Author: Matthew Negaard, MD
Co Author #1: Andrew Peterson, MD
Patient Presentation:
17-year-old male high school football player with repetitive head injuries
History:
A 17-year-old male high school football player made a hard helmet-to-helmet contact with another player and immediately experienced headache, photophobia, and dizziness. He did not report the symptoms and continued to play. Shortly thereafter, he suffered a second blow to the head in a collision with another player and experienced increased symptom severity. He reported his symptoms to his coach and was removed from competition. He returned home under the supervision of his parents where his symptoms continued to worsen. He subsequently developed nausea, vomiting, and pressure behind his right eye. He was brought to the emergency department by the parents for further evaluation.
Physical Exam:
Somnolent but arousable and cooperative.
Normal neurologic examination: Alert and oriented x3. Cranial nerves II-XII intact. 5/5 strength in bilateral upper and lower extremities. Normal cerebellar function. Normal sensation throughout. No spinal tenderness and had full range of motion of his spine.
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