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HEAD AND SPINE INJURIES

© Kathleen Newton

There are many types of injuries, ranging from the minor (a paper cut, for example), to the major, such as a head or spine injury.

Head and spine injuries make up a small percentage of all injuries, but account for more than half of all injury-related deaths.

The majority of head and spine injuries are suffered by males aged 15 to 30. About half of all head and spine injuries are caused by motor vehicle accidents. Other causes of head and spine injuries include falls, violence, and sports accidents.

THE SPINE AND SPINAL CORD

The human spine is a flexible column composed of 33 small circular bones, called vertebrae. Flat, round disks of cartilage, called intervertebral disks, separate each vertebra. Running through the center of the vertebrae is the spinal cord. The spinal cord descends from the brain, and is the central branching point for nerves originating in the brain.

Injuries to the spinal cord can cause paralysis. The extent of the paralysis depends on the location of the injury. For example, a spinal cord injury occurring in the lower back area may cause paralysis below the waist, if only the nerves affecting the lower body are damaged. However, an injury to the spinal cord at the level of the neck may cause paralysis of the entire body, or even death (if the nerves that control breathing are damaged or destroyed).

THE HEAD AND BRAIN

Head injuries can be very serious due to the relative thinness of the skull, and the resulting risk of brain injury. Even if the skull is not noticeably damaged, a head injury can cause bleeding within the skull, or swelling of the brain. The increased pressure due to bleeding or swelling can lead to brain damage.

In the following situations, you should always assume the victim has a head or spine injury when providing first aid:

*Any diving accident.

*Any accident involving lightning.

*Any accident in which the victim's protective helmet is broken, such as a motorcycle or football helmet, or a construction hardhat.

*Any motor vehicle accident where the victims were not wearing seatbelts.

*Any motor vehicle accident where the victim was thrown from the vehicle.

*Any injury involving blunt trauma to the head or upper body, such as a pedestrian who is hit by a car.

*A fall from any height greater than five feet.

*A victim who is found unconscious and the reason for loss of consciousness is no known.

*Any injury to the head or upper body caused by a penetrating force, such as a gunshot wound.

The copyright of the article HEAD AND SPINE INJURIES in First Aid is owned by Kathleen Newton. Permission to republish HEAD AND SPINE INJURIES in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.