- A person falls from a distance equal to or greater than his or her own height. This is a case in which there may be existing injuries that the victim is unaware of or doesn’t feel immediately. It’s the sheer impact of the fall that warrants medical intervention. The likelihood of a more serious injury or head trauma increases with the distance the person fell prior to impact. In many cases, a concussion can be present without any immediate signs or symptoms. It’s always recommended to have an evaluation after a significant fall of this nature in case there are latent injuries that do not surface right away.
- The fall victim takes warfarin (Coumadin) or platelet inhibitors and aspirin for a separate medical condition. If someone falls who takes a long-term prescription for blood thinners, he or she may be at risk for uncontrolled bleeding. This bleeding may be internal and invisible to the human eye. For this reason, it is important to seek medical attention anytime someone taking these drugs is involved in a fall. A call to the doctor with the description of the accident and any immediate symptoms would be a good first step. The doctor can decide, based on the information provided, whether an examination is necessary.
- A child under age two who acts abnormally or shows scalp swelling after a fall. Even if there are no other symptoms visible, if a child falls and then acts in an unusual way or exhibits signs of head swelling, a call or visit to the doctor is warranted. These could be signs of head trauma or concussion. In order to ensure that the child has no serious or long-term damage to the brain, neck, skull or other areas of the body, medical attention should be sought immediately.
- A person does not remember falling after the accident happened. If the fall victim shows no memory of the accident, it could be a sign of a concussion, and that person should see a doctor.
- Anytime a person loses consciousness after the fall. When a fall victim loses consciousness, even for a short time, this warrants medical attention. Be sure to describe to the doctor all details of the accident and the person’s reaction immediately after the fall.
Whenever a serious injury is involved, and it is not reasonable to transport the victim in your personal vehicle, the paramedics should be called. In addition, there are times when immediate medical attention is needed, and getting an ambulance on the scene will offer quicker intervention than making the drive to the hospital yourself.