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Head injury - Management
What should I do while waiting for transfer to hospital?
- People who have sustained a head injury should have cervical spine stabilization if they have:
- An altered level of consciousness (Glasgow Coma Scale score of 14/15 or less).
- A focal neurological deficit.
- Neck pain or tenderness.
- Clinical suspicion of cervical spine injury.
- Provide analgesia as appropriate:
- Paracetamol is recommended first-line.
- Avoid aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the first 72 hours.
- Avoid sedative analgesics (such as morphine).
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