Concussion temperature. What does the increase in temperature during a concussion indicate, and what to do with hyperthermia caused by a head injury. Changes in the skin

How do you know if a child has a concussion? What are the most common symptoms in children?? This article will help adults understand the causes and main symptoms of a concussion in little fidgets, as well as familiarize themselves with various methods for determining head injuries.

What can cause a concussion in a child?

Usually children are very restless and because of the increased activity and great interest in everything new, they are very often injured. First of all, this is due to the lack of knowledge, "experience" and a sense of self-preservation. And also with the fact that it is still very difficult for the baby to coordinate their own movements and control their interest.

There are many reasons why brain injury is possible. All of them depend on the age of the baby. Yes, in newborns carelessness and negligence of mothers and fathers, at an older age, a traumatic brain injury can occur with a strong injury head, sharp shaking and as a result of rough treatment of the baby. Let's consider all the above cases in more detail.

Head injury can occur as fall, and when colliding with some object. When a child learns to walk or overcome some obstacles in his path (sofa, chair), he often falls and injures his head. Also, very often, without calculating its speed and the size of a door or doorway, for example, a baby can crash into it.

shaken baby syndrome, for the most part, is inherent in children from 4 to 5 years. So, at this age, babies are too mobile and active, injury can occur from sudden movements and braking. A newborn can get a head injury even from severe motion sickness.

Rough treatment and beating can cause not only a slight concussion, but also more serious injuries in small fidgets of any age.

How to identify a concussion in a child

So, how to identify a concussion in a child? Depending on the age of the baby and the degree of injury, after falls, the following signs appear that indicate the presence of a head injury:

It is worth noting that the symptoms of a concussion in children can appear immediately after a head injury, or after a while (from several hours to several days).

IMPORTANT! The temperature during concussion in children does not rise. Otherwise, if, along with a fever, the baby suffers from nausea, headache and chills, for example, then this is most likely a symptom of a viral infection.

To get acquainted with the symptoms of concussion in children 2-7 years old, you can go to.

Diagnosis of concussion in children

If at least one of the mentioned signs is present after a fall, parents with a baby should definitely consult a doctor. In situations where it is difficult for a specialist to determine the exact diagnosis during the initial examination, additional diagnostic methods are prescribed. Among them, it is necessary to highlight the following.

Can a temperature rise with a concussion? What does her rise mean? What to do to get rid of the fever? All these questions are considered in this article.

A fall from a height, a blow to the head, a collision with a wall, an accident - all this can provoke a traumatic brain injury and concussion. The main symptoms of this condition are dizziness and nausea. But can there be heat with concussion, or is it abnormal?

It is important to distinguish between two conditions - concussion and brain contusion. Both are types of traumatic brain injury (TBI). A concussion is a minor injury, a bruise is a more serious condition, accompanied by tissue damage. Often, as a result of a traumatic brain injury, a person receives both a concussion and a bruise.

With TBI, concussion is observed in 70% of patients, a slight contusion of the brain - in 15%. It is difficult to draw clear boundaries between a concussion and a mild bruise in terms of symptoms. As a result, the townsfolk, and even doctors, for simplicity, call everything a concussion.

Further in the article, we will also not distinguish between these states, so as not to complicate an already difficult topic. Nevertheless, let's say right away that an elevated body temperature is characteristic of a brain injury. Therefore, when we say “fever (fever, low-grade fever, fever) during a concussion”, we will mean a bruise or more serious consequences of a head injury.

Why does the temperature rise with a concussion?

The presence of an inflammatory process in the body that began even before the injury is a common cause of an increase in temperature in traumatic brain injury. If a person had a cold the day before, then after an injury, the temperature during a concussion can rise to 38.5 and above. But that's just a coincidence: shaking in and of itself is not the cause of the fever. In this case, the injury was only a catalyst for another inflammatory process.

But the concussion itself also causes fever. Despite the fact that the human brain seems to be well protected, it is vulnerable to various mechanical damage. The gray matter is in the cerebral fluid, which protects it from impacts on the cranium. With a strong impact, the brain approaches the bone tissue and hits it. As a result, the brain structures are displaced, which leads to the appearance of microcracks in the vessels, ruptures in the capillaries and disruption of neural connections.

The human neural network is a collection of nerve cells (neurons) of the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system. A neural network consists of chemically or functionally interconnected neurons. One neuron is connected to many others by neural connections.

With a traumatic brain injury and concussion, the patient may have a fever. Neurologists say that her fluctuations in the range of 37-37.5 degrees are absolutely normal. In the course of an injury, the brain center of thermoregulation, the hypothalamus, may shift. And in order for neural connections to return to normal, and the functioning of the thermoregulation center to improve, it takes at least a week. After this period of time, the indicator becomes normal - 36.6 degrees.

