help. These things don't always mean there is a serious problem, but seeing a doctor or nurse is the only way to know for sure.

More on this topic

Patient education: Head injury in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Head injury observation in adults (The Basics)