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65 Year Old Mom Fell On The Back Of Her
Question: 65 year old mom fell on the back of her head 12 hours ago. She%E2%80%99s been okay after icing the spot for half an hour and watched TV for 5 hours before sleeping. However, I%E2%80%99m worried about any potential internal injuries. I read online about signs/symptoms to look for like confusion, irritation, larger pupils, neck stiffness, etc. but she doesn%E2%80%99t exhibit any of those.
Do I need to take her to the ER and get a CT scan done today or am I overthinking it?
The reason I%E2%80%99m contemplating it is because my uncle had a similar fall years ago, was okay afterwards but started acted weird after few days, and eventually got a stroke after 2 weeks.
Her medical history is as follows: had a head fall 20 years ago after which she was semi-unconscious, and admitted to hospital for a few days but has been okay since then. Had a left hip replacement in 2016. She currently takes B12, shelcal and cholesterol medicines daily.
Do I need to take her to the ER and get a CT scan done today or am I overthinking it?
The reason I%E2%80%99m contemplating it is because my uncle had a similar fall years ago, was okay afterwards but started acted weird after few days, and eventually got a stroke after 2 weeks.
Her medical history is as follows: had a head fall 20 years ago after which she was semi-unconscious, and admitted to hospital for a few days but has been okay since then. Had a left hip replacement in 2016. She currently takes B12, shelcal and cholesterol medicines daily.
Brief Answer:
The condition doesn't seem to be serious.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to 'Ask A Doctor' service.
I have read your query and here is my advice.
Since 12 or more hours passed and there are not any neurological symptoms such those mentioned by you, you should not be worried about anything serious.
Furthermore, there was no loss of consciousness after the trauma or nausea and vomiting after, so, this reinforces the fact that there is no serious damage.
I think that observation for any symptoms mentioned before is sufficient by now.
I don't think that the CT scan is necessary for the absence of the symptoms too.
If you notice any symptoms such as headaches, vomiting, cognitive impairment, lethargy, etc. you should take her to the ER.
Hope you found the answer helpful.
Let me know if I can assist you further.
The condition doesn't seem to be serious.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to 'Ask A Doctor' service.
I have read your query and here is my advice.
Since 12 or more hours passed and there are not any neurological symptoms such those mentioned by you, you should not be worried about anything serious.
Furthermore, there was no loss of consciousness after the trauma or nausea and vomiting after, so, this reinforces the fact that there is no serious damage.
I think that observation for any symptoms mentioned before is sufficient by now.
I don't think that the CT scan is necessary for the absence of the symptoms too.
If you notice any symptoms such as headaches, vomiting, cognitive impairment, lethargy, etc. you should take her to the ER.
Hope you found the answer helpful.
Let me know if I can assist you further.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
Thanks Dr. I didn%E2%80%99t see this reply until now, so we took her to the ER anyway and they said the same thing and didn%E2%80%99t order a CT.
After roughly how many days in your opinion can we be 100%25 certain about no internal injuries? My uncle who had a similar fall showed cognitive impairment 3-4 days after the fall.
After roughly how many days in your opinion can we be 100%25 certain about no internal injuries? My uncle who had a similar fall showed cognitive impairment 3-4 days after the fall.
Brief Answer:
Very low chances of brain injury after a couple of days without symptoms.
Detailed Answer:
Welcome back.
The chances for a delayed brain injury after a couple of days of trauma are very low.
However, it is necessary to keep in mind late complications of minor brain injury such as subdural hematoma.
If any neurological symptoms in the following 2-3 weeks, a medical evaluation is necessary.
For now I don't see anything serious.
Hope I helped you.
Very low chances of brain injury after a couple of days without symptoms.
Detailed Answer:
Welcome back.
The chances for a delayed brain injury after a couple of days of trauma are very low.
However, it is necessary to keep in mind late complications of minor brain injury such as subdural hematoma.
If any neurological symptoms in the following 2-3 weeks, a medical evaluation is necessary.
For now I don't see anything serious.
Hope I helped you.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
Thanks Dr. What neurological symptoms should we look for?
Brief Answer:
Symptoms listed below.
Detailed Answer:
Welcome back.
Symptoms that may indicate a late complication of minor head injury include progressive headaches, limbs weakness, problems with vision, speech, cognitive impairment, etc.
In such scenarios neurological evaluation and CT scan of the brain are necessary.
Hope I helped you.
Take care.
Symptoms listed below.
Detailed Answer:
Welcome back.
Symptoms that may indicate a late complication of minor head injury include progressive headaches, limbs weakness, problems with vision, speech, cognitive impairment, etc.
In such scenarios neurological evaluation and CT scan of the brain are necessary.
Hope I helped you.
Take care.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
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