When to seek emergency help

Call 911 or your local emergency number if someone has had a serious head injury — such as a fall from a ladder or a motor vehicle accident — or if the person has the following symptoms. With potentially serious head injuries, it is important to protect the person's neck and spine. Do this by having the person lie still. Don't move the person until emergency medical help has arrived and made an evaluation.

• Serious head or facial bleeding.
• Bleeding or fluid leakage from the nose or ears.
• Change in consciousness for longer than a few seconds.
• Not breathing.
• Confusion, agitation or restlessness that continues to get worse.
• Loss of balance.
• Weakness or not being able to use an arm or leg.
• One pupil bigger than the other. The pupil is the black part of the eye.
• Slurred speech.
• Seizures.

• Any of the symptoms for adults.
• Persistent crying.
• Refusal to eat.
• Bulging in the soft spot on the front of the head in infants.
• Repeated vomiting.