15 year old female hit in head with softball

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musicislife

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So the catcher is hit in the head by a fairly hard fastball...would I take the c-spine precautions here? She was knocked over by the force of the hit, and obviously her head hurts? Would i remove the helmet, collar, board, ect?
 
musicislife said:
So the catcher is hit in the head by a fairly hard fastball...would I take the c-spine precautions here? She was knocked over by the force of the hit, and obviously her head hurts? Would i remove the helmet, collar, board, ect?
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I am disinclined.
 
what would you guys do here?
 
First, look at the helmet, if it is broken, it did its job.

Then examine the girls head and neuro exam.

A head injury does not equal a spinal injury.
 
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Head injuries

my instructor (First Responders) said that if we notice a sign or symptom of a head injury...we should take c-spine precautions. Is this true? I heard that a catcher got hit the other day by a softball pitch and later was diagnosed a concussion. Should they have back boarded her/ collared her? They made her walk off the field.
 
Duplicate threads merged.
 
musicislife said:
my instructor (First Responders) said that if we notice a sign or symptom of a head injury...we should take c-spine precautions. Is this true?.
Click to expand...

No idea what is actually in the first responder curriculum now-a-days but it is grossly over simplified to say anyone with a head injury has a potential spine injury.

Your instructor may have been taught that, he may actually believe it, it may be in your loca protocols, but it is just an outright stupid idea. In fact it sounds stupid just to think about it.

musicislife said:
I heard that a catcher got hit the other day by a softball pitch and later was diagnosed a concussion. Should they have back boarded her/ collared her? They made her walk off the field.
Click to expand...

Happens everyday somewhere.
 
My medical director has directly said that isolated head injuries do not require c-spine. He was specifically referring to a pt with a GSW to the head, and I don't think a baseball is going to inflict more damage than a 9mm.

So, I am also disinclined.

And yes, remove the helmet. How else are you supposed to assess her head?

Edit: The last time I got a concussion I got up and finished my CrossFit workout. What harm do you think would be caused by making her walk off the field?
 
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then when would I take those precautions? It seems to me that unless its a very severe head injury, I don't take those precautions, so when would I?
 
No, I would not backboard this person.

Wouldn't even cross my mind.
 
Aidey said:
My medical director has directly said that isolated head injuries do not require c-spine. He was specifically referring to a pt with a GSW to the head, and I don't think a baseball is going to inflict more damage than a 9mm.?
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Had a pt. around 8 years back who took a katana to the head.

Skull fracture: Yes
Spinal injury: No

(He actually walked into the ED and sitting up helped him keep the blood out of his airway)
 
Were they hit on accident or on purpose?

We did that with a pt who shot himself under chin with a .32. He had horrible aim and only took out a couple of molars and part of his lower jaw. We walked him down a flight of stairs and let him sit upright on the gurney. Way too much blood to do anything else.
 
I am really inclined to use this:

:nosoupfortroll:



But I'll play.

Is there a MOI to cause spinal damage? Not in my opinion. How many times have you hit your head before? Or taken a nasty spill on your bike?

Specifically this is an isolated head injury.... so what is a backboard going to do? No other part of the body is injured so there is no reason it needs to be splinted. What is a C- collar going to do? Restrict motion in the neck. Again this was an isolated head injury in somebody who essentially was prepared for the impact.

You always need to ask yourself what is my treatment going to do in terms of the outcome? If I suspect a concussion what is full immobilization going to do to lessen or change that outcome?
 
Aidey said:
Were they hit on accident or on purpose?

We did that with a pt who shot himself under chin with a .32. He had horrible aim and only took out a couple of molars and part of his lower jaw. We walked him down a flight of stairs and let him sit upright on the gurney. Way too much blood to do anything else.
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On purpose.

Apparently a love triangle.

He put his arm up to stop the blow and the blade cleaved through his radius and into his skull.
 
Consent in this Scenario? 14 year old male hit in the head?

I am a bystander who is trained in EMT- First Responder. the child gets hit in the head and his parents aren't around. Do I treat right away or call 911 and wait till PD arrives?
 
As everyone else has said, I would not be boarding this patient. Head pain from being struck by a softball is not enough for me to backboard a patient, and the possibility of a concussion has little, if any, bearing on whether or not I'm going to torture someone by putting them in c-spine precautions.
 
Ask the kid if it's ok if you treat (not much your going to be able to treat for) him. If he says yes, then treat. If he says no, then don't treat him. And it all depends on what happened if you should call 911.
 
He is a catcher who was hit in the head by a 50 mph fastball complaining of severe pain in his head, is that a 911 call (again, assuming there are no parents around for consent)
 
Then yeah call 911. There is nothing treatment wise you can do for that patient. If the ambulance crew decides to transport the patient it will be under implied consent due to parents/family members not being there.
 
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