What is depressed skull fracture

Read more here. Find out how…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Skull Fractures. Medically reviewed by Seunggu Han, M. However, symptoms that can indicate a fracture include: swelling and tenderness around the area of impact facial bruising bleeding from the nostrils or ears Treatment depends on the severity of the fracture. Types of skull fractures. Causes of skull fractures. Symptoms of skull fractures. Diagnosing skull fractures.

Treating skull fractures. Outlook for skull fractures. Preventing skull fractures. Read this next. Head Injury. Subarachnoid Hemorrhage. If there is bleeding, apply firm pressure with a clean cloth over a broad area to control blood loss. If blood soaks through, do not remove the original cloth. Instead, apply more cloths on top, and continue to apply pressure.

If the person is vomiting, stabilize the head and neck, and carefully turn the victim to the side to prevent choking on vomit. If the person is conscious and experiencing any of the previously listed symptoms, transport to the nearest emergency medical facility even if the person does not think medical help is needed. Head injuries may be associated with spinal injuries.

DO NOT remove protruding objects. DO NOT allow the person to continue with physical activities. DO NOT forget to watch the person closely until medical help arrives.

DO NOT give the person any medicines before talking to a doctor. DO NOT leave the person alone, even if there are no obvious problems. When to Contact a Medical Professional. Tests that may be done include: Blood and urine tests EEG brain wave test may be needed if seizures are present Head CT computerized tomography scan MRI magnetic resonance imaging of the brain X-rays Get medical help right away if: There are problems with breathing or circulation.

Direct pressure does not stop bleeding from the nose, ears, or wound. There is drainage of clear fluid from the nose or ears. There is facial swelling, bleeding, or bruising. There is an object protruding from the skull. Fundamentals of Diagnostic Radiology. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon 2. Pope TL. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon 3. The Neurosurgeon's Handbook. Oxford University Press. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon 4.

Essential Neurosurgery. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon. Related articles: Fractures. Promoted articles advertising. Case 1 Case 1. Diastatic skull fractures. These are fractures that occur along the suture lines in the skull. The sutures are the areas between the bones in the head that fuse when we are children.

In this type of fracture, the normal suture lines are widened. These fractures are more often seen in newborns and older infants. Basilar skull fracture. This is the most serious type of skull fracture, and involves a break in the bone at the base of the skull.

Patients with this type of fracture frequently have bruises around their eyes and a bruise behind their ear. They may also have clear fluid draining from their nose or ears due to a tear in part of the covering of the brain. These patients usually require close observation in the hospital. Intracranial hematoma ICH. There are several types of ICH, or blood clots, in or around the brain.

The different types are classified by their location in the brain. These can range from mild head injuries to quite serious and potentially life-threatening injuries. The different types of ICH include the following:. Epidural hematoma. Epidural hematomas occur when a blood clot forms underneath the skull, but on top of the dura, the tough covering that surrounds the brain. They usually come from a tear in an artery that runs just under the skull called the middle meningeal artery.

Epidural hematomas are usually associated with a skull fracture. Subdural hematoma. Subdural hematomas occur when a blood clot forms underneath the skull and underneath the dura, but outside of the brain. These can form from a tear in the veins that go from the brain to the dura, or from a cut on the brain itself. They are sometimes, but not always, associated with a skull fracture. Contusion or intracerebral hematoma. A contusion is a bruise to the brain itself. A contusion causes bleeding and swelling inside of the brain around the area where the head was struck.

Contusions may occur with skull fractures or other blood clots such as a subdural or epidural hematoma. Bleeding that occurs inside the brain itself also called intraparenchymal hemorrhage can sometimes occur spontaneously. When trauma is not the cause, the most common causes are long-standing, high blood pressure in older adults, bleeding disorders in either children or adults, or the use of medications that cause blood thinning or certain illicit drugs.

Diffuse axonal injury DAI.