As for a significant increase in temperature - above 38 degrees, it can occur when the patient's condition is severe. Fever is a sign of the development of an infection with an open wound or hematoma, which has become an environment for the development of pathogenic bacteria. If you do not provide the victim with timely assistance and do not hospitalize him, then there is a risk of developing meningitis and a rapid rise in temperature to fatal levels of 41-42 degrees.

So, we found out whether there can be a high temperature with a concussion and bruise of the brain. It should be understood that its increase with such an injury does not always occur. It all depends on the general health of the victim, the individual characteristics of the body and the nature of the injury.

Other symptoms of a concussion

Concussion in children, adolescents and adults manifests itself in different ways. As characteristic symptoms, in addition to temperature, in an adult are:

sharp darkening in the eyes;
loss of consciousness;
nausea and vomiting;
twitching of the eyeballs;
noise in ears;
dizziness;
heart rhythm disturbances;
increased drowsiness;
feeling of numbness of the face;
decreased sensitivity of the fingers;
increased anxiety, excitability, irritability;
the impossibility of focusing the gaze at one point;
distraction of attention;
restless and sensitive sleep, insomnia.

Mild concussion symptoms are less pronounced than severe ones. But in both situations, a doctor's consultation and, possibly, hospitalization is required.

You can read about the features of concussion in children in a separate article on the website.

How long does a fever last after a concussion?

The increase in temperature and its duration as a result of a traumatic brain injury depend on the severity. It can be light, medium, heavy.

With a mild degree of concussion, the temperature remains normal, sometimes it rises by several tenths of a degree (the maximum temperature is 37). The norm of 36.6 is restored within a few days.
With moderate severity, the thermometer can rise to 37.5-38 degrees. This suggests that neural connections are broken and need to be restored. In this case, the temperature after a concussion can last up to one to two weeks.
In a serious condition, a hemorrhage process occurs and there is a risk of an increase in temperature to a higher mark, up to 40-42 degrees. A person suffers from severe pain in the head, nausea, vomiting, memory disorders. This continues for several days, and then the degree gradually subsides, subject to adequate treatment. But full recovery will take several weeks or even months.

Do I need to bring down the temperature during a concussion

If the temperature does not exceed 37.5 degrees, then it is not necessary to bring it down. Provide the patient with bed rest and complete rest. If during a concussion the temperature rises above 37.5 degrees, and against the background there are concomitant inflammatory diseases (ARVI, colds, etc.), then their therapy should also be carried out. But in the case of a temperature during a concussion in adults and children, it is strictly forbidden to take any measures on their own. You need to call a doctor at home or arrive at the hospital with an ambulance, after which it is the doctor who, after all the studies, will decide on hospitalization or home treatment, and also prescribe a course of therapy.

Treating concussion with fever

There is a general set of therapeutic measures that are applied regardless of the presence of heat. If it is a condition of mild severity, then the patient is sent home. You need to put it in a darkened regularly ventilated room, as well as:

protect from watching TV, computer and reading books;
allow to get out of bed only when needed;
do not give junk food - spicy, fried, pickled, sweet;
avoid irritants such as loud music;
get rid of stress.

For the treatment of concussion, a complex of drugs is used:

diuretic formulations to avoid swelling of the tissues and in order to improve the circulation of fluids;
medicines containing potassium in order to maintain the normal functioning of the heart muscle;
sedatives to relieve anxiety and tension;
nootropic drugs strengthen blood vessels and restore neural connections;
non-steroidal drugs relieve headaches and prevent general malaise;
antiemetic tablets eliminate nausea, improve the functioning of the stomach and intestines;
anti-inflammatory drugs are used in case of a significant increase in temperature;
vitamins and minerals accelerate the processes of regeneration and rehabilitation.

In the event of a sudden increase in temperature during a concussion, you need to report this change to the doctor, who will adjust the treatment regimen.

Consequences of temperature disturbances in head trauma

After an injury, if it is complicated by fever, the following symptoms persist indefinitely:

increased fatigue;
irritability;
weakening of attention and memory;
sudden change of mood;
apathy;
mild dizziness;
nausea, vomiting.

So concussion is sometimes accompanied by fever and fever. There are two reasons for this - natural (disruption of neural connections due to trauma) and pathological (infection during severe traumatic brain injury, inflammation against the background of another disease). In both cases, the patient must be under the close supervision of a doctor and follow his recommendations. If you turn to a doctor and strictly adhere to the prescribed treatment regimen, then the risk of complications will be minimized. If you neglect the advice, then there is a possibility of complications even if the concussion was mild and proceeded without fever.

