Traumatic injury that occurs in the skull as a result of an external force or energy, which does not produce a fracture.
Causes may include a fall, accident or direct blow.
Symptoms may appear at the time when the cause occurs or a few hours later: headache, loss or decrease in the level of consciousness, memory loss and/or slight bleeding if there is an open wound.
It is diagnosed by medical history, physical examination and sometimes an x-ray and/or a brain scanner to rule out bone fracture and/or internal hemorrhage.
Treatment includes a recommended 24-hour hospital observation stay to rule out complications, analgesics for pain, and local cold if inflammation is present. After discharge from the hospital, if blurred vision, dizziness, loss of limb strength or any other strange symptoms appear, go to the hospital emergency department.
- A. Alfaro. Traumatismos craneoencefálicos. Exploración del traumatizado craneal. Farreras Rozman. Medicina Interna. Volumen II. Duodécima edición. 1408:1413.
- B. Jennet, G. Teasdale. Diagnóstico y tratamiento de los traumatismos craneoencefálicos. Salvat. 83:99
- N. Padilla, J. Monge. Traumatismo craneoencefálico. Manejo en urgencias. Trauma 2002; 5(3): 92:96.
- UpToDate [Internet]. Waltham. 2017. Traumatic brain injury: Epidemiology, classification, and pathophysiology; [citado el 20 de junio de 2017]. Disponible en: http://www.uptodate.com/contents/traumatic-brain-injury-epidemiology-classification-and-pathophysiology?source=search_result&search=contusion+cerebral&selectedTitle=2~150
