home

=__Medical Myth:__=

//Is it necessary to keep someone awake after sustaining a concussion?//
//By Amanda Harris, Jenna Ransom// //Grades 9-12// Picture this: It's the final minute of the most important game of your life. You get the ball, and have a chance to score the game winner. But, out of no where, you feel the impact of a freight train take you down. Your parents take you to the hospital, the whole time trying to keep you awake. This annoys you, because your head is pounding so badly all you want to do is sleep. Luckily for you, sleeping after suffering from a suspected concussion is actually encouraged.
 * __Introduction:__**

The old myth was that allowing people who have sustained concussions to sleep shortly after the injury would result in the person slipping into a coma. But after extensive research, doctors have discovered that this is not true.

Because concussions involve the brain, many doctors, as well as parents, are overly careful when it comes to care after e head injury. When you suffer from a concussion, the impact of the hit causes the brain to hit the skull. This results in bruising and swelling of the brain. In very severe cases, the brain will swell too much and affect functions of the brain stem, like breathing. This swelling can be delayed for several hours, such as in the case of actress Natasha Richardson, who passed away from severe brain swelling after hitting her head in a skiing accident. Because of this, people believed that after someone has suffered a head injury, it was important to keep them awake to prevent them from lapsing into a coma. But, especially in the cases concerning young children, this is not true. After suffering trauma, many children retreat to sleep to help their bodies recover. A child who suffered a head injury will especially be tired from crying and from the stress of the injury. So OF COURSE they'll be tired. In fact, struggling to keep an already tired child awake will just upset them even more, making an examination difficult. Most hospitals preform a CAT scan or MRI after a suspected concussion. This will rule out any severe brain swelling, and once that is no longer a concern, the patient is free to go home and rest. Sleep is something that will speed up the recovery process of a concussion, so it's important to make sure the person gets plenty.
 * __The Task__**

[] Explains the use of CAT scans, MRIs and other tests to check for life-threatening complications of concussions. [] Details what happened to actress Natasha Richardson, how to distinguish between a life-threatening injury like hers and a simple concussion, and how to prevent her injury in yourself and others. [] Explains the steps and precautions to take after a child has suffered a head injury. [] A video going into detail about the symptoms of a concussion and when to seek medical attention. [] Explains the myth about falling asleep after a concussion, as well as nine other common myths.
 * __Reasources:__**
 * 1) Head Injury: Do victims of a head injury need to stay awake?**
 * 2) A Devastating Injury: The Case of Natasha Richardson**
 * 3) Head Injuries: Common Childhood Illnesses**
 * 4) YouTube: Debunking Medical Myths - The Concussion**
 * 5) 10 Commonly Believed Medical Myths**

Activity: Using the article above in addition to other articles about the same topic, research the case of Natasha Richardson. Write a short summary explaining her injury, how it is different from your typical head injury, what the warning signs were, and how an injury like hers can be prevented.
 * __The Process__**

After researching Natasha Richardson's injury, you should come to the conclusion that she likely died of a rare complication known as "Talk and Die Syndrome". This is extremely rare, and was likely caused by the fact that she was injured at the top of a mountain, where atmospheric pressure is decreased. As she descended into areas of higher atmospheric pressure, the swelling in her brain rapidly increased due to exposure of more oxygen. You should also realize that this syndrome is //extremely// rare, and that simple tests like MRIs and CAT scans will rule out any complication like this. By looking at the diagram below, you will see that only 2.6% of people die from complications like Talk and Die Sydrome. Therefore, after being checked out by a doctor, patients of head injuries are completely fine to take a nap to sleep off their concussion.
 * __Conclusion__**