A concussion is brain disorder as a result of injuries not related to the violation of the integrity of the vessels. A concussion is the result of a blow to the brain against the inside of the skull, resulting in stretching of the processes of neurons.

A concussion is the mildest among other traumatic brain injuries. The mechanism by which this condition develops is not fully understood. It is known that concussions do not violate the integrity of brain structures, that is, the brain cells in this pathology are not damaged, but their functionality is impaired. There are several possible mechanisms for the development of concussions:

Violation of connections between neurons;
Changes at the molecular level;
The occurrence of capillary spasm, as a result of which neurons receive less oxygen and nutrients;
Violation of coordination links between pillar structures and the cerebral cortex;
A change in the chemical composition of the fluid that surrounds the brain.

Brain concussion more common than other types of TBI and is diagnosed in eighty - ninety percent of cases of all visits with a variety of bruises (injuries) of the head.

Women get these injuries twice as often as men. However, in women, such injuries have a more severe course and complications.

According to statistics, more than half of all concussions - household. Moreover, from eight to eighteen years, the most traumatic age, due to the high activity in children. In the winter months, everyone is susceptible to this type of injury.

With a timely visit to the doctor, this pathology is successfully treated and resolved within one to two weeks. However, ignoring concussion therapy increases the risk of developing serious complications: alcoholism and sudden death.

A variety of injuries are the only cause (condition) of this condition, but it is far from always a blow (trauma) to the head. For example, when slipping on ice, the patient may hit the buttocks, and the consequences will occur in the brain. A similar mechanism for the development of concussion is observed during sudden braking of the car, start or accidents.

A considerable percentage are head blows (criminal, domestic, sports or industrial injuries).

In addition, concussions often occur in adolescents and children as a result of games.

Symptoms of a concussion

Symptoms of a concussion in adults an hour after the injury

Enlargement or constriction of the pupils. The pupils in this case respond adequately to light, vision does not change, but the doctor notices an incorrect reaction. If the size of the pupils is not identical in different eyes, then it is worth suspecting a more severe injury than a concussion. This symptom develops against the background of increased pressure inside the skull, which negatively affects the work of the centers of the nervous autonomic system (control the muscles responsible for the expansion or contraction of the pupils);
When you try to take your eyes to the side, a trembling occurs, the clarity of vision is impaired. This condition is associated with damage to the inner ear, cerebellum and vestibular apparatus. These structures affect the rapid contraction of the eye muscles, as a result of which the patient cannot focus;
Asymmetric tendon reflexes. The presence of this symptom is checked by a neurologist. In healthy people, the limbs bend in the same way. However, as a result of an increase in pressure inside the skull, the work of the nerve fibers that control reflex actions is disrupted;
Temperature rise is possible. However, this phenomenon indicates the addition of an inflammatory process. Therefore, fever is considered rather as a symptom of a concussion complication.

Signs of a concussion in an adult that appear after a few days

Increased sensitivity to sound and light;
Irritability and depression;
sleep disorders;
Amnesia;
Difficulty in concentrating.

Establishing diagnosis

If at least one of the above symptoms occurs due to a head injury, an immediate consultation with a traumatologist or neurologist is necessary. The specialist determines the diagnosis in accordance with specific criteria:

Absence of any changes in the brain (hemorrhages or hematomas);
There are no skull injuries on radiographs;
The composition of the cerebrospinal fluid is not changed;
There are no diffuse or focal lesions on the tomogram. The brain tissue is intact, the density of the white and gray matter of the brain is not changed. Puffiness increases gradually;
The victim shows lethargy, confusion, or increased activity;
Loss of consciousness as a result of trauma;
retrograde amnesia;
Instability of pulse and pressure, blanching or redness of the skin (that is, signs of disorders in the autonomic nervous system);
Gurevich's phenomenon: a phenomenon when looking up causes the patient to fall back, and when the eyes are lowered down, the patient falls forward;
Neurological microsymptoms: asymmetrical arrangement of the corners of the mouth at rest and with a wide smile. Violations of skin reflexes: cremasteric, abdominal and plantar;
Romberg symptom: a person stands upright with closed eyes, shifted legs and outstretched arms forward. In the presence of a concussion, the victim has a trembling of the eyelids and fingers, in addition, it is difficult for the patient to maintain balance and he may fall;
Chin-palm reflex: stroke the skin in the area of the eminence of the thumb with stroke-like movements, while in patients with a concussion, the chin is reduced. This symptom is especially pronounced on the third - seventh (sometimes up to the fourteenth) day after the injury;
nystagmus;
Hyperhidrosis of the feet and hands.

