The conscious level also helps to measure how serious the injury is

The importance of the initial examination when it comes to closed head injury cannot be stressed enough, according to Manhattan doctors. The conscious level may be the best way for a clinician to assess brain function after a head injury. The level of consciousness is often tested early, as the medical professional tests the patient’s response to certain stimuli. Often, this assessment is taken before secondary brain injury sets in; if the injury seems to worsen, it may indicate there are problems with the brain that require a closer look. CT scanning helps with this process, but examination of the conscious level still remains a useful part of head injury observation, especially when the injury does not appear to be severe enough to require a scan at first impression.

The conscious level also helps to measure how serious the injury is, according to doctors. How conscious the patient is can help determine the extent of the injury, when coupled with how much time has passed since the impact. Other factors must be taken into account in these cases, however. Drugs, ethanol, lack of oxygen, and other factors can cause loss of consciousness, and these should also be ruled out.

Later evaluations can monitor and document the duration of loss of consciousness. This is yet another way to measure the severity of brain injury, studies have learned. These methods require away to measure impairments of consciousness, which fortunately medical professionals in Queens have had available for decades.