DS (3) whacked his head -- concussion? Anyone have experience?

[AtheneNoctua]

If ever there was a time I wish I had been home and not at work, today was it. I got some frantic messsages from the nanny today. By the time I realised there were messages on my phone they had already been to the hospital so not much to do at that point. But, DS whacked his head on the merry go round. He was disoriented, sort of limp, and vomitted. She went to the hospital (St. Peters in Chertsey where I would never have consented if I had got the bloomin message in time -- but oh well). They looked at him, said he was okay, but they would call her in 10 days to make sure his nose wasn't broken. Said they couldn't examine it today because of swelling. So, I talked to the neighbor (her nanny and kids were at the park with mine when this happened) and I thought it sounded pretty low key. Then I got home and heard the stroy straight from nanny and now think it was actually a concusssion.

Anyway, I hate St.Peters and don't really trust them completely. If anyone else's child has had a concussion, what advice were you given? I thought you were supposed to wake them every couple of hours? Is there anyting else I should be doing/checking tonight? BTW, he was fine onight. Running around acting his usual self, able to follow basic instruction, etc.

my dd had fall off bed and ended up in hospital and sent home. they told us to keep our eye on her for 24 hours and literally we didn't sleep that night we just kept checking her.

Ring NHS direct and see what they can tell you.
Can you phone the A&E he went to, and ask to speak to someone there?

Hope he is ok - wouldn't hurt to gently rouse him a few times in the night, or have him sleep in your bed.

Oh I hate head bumps panic me so much. Basically keep on eye on him for next 24 hours. Check on him a couple of times in night, you dont need to wake him fully just stir him a bit. If you cant stir him, he vomits again or you are concerned at all take him back. I usually have mine in bed with me for the night when they have had nasty bangs. Calpol ok to give, if nothing in his medical history to suggest not to. I am sure he will be fine. My sons have had a few nasty bangs, one time resulting in two black eyes the next day but they always been fine, its been me that has been scared to death

Hospital should have given you a sheet with a list of things to look out for. Keep an eye on him, anything that's not normal call a+e. better safe than sorry.

Regarding the nose.. we've done broken noses here.. they do tend to check again around the ten day afterward due to swelling. expect him to have a very bruised face, eyes with quite a bit of swelling.

Hope he isdoing well.. and remember if you are not happy either call someone or take him back to A+E.

Ok, just got him up and offer him some water, which he drank. And put him in my bed, where I plan to join him shortly.

Hospital toldnanny to give him nurofen (which I did). Then I read on the internet that they could have paracetemol but nothing else... hope I did the right thing!

Hospital gave nanny nothing. No paperwork, she doesn't even know the name of the doctor she saw. I'm not terribly impressed.

Oh, and thanks everyone.

Not sure if you have seen this.. from NHS direct and might be of some help.
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Bumps and knocks to the head are quite common in children. Fortunately the vast majority of children with a head injury only have minor injuries. As long as the child is conscious (responding normally), and there is no deep cut or damage to the head, then there is usually no damage to their brain.

However, with any head injury there is a chance that a blood vessel in the brain could have been damaged. This may cause bleeding in the brain
(haemorrhage) and it can take a long time for any noticeable symptoms to develop. Head injuries can cause symptoms hours or days later, so children
who have a head injury will need to have close attention paid to them.

You might like to consider the following advice for treating head injury in children:

Observe your child closely for the next 2 ? 3 days. During the first night, wake them gently every 2 hours when they are sleeping, and check that they can respond to you normally and can move their arms and legs normally.
Regularly give your child children?s liquid paracetamol or ibuprofen if they are in pain. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for the correct dose. Read our information on Can I give my child painkillers?, or ask your local pharmacist for advice.
If the area is swollen or bruised, try placing a cold facecloth over it for 20 minutes every 3 - 4 hours, for the first 24 hours. This should help to reduce the swelling.
Make sure your child is drinking enough fluid ? water is best, and lukewarm drinks can also be soothing.
Keep the room they are in at a comfortable temperature, but well ventilated.
Keep your child at home, allow them to get plenty of rest and make sure they try to avoid any strenuous activity for the next 2 - 3 days.
However, you should call NHS Direct on 0845 4647 if:

your child seems to be having trouble moving their limbs,
your child seems to be more irritable than normal,
your child seems confused,
your child?s memory or speech is not normal,
your child is vomiting (being sick),
your child still has a headache more than 6 hours after the injury, or their headache is becoming worse, or
this self-help guide does not address your child?s symptoms.

All seems well this morning. Thanks again everyone for your help in my moment of worry. He is very happy with his big Eyore plaaster on his nose. Looks rediculous, but he's happy.