In addition to the criteria (two will be enough for a preliminary diagnosis), the doctor collects complaints and an anamnesis of the injury, conducts a visual examination and conducts an examination. If necessary, CT, EEG, puncture of the cerebrospinal fluid, dopplerography of the cerebral vessels are prescribed.

After an injury that could lead to a concussion, you need to carefully monitor the condition of the victim. If any of the above symptoms appear, you must immediately call an ambulance or take the patient yourself to the clinic. Before the arrival of the doctors, the victim is provided with complete rest, he is laid on a flat surface and a pillow is placed under his head, and fresh air is provided unhindered.

It is not recommended to move an unconscious sick person, since any careless movement can lead to displacement of bones in case of spinal fractures.

It is better to lay the unconscious victim on the right side with the left arm and leg bent. This position prevents the possibility of choking with vomit and provides free access of oxygen to the lungs of the victim. Careful control of pulse and pressure is necessary. If breathing stops, cardiopulmonary resuscitation will be required.

If there are wounds on the head, as a treatment they are treated with peroxide and bandaged or covered with a band-aid.

Cold is applied to the site of injury to constrict blood vessels and, as a result, reduce swelling.

Concussion treatment is carried out in a hospital for five to seven days with strict bed rest. Then, an outpatient (at home) course is carried out for two weeks.

Degrees of concussion

Mild concussion. Symptoms: the process proceeds without loss of memory and consciousness. Nausea, headache, lethargy are present. Symptoms persist for fifteen minutes;
Moderate concussion. It proceeds without loss of consciousness, but the person has amnesia. Symptoms persist for up to several hours: there is a headache, lethargy, vomiting, pulse disturbances, blanching / redness of the skin;
Severe concussion. Symptoms are pronounced, there is loss of consciousness and amnesia.

Concussion treatment

Treatment of this pathology takes place in the neurological department, and in severe cases - in neurosurgery.

As a therapy (treatment) apply:

Painkillers: sedalgin, analgin, baralgin, pentalgin;
To get rid of dizziness: tanakan, betaserk, microzero, platifillin and papaverine, bellaspon;
Sedatives: valerian, motherwort; tranquilizers: phenazepam, elenium;
To improve sleep: phenobarbital;
Vasotropes in combination with nootropics: cavinton, nootropil and others;
Multivitamins;
General tonic (Eleutherococcus and ginseng tinctures)

Rehabilitation is carried out at home.

Mild concussions are extremely rare.

Early (within ten days after injury): epilepsy, meningitis, encephalitis, postcommation syndrome;

With external strength and security, the human brain is extremely vulnerable. The fact is that almost any sudden movement can cause his injury. Since the brain is not rigidly fixed in the cranium, but rather floats in it, with a sharp acceleration or deceleration, it tries to move, which quite often leads to rather painful contact with the bones of the skull.

In its mechanical essence, a brain injury is nothing more than bruising it against the wall of the cranium. Thus, even a fall on the buttocks may well lead to brain injury.

The characteristic symptoms of concussion are considered to be headache in combination with nausea and dizziness, short-term, and possibly long-term loss of consciousness, after which retrograde amnesia is not excluded.

It is clear that in the absence of proper treatment, all this can lead to irreversible consequences.

What about the temperature?

Quite often the question arises as to whether the body temperature of the brain can rise and to what extent? It should be immediately noted that an increase in body temperature is in most cases the reaction of the body to the inflammatory process occurring in it.

That is, if, as a result of a brain injury, inflammation of the damaged part of it begins, then an increase in body temperature is inevitable. In this situation, the consequences of the injury are obviously so serious that hospitalization should be carried out immediately in order to localize and further eliminate the consequences.

With concussions of the brain, and it should be remembered that this refers only to the mildest craniocerebral injuries, there can be no talk of any increase in temperature.

It is important to remember that traumatic brain injuries are divided into mild - concussion, moderate - contusion of the brain and severe - compression of the brain.

It already follows from this that there can be no temperature changes at all, since the most unpleasant consequences - nausea, prolonged migraine-like headaches and a negative reaction to bright light - are quickly eliminated by drug treatment and rest.

However, a concussion should not be taken as something completely harmless. In the absence of proper treatment, as well as the recurrence of head injuries, the occurrence of asthenic syndrome, personality changes, and sometimes traumatic epilepsy is not excluded.

Brain damage is an unpleasant problem that leads to nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. After injuries, body temperature can sometimes rise. Victims wonder if this is typical for a concussion.

Reasons for the rise in temperature

Hyperthermia or elevated body temperature is characteristic of infections, inflammatory diseases. With (TBI), there may be the death of individual cells and inflammation, but they are very weakly expressed in the first hours. Elevated temperature after a concussion occurs due to the following processes:

Violation of the thermoregulation of the body due to edema of the hypothalamus.
Due to autonomic disorders, vasodilation occurs, which increases heat transfer.

Could the temperature be at ? In the hypothalamus, there are vomiting centers that provoke the corresponding symptom after TBI. In this subcortical formation of the central nervous system, there are also nuclei that regulate the heat transfer of the body. With concussion due to edema, they are excited and their activity is disturbed. The result is hyperthermia, redness of the skin, increased sweating.

The functions of the central nervous system responsible for autonomic reactions suffer after TBI. Therefore, with craniocerebral injuries, the vessels often dilate, which causes increased heat transfer, while there may be subfebrile condition. The patient sweats, his skin becomes red due to the release of acetylcholine.

Can a concussion cause a fever? Often, hyperthermia after TBI is a thermoneurosis, which, unlike inflammatory low-grade fever, is not eliminated by taking anti-inflammatory drugs such as Aspirin.

Important! With and adults, the temperature may rise if the injury is quite severe. Therefore, hyperthermia is a reason to see a doctor. You may need to be treated in a hospital.

In addition to hyperthermia, concussion often causes symptoms such as nausea, confusion. The patient complains of blurred vision. The child cannot focus on any object, often burps.

There is another reason why there is a temperature during a concussion. It is possible that the victim became cold and developed an acute respiratory viral infection. Therefore, in addition to a concussion, subfebrile condition or fever arose. If the process is infectious, then a tablet of the anti-inflammatory drug Paracetamol or Ibuprofen removes this phenomenon.

Provoking pathologies

Sometimes body hyperthermia is caused by the following diseases and conditions, which may not be directly related to the injury, but are present in the patient:

Hyperthyroidism is an increase in thyroid function.
Vegetovascular dystonia.
Inflammation of the lungs, as, perhaps, the victim lay unconscious on the street after the injury and caught a cold.
Alcohol intoxication preceding the fall of a person and TBI.
A stressful situation during an injury or a state of shock after it.

With an inflammatory process in the lungs, the patient's condition is at risk. Pneumonia requires treatment with antibiotics in a hospital. Therefore, in any case, it is required to deliver the patient to a medical institution.

Important! With symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, loss of consciousness, it is necessary to contact a traumatologist as soon as possible.

Stress is one of the possible causes of hyperthermia. At this time, norepinephrine is released, which dilates the vessels of the body, causing profuse sweating. Taking large doses of alcohol contributes to overheating of the body for the same reason.

Hypertension already present in the victim, as well as vegetative-vascular dystonia of the hypertensive type, cause hyperthermia, since there is more blood, cardiac output increases, and heat transfer increases.

Diagnosis at elevated temperature after concussion

For examination, magnetic resonance imaging of the brain is used, which will show organic disorders. Electroencephalography is used to assess the electrical activity of the nervous tissue.

If necessary, they are tested for thyroid hormones (triiodothyronine, thyroxine) and pituitary TSH.

Important! To distinguish thermoneurosis from other causes of overheating of the body, an aspirin test is performed.

Treatment

Treatment of TBI and manifestations of intracranial hypertension is carried out with the help of diuretic therapy. Diuretic drugs, such as Furosemide, eliminate swelling of the brain, nausea, and vomiting. Cerebrolysin, Cortexin are also used to speed up recovery. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs reduce the likelihood of secondary damage to nerve cells after traumatic brain injury.

Eliminate headaches with non-narcotic analgesics: Analgin, Tempalgin, Baralgin. Nausea and vomiting of the central genesis is somewhat weakened by Metoclopramide, tea with lemon, lemon balm.

The victim needs rest, good sleep, lack of emotional overexcitation. Watching TV and working at a computer during recovery is not recommended to avoid an increase in symptoms.

traumatologist or neurologist?

Why there is an opinion about what and what cannot be done after an injury.

For the rest of the patient, they provide a room without noise and bright light, since these factors provoke increased pain, and sensitivity to stimuli increases. Communication should also be limited.

With thermoneurosis, psychotropic drugs are prescribed that reduce the manifestations of overheating of the body. Soothing herbs are used, such as motherwort, valerian. This condition can last long after a TBI, so various methods are used, including physical therapy. Acupuncture, massage allows you to calm the overexcited nervous system.

Conclusion

Body temperature in traumatic brain injury does not rise immediately, but increases over a period of time, when vascular disorders and damage to brain cells occur. Sometimes the cause of hyperthermia is a late visit to the doctor and the lack of timely treatment.