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| Q&A: Dr David Hartman on Head Injuries (824 Posts)
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5th Anniversary
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On 5/12/2007
Dr. Dave
wrote in from
United States
(24.13.nnn.nnn)
Thanks Adam!
Having a website that looks at all sides of boarding, the technical, the instructional and the scary injury stuff as well is a great service to the community. Hope you will keep the site running for years to come and I'm glad to do my volunteer part. By the way, this is a labor of love, guys, no money or swag changes hands for this. I'll do it for free as long as there is a need. I was deposed about a year ago on a head injury case and an attorney asked me how much money I made consulting for this skateboard site. Made me laugh. I said I was doing this to save the lives of kids on wheels, and those kids don't typically have the $$$ to hire expensive consultants.
So remember, guys, I don't get anything for doing this, but if even one of you listens to me, puts on that helmet, and then lives when you might have otherwise died, well, that's worth more to me than all the $$$ or Swag anyone could offer.
Thanks again, Adam, NCDSA and everyone who has ever written in.
Dr. Dave
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Dr Dave's Fifth Anniversary on Ncdsa.com!
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On 5/11/2007
Adam
wrote in from
United States
(208.64.nnn.nnn)
From the webmaster..
This month marks Dr D's fifth year helping Ncdsa.com members understand the nature and severity of head injuries. Our heartfelt thanks goes out to Dr D. for his dedication to the cause of skateboarding safety!
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Sven'sConcussion
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On 5/11/2007
Dr. Dave
wrote in from
United States
(24.13.nnn.nnn)
Sven,
If you are still having symptoms, go to an ER or a neurologist, and ask whether you need an MRI. While it could be nothing, don't assume it's nothing. And DON'T TAKE telephone advice. Any doc who tells you there is nothing wrong with you without seeing you is risking your health and his license.
Dr. Dave
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Helmets
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On 5/9/2007 kludy
wrote in from
United States
(68.8.nnn.nnn)
YOUR BRAIN IS THE ONE THING THAT JUST CAN NOT TAKE A HIT. WEAR A FREAKEN HELMET AND LIFE TO SKATE ANOTHER DAY. i HAVE A FREIND THAT WILL NEVR GET TO SKATE, WALK OR EVEN FEEL THE TOUCH OF ANOTHER PERSON. tHINK ABOUT NOT ONLY YOUR LIFE BUT OTHERS.
(WEAR A HELMET )
i WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED MANY TIMES IF i WAS NOT WEARING ONE
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Oh yeah
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On 5/9/2007 Sven
wrote in from
United States
(75.68.nnn.nnn)
Please, please, please, Everyone, wear a helmet, so you don't have to worry whether you killed someone while driving home with a head injury, or wonder why your rearview mirror is angled so you can see yo' bad self, when you remember leaving it reflecting the rear view. etc...
just wear a helmet
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Concussion
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On 5/9/2007 Sven
wrote in from
United States
(75.68.nnn.nnn)
About 3 or 4 days ago, I suffered a concussion. I was bombing a hill on the way back from a coffee run, and I didn't have my helmet in my car, so I figured I'd be fine. 2 hours later, I arrived home and put my car in park. I looked to my left and saw bloody paper towels, felt sore all over my left side, tasted blood in my mouth and funny funny in the head. I could not remember a single event between starting the hill and putting my car in park. I never went to see a doctor, but we called a friend who was a doctor, and they said simply take some Tylenol and rest.
Ever since the concussion, I've had headaches, slight problems with memory, I am easily agitated, and my attention, already poor due to ADD, is just about gone.
Are these problems normal, or something to worry about?
The injury happened on the rear left side of my head, up and a little back behind my ear.
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The Cazy Downhill skate
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On 5/9/2007
Gabriel
wrote in from
Brazil
(201.32.nnn.nnn)
loock !!!
http://pe360graus.globo.com/foradoeixo/matLer.asp?newsId=70095
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Helmet in Concrete Wave
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On 4/30/2007
Dr. Dave
wrote in from
United States
(68.253.nnn.nnn)
Good for CW! Helmets are as much a part of boarding as goggles and gloves are for skiing. Even the X-Gamers wear protective gear. My take on it is that you don't lose any street cred when you wear a helmet. Plus, you get to keep your head from looking like Frankenstein's kid brother.
Dr. Dave
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Helmet symposium
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On 4/30/2007
yoyo schulz
wrote in from
Germany
(62.225.nnn.nnn)
Just for info: The latest issue of Concrete Wave Mag has a few pages of helmet infos and a rundown of statements from the various helmet manufacturers.
Have you ever seen something like this in a mainstream mag? I seriously doubt it.
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More Pictures Please
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On 4/28/2007
Kate
wrote in from
United Kingdom
(81.151.nnn.nnn)
Hi
I need more photos please, I am working at the local skate park and trying to get everyone to wear helmets is difficult at times. I am hoping dislaying some pictures will help!!
Thanks
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Under the Flip Top
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On 3/26/2007
Dr. Dave
wrote in from
United States
(68.251.nnn.nnn)
Thanks Haggy for the new 'my head now has a pop top' poster. What's interesting about the pic is what you don't see. Underneath the stitches, with bleeding in the brain, there is likely to be brain damage that won't easily go away.
