Question
An 8-year-old child was pushed and fell at school, hitting the back of their head and bleeding. They were admitted for a CT scan, which did not show any abnormalities, and were simply bandaged and sent home. Two days later, the child still has dizziness and nausea. Is there a problem?
Answer
Case Analysis: Hello, according to your description, the child had a head injury two days ago, and the CT scan did not show any abnormalities at that time. After being bandaged, they still have dizziness and nausea now. This is a common manifestation of head injury, related to brain tissue swelling caused by the trauma. Generally, brain swelling reaches its peak around 3 days after the injury. It did not appear immediately. After 5 to 7 days, if there are no complications such as cerebral hemorrhage, the symptoms of dizziness and nausea will gradually diminish and disappear. Guidance: In this situation, it is recommended to have another brain CT scan at the hospital to rule out the possibility of delayed intracranial hemorrhage; if a brain hemorrhage is indeed found after examination, then active mannitol dehydration should be given to reduce intracranial pressure and alleviate brain swelling; if no brain hemorrhage occurs after examination, then consider it as simple brain tissue swelling. At this point, a small amount of mannitol can be administered intravenously to reduce brain swelling, and the symptoms of dizziness and nausea will soon alleviate without any need for concern. Doctor’s Inquiry: Is there anything else you are unclear about? Welcome to ask.