Case Study on Concussion 2022

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CONCUSSION
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Case Study
Introduction
Concussion may be defined as a slight traumatic brain injury that results from a knock on the
head or a fall (Aci.health.nsw.gov.au, 2019). Concussions are in most cases not life-threatening
and one can gain complete recovery just moments later after experiencing a concussion. It is,
however, worth noting that the effects of a concussion can be devastating to the health of an
individual especially the older adults and may, therefore, need immediate medical attention to
improve the health outcomes of an individual (GeriatricNursing.org, 2019). A concussion is
characterized by dizziness, confusion, headache, nausea, and loss of appetite (Health.qld.gov.au,
2019). This essay talks about the situation of a patient named John Wells who experienced a fall.
The essay additionally relates the information collected before an appearance at the emergency
department and the notes from the emergency department. The essay finally identifies the
problem the patient may be suffering from.
Situation
John is a man aged 82 years who had a fall from his motorcycle coming from milking his cows.
From the scenario, it is stated that John hit his head on the ground thus causing some symptoms
that may be related to a concussion. He also had a tear to his skin when he fell. John’s age shows
that he is an elderly individual. It is important to note that older adults are potentially at a higher
risk of experiencing falls when compared to other individuals. This is because the elderly are
normally frail and may in most cases have destabilizing conditions (Dollard et al., 2012, p.
2619). As a result, they may in most instances lose their balance thus leading to falls like in the
case of John Wells. Studies also suggest that the elderly rarely admit falling due to the fear of

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having their independence taken away and thus this act of denial puts them at a higher risk of
adverse effects of a fall.
There are no previous records of a concussion or head injury in John’s case. He however has a
mild hypertension but he is not diagnosed as being hypertensive. A concussion is believed to
increase the blood pressure of an individual because the brain tries to get as much flow of blood
as possible. John complains about a loss of appetite, nausea, headache, and fatigue. Concussion
may cause a blood clot in the brain leading to a headache. Vomiting and loss of appetite are other
symptoms associated with a concussion. John admits that he does not fancy wearing a helmet
while riding his bike and this increases the risks of a head injury in case of a fall.
Cues and Information
John fell from his stationary motorcycle striking his head hard on the ground. He was taken to
the ED by his son Sam after his wife noted that he was abnormally quiet and had not taken her
dinner. He also complained about nausea, headache and fatigue. He, however, denied feeling any
other pain and stiffness. At the emergency department, John reveals that he is little hazy.
Additionally, his headache is reported as 4/10. Headache may result from a blood clot due to the
fall in the region surrounding the brain. Some of his vital signs include a blood pressure of
148/84 mmHg, rate of respiration of 17 bpm, SpO2 measurement of 97% at room temperature,
pulse rate of 81 beats per minute, and a temperature of 36.7 °C. Most of these signs are within the
acceptable normal range. Blood pressure measured as 148/84 mmHg may be considered slightly
elevated and this may be due to concussion because the brain tries to protect itself by getting
enough flow of blood (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010, p. 2010). Pulse rate
between 60-100 bpm may be considered normal in adults and therefore John’s pulse rate is
normal. Temperature between 36.5 °C and 37.2°C is also considered normal as well as a