| A 33 year old male karate practitioner presented himself for a
full-contact national karate competition. This individual competed
for approximately 2 minutes and received a kick to the head. He collapsed
in the competitive arena, and suffered a tonic-clonic seizure, lasting
for 3 minutes 25 seconds. Examination in the competitive arena revealed
an individual who was unconscious. First aid, and paramedic support
was provided immediately. Medical assessment identified the presence
of vital signs. Glasgow coma scale (GCS), post trauma was recorded
as 3/15 until the fifth minute. A patent airway was established and
a neck brace was applied. Blood pressure within 1 minute of trauma
was 195/98 mm.Hg, heart rate was 185 bpm and respiratory rate was
40 breaths·min-1. Oxygen was administered via a ventimask.
The patient was conveyed to the medical area. The patient regained
consciousness one minute after the seizure had resolved, but had amnesia
concerning the event. GCS at five minutes was recorded as 13/15. The
patient was transferred by ambulance to the nearest Hospital. The
patient was discharged, following examination without further investigation.
The finding of this study suggests that an individual with a history
of head injury should have received computerised tomography as a minimum
investigation. This may help eleviate the risk of further medical
complications.
KEY
WORDS: Cerebral trauma, computerised tomography, mild head injury,
prevention.
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