Even if you don't use your brain for rocket science, you need it to skateboard. If your brain isn't working right, there's no way you can do the balancing and quick decision-making you need to board. So if you really care about boarding and want to keep doing it for a while, you've got to have the helmet.
Thanks again,
DrD
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head injury
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On 3/25/2007 haggy
wrote in from
Australia
(124.189.nnn.nnn)
a fellow downhiller/slalomer in queensland came off last month and cracked his head hard.
The result:
- Fractured skull in two places
- Bleeding on the brain
- Emergency surgery
- 12 days in hospital
- 40 staples in the skull
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aussie kid gets hurt
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On 3/15/2007 haggy
wrote in from
Australia
(124.189.nnn.nnn)
news from sydney, oz
hope the kid pulls through ok. wear your lids folks, concrete is tougher than your skull...
------------------------------------- -----------
Skateboarder, 12, airlifted to hospital
Email Print Normal font Large font David Braithwaite
March 16, 2007 - 12:27PM
A 12-year-old skateboarder has been airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after slamming head-first into a concrete skateramp on Sydney's northern beaches.
Ambulance crews were called to Avalon Skate Park about 11am and called for a rescue helicopter upon realising the extent of the boy's injuries, a spokesman said.
The boy had serious head injuries after falling head-first on to concrete at the skate park, he said.
He was taken to Royal North Shore Hospital by helicopter shortly afterwards.
Police are at the skate park and making enquiries into the accident, a spokesman said.
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Jason don't suck
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On 3/5/2007
Dr. Dave
wrote in from
United States
(24.13.nnn.nnn)
Jason,
Sorry for the bad hit, but you are now the local movie star poster boy for wearing helmets. Good job. In fact, if you save even one life or prevent even one disabling injury - that's more than most people in the world can claim and is major good karma.
As for the lump, it's normal for that indentation to be there. The skin probably stretched over the lump and now that it's gone, it will take a while to tighten up. If it doesn't go away to your satisfaction, you could always see a plastics doc who could do a little bit of a tuck up by removing some of the stretched skin and sewing the rest up. That's what super-fat people do when they lose a lot of weight.. . . :)
SkateSafe DrD.
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head lump
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On 2/23/2007
jason
wrote in from
United Kingdom
(84.71.nnn.nnn)
hi i have had a lump on the back of my head for about 3 years. today i had it drained at my doctors and what came out was just gooey blood but now there is an indentation in my head feels like part of the muscle missing is this normal.
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sucks but i might have saved my friends too
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On 2/17/2007 jason
wrote in from
United States
(72.189.nnn.nnn)
I busted at the bottom of a hill doin 45, and i fractured my skull in two places, broke my clavical, and had a brain contusion. I wasnt wearing a helmet. My mother was jogging right behind me and saw me laying down and slapped my face to get me up and when she pulled her hand away from my ear it was covered with my blood. After being taken to the hospital I had brain surgery after a week and a half of almost dying every day, putting my family and friends through the worst hell they could ever have imagined. Thank god I came to a few days after surgery and after weeks in rehab which began to feel like jail (s#@!ty food, and bein strapped down in bed every night) they finally pulled the 38 staples out of my skull, took out the stitches and let me go home. I didnt go too much into the details because I know other people have posted similar stories on here, and mine is a lot alike. The point I want to make is this: When i was in rehab my best friend came and took a picture of my head staples, crusty blood, stitches, swelling and all, and printed it off for me on a huge sticker, and put it on the side of my helmet (which i had just got 2 days before the spill, but had left at home) and wrote "zipperhead i dont wanna die" across it. THen all my fiends went out and bought helmets too (we had never worn them, parks, pools, hills whatever). I guess my point is that if somethin like this has happened to you then use it as an awesome oppurtunity to save some lives. We gotta look out for each other, you know, we're like family. It makes me so happy when i go to parks now and people come up and ask me about it and people without helmets actually leave, buy one, and come back to skate. NEver be discouraged, by puttin yourself out there you may be savin lives without knowin it.
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Yasmin's Question
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On 2/10/2007
Dr. Dave
wrote in from
United States
(24.13.nnn.nnn)
Yasmin,
First, I hope that we all will put our hearts together to wish your son a full recovery. You don't say when your son's most recent surgery was, and individuals who have had brain surgery within a month or two should always get their doctor's clearance before flying.
Your son's medical condition is another factor. There is somewhat less oxygen in commercial plane air, and flying, especially, on long flights, increases blood carbon dioxide and can cause edema (swelling). If there is air inside his brain, that may be another risk factor. Air travel does not seem to causes seizures per se, but if you son has a high frequency of seizures or if he has had seizures on a plane before, he is at higher risk for seizures while flying. People who are prone to develop deep vein thrombosis (DVT's, basically blood clots) while flying also should take special precautions that a doctor will explain to you.
I would ask these questions of your son's neurologist or neurosurgeon before he flies. There's no single answer and whether your son can fly depends upon a lot of factors. Only the doctor who knows his case details and medical records can give you a 'yes' or 'no' on this one. Best of luck to you and your son.
