Emergency and Urgent Care - Head injury advice for adult patients on blood thinning medication

This leaflet contains discharge advice following your attendance to the Accident & Emergency Department (A&E).

You have been assessed by a doctor or clinician after you banged you head.

As you take blood thinning medication, you will have had a CT scan (brain scan) which we have reviewed and is normal.

We are now happy and feel it is ok for you to leave hospital.

It is now unlikely that any significant problems will develop, but because you have slightly thinner blood than normal, you have a higher chance of developing problems than someone with normal blood.

It is important to look out for the following symptoms and if you are affected by any of these please return to A&E, get someone to bring you to A&E or call 999.

Symptoms to look out for:

• Unconsciousness or lack of full consciousness (for example, problems keeping eyes open)
• Any confusion (not knowing where you are, getting things muddled)
• Any drowsiness (feeling sleepy) that goes on longer than 1 hour when you would normally be wide awake
• Any problems understanding or speaking
• Any loss of balance or problems walking
• Any weakness in one or more arms or legs
• Any problems with your eyesight
• Very painful headache that won’t go away
• Any vomiting – getting sick
• Any fits or collapsing or passing out suddenly
• Clear fluid coming out of your ear or nose
• Bleeding from one or both ears
• New deafness in one or both ears

As someone who has thinner blood, there is a small increased risk of further problems, this can last for a couple of weeks after you suffered the actual head injury.

Symptoms NOT to worry about

It is common for some people to experience the following symptoms:

• Mild headache
• Feeling sick (without vomiting)
• Dizziness
• Change in mood or behavior
• Irritability or bad temper
• Problems concentrating or with your memory
• Tiredness and problems sleeping
• Lack of appetite

These symptoms are NOT a sign of anything dangerous and should disappear within the next two weeks.

If these problems do not go away after 2 weeks you should arrange to see your GP.

DO's and DON'T's

• DO make sure you stay within easy reach of a telephone and medical help
• DO have plenty of rest and avoid stressful situations
• DO drink plenty of fluids
• DO NOT stay at home alone for the first 48 hours after leaving hospital
• DO NOT take any alcohol or drugs
• DO NOT take sleeping pills, sedatives or tranquillizers unless they are fully prescribed by a doctor
• DO NOT play contact sports (for example football or rugby) for at least 3 weeks or longer if you still have symptoms
• DO NOT return to normal work, school or college, or normal activities until you feel fully recovered
• DO NOT drive a car, motorbike, bicycle or operate any machinery unless you feel you have recovered completely