Procedure for Possibly Sustained Head Injury (1)

Procedure for assessing, documenting and reporting students who have possibly sustained a head injury during the school day, on the school grounds:

1.Refer to the Suspected Head Injury Assessment Form. Begin by assessing the student using the Head Injury Danger Signs Checklist . If the student has one or more of the indicated symptoms, the student should be seen by EMS health care providers immediately. Contact the parent/guardian and/or EMS (911) to arrange for emergency health care delivery. The student must be continuously monitored until dismissed from school for emergency care. Provide first aid as needed. Complete the Suspected Head Injury Assessment Form and provide a copy to the parent/guardian (a second copy may be provided to EMS by the parent/guardian or by school personnel).

2.If the student does not have any of the symptoms on the Head Injury Danger Signs Checklist , administer the Concussion Signs and Symptoms Checklist and provide first aid as needed. The Concussion Signs and Symptoms Checklist requires that the student be assessed at least three times in thirty minutes. Do not return the student to class prior to completing the checklist at “0”, “15” and “30” minutes.

3.If the student shows one or more signs of a concussion based on the completed checklist, contact the parent/guardian (or emergency contact) to arrange for the student to be further evaluated by a health care professional. Continue to monitor the child using the checklist until the parent/guardian (or emergency contact) arrives to take the child for medical evaluation.

4.After administering the Concussion Signs and Symptoms Checklist over 30 minutes, if the student does not show symptoms indicating the need for referral to their health care provider the student may return to class. Complete the Suspected Head Injury Assessment Form. Contact the parent/guardian to report the event, assessment, interventions, and student disposition.

5.Share a copy of the completed Suspected Head Injury Assessment Form with the parent/guardian of any child for whom the form has been completed. Parents/guardians should be notified that it is appropriate to share a copy of the form with the child’s health care provider(s), and a second copy of the form may be provided for this purpose.

6.Provide a copy of the CDC form ” Heads Up to Schools: Know Your Concussion ABCs, A Fact Sheet for Parents” for the parent/guardian.

7.Provide a copy of the CDC form ” Acute Concussion Evaluation Care Plan – School Version” for the parent/guardian of any student referred for medical evaluation of a suspected head injury for the health care provider’s consideration in planning for the student’s return to school.

8.Complete the Archdiocese of Baltimore Report of Student Injury form for any student who is injured on school grounds who is referred for medical evaluation/treatment. This form may be obtained from the Office