DrD
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head injury
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On 2/10/2007
yasmin neil
wrote in from
United Kingdom
(62.254.nnn.nnn)
MY SON WAS ATTACKED IN FEB 2006. HES NOW HAD 4 OPERATIONS THE LATEST ONE WAS HAVING HIS BONE FLAP REMOVED.HE NOW HAS TO WAIT 7 MONTH FOR A TITINIUM PLATE.COULD YOU PLEASE ADVISE ME IF IT IS SAFE TO FLY, IN THE MEANTIME THANK YOU.
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Dents 'r Us 2
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On 2/7/2007
Dr. Dave
wrote in from
United States
(24.13.nnn.nnn)
Cash'ae:
Head dents can be in the muscle, or the bone. Some bone "dents" like a heavy eyebrow ridge, can be caused by vitamin deficiency. Unless you have no bone under a skull "dent" which could be a problem, dents are mainly cosmetic issues. Plastic surgeons and dermatologists have "filler" substances that mimic natural tissue and which can fill out the dents. Again, if the appearance bothers you, a doc might be able to spackle it from the inside.
DrD.
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A dent in my Head
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On 2/6/2007
Cash'ae
wrote in from
United States
(12.7.nnn.nnn)
Hey DOc How r U , I have a head full of dent and I can't explain how or why, they dont hurt and their only in the back of my head, but i would like to know If it could cause brain damage or some kind of illness. Please help . I need answers
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Dent's 'R Us
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On 1/31/2007
Dr. Dave
wrote in from
United States
(24.13.nnn.nnn)
Linda,
You didn't say how deep the dent is, but unless you can store loose change in it, it is unlikely to be more than a cosmetic issue. If the look of it bothers you, I'd suggest contacting a local plastic surgeon to see if it can be "filled in."
Let us know.
Dr.D.
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Dent along the edge of the fontanelle
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On 1/30/2007
Linda
wrote in from
United Kingdom
(82.41.nnn.nnn)
I have a dent about an inch and a bit long at the front of my head which I have just started to notice over the last few months. I have a feeling it is getting deeper but it may just be my imagination. I haven't bumped my head recently, but now and again in the past i have caught that particular spot on the edge of a kitchen cupboard door - I have a slight dent on my forehead that I think was caused by the same thing. Neither are painful and I don't think I have any other symptoms - should I get this checked out?
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Scalped
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On 1/29/2007
Dr. Dave
wrote in from
United States
(24.13.nnn.nnn)
Ciji:
A scalp hematoma is a bruise or "goose egg" underneath the skin and is typically caused by an accidental, (typically minor if that's the only symptom), impact injury. But if that lump is an infection, that's something different. You need to ask you daughter's doctor which diagnosis for the "goose-egg" was correct, a bruise (hematoma) or an infection (pus) under the skin. Also please make sure your daughter is followed up by her pediatrician. Any infection around or under the skin on the head could spread to the the eyes or even the brain. It's not something you want to treat on your own. Let us know what happens and hope your daughter recovers soon.
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my daughter
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On 1/29/2007 Ciji
wrote in from
United States
(205.204.nnn.nnn)
my daughter got a chemical burn from palmolive dishwasher detergeant her head started to get infected and smelled like it was rotning i shaved her hair off the whole back of her head was a soft spot that went around to the right side of her head one morning we woke up and her head and face had swollen making her eye swell togather i called the burn hospital they said put peroxide on her infected area i did that she went to sleep woke up the next morning the swelling was gone the 2nd time was 4 days later the front of her face had swollen i took her to the burn hospital they thought it was infection when they cut her head open to drain they said it was a hematoma on her scalp i know she fell on her bed while having the soft spot at the hospital they took cat scans xrays etc. and there was no fractures so my question is can the swelling from the chemical burn cause this or the fall on the bed with the soft spot or can either one of these cause this? i really need some help figuring this out thank you so much! i dont have a computer i'm using 1 but i'lll come check in a couple days for your response
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Sana's Head Trauma - No whine this time.
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On 1/23/2007
Dr. Dave
wrote in from
United States
(24.13.nnn.nnn)
Sana,
You don't say if you were knocked out by the accident, but you took a pretty bad hit, even without unconsciousness. I'm concerned as well about the slow blood loss from the nose and where it came from.
If you are being followed medically and nobody is finding anything, and you weren't knocked out, you are probably dealing with the slow recovery of bone, muscle and nerve after being damaged in the accident. If you were unconscious at the scene for more than 20-30 minutes and/or are not being followed medically, and/or if you are having cognitive difficulties that prevent you from doing things you used to do, then it's worth it to see a neurologist and ask if you should have an MRI or other tests. CT's without infusion are not very sensitive to milder brain injuries.
Pain meds like Percoset add their own side effects which dull you out and could contribute to the way you are feeling.
Bottom line: After almost 5 months, it's reasonable to have a neurologist take another look, and possibly a neuropsychologist if you are having significant cognitive difficulty. A pain specialist who can review your pain meds is also a good option. Check this stuff out and let us know. If you have any other questions write again.
Good luck,
DrD.
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