When to seek medical care

Call 911 for the scene, not only for a head injury

Use 911 if anyone may be seriously hurt, if a person is trapped, if there is heavy bleeding, trouble breathing, chest pain, a possible neck or back injury, a car fire, or you simply are not sure. Those scene reasons are safety instructions. They are not a complete medical protocol, and they are not quoted from a single diagnostic manual. The dispatcher is the person who can send help. Do not move a person you think may have a neck or back injury unless they are in immediate danger, such as fire, and you have no safer choice. That is a first-aid caution, not a personalized medical order.

What CDC says about head injuries

The CDC’s page on mild traumatic brain injury and concussion says to get emergency care for danger signs after a bump, blow, or jolt to the head. For adults, the page tells the people checking on someone to call 911 or go to an emergency department for a headache that gets worse and does not go away; weakness, numbness, decreased coordination, convulsions, or seizures; repeated vomiting; slurred speech or unusual behavior; one pupil larger than the other; inability to recognize people or places, or new confusion, restlessness, or agitation; and loss of consciousness, looking very drowsy, or not being able to be woken.

For children, CDC includes those adult danger signs and adds a child who will not stop crying and cannot be consoled, or who will not nurse or eat. CDC also says concussion symptoms can show up over hours or days, and that a person with a possible mild TBI or concussion needs to be seen by a health care provider. The companion “about” page says getting that care can help recovery, and that danger signs still mean the emergency department right away.

CDC lists other symptoms that are not, by themselves, the danger-sign list: headache, dizziness, nausea early on, sensitivity to light or noise, feeling foggy, concentration or memory problems, irritability, and sleep changes. The agency says a person may not recognize the problem. This guide is not repeating that list so you can self-diagnose. It is here so you do not treat “I walked away” as a medical result.

Insurance does not set the medical clock

TDI says an insurer may ask for a medical exam while reviewing a claim on your policy, and may ask for medical reports and bills. That is a claim process. It is not a reason to skip emergency care, and it is not a requirement that you see a particular clinic this website names. This website names none. Keep receipts in your own files if you want them for a claim. Do not send images of injuries to this site.

Choosing a doctor, an imaging center, or a chiropractor is your decision with a licensed clinician. Nothing here recommends a provider, a treatment, or a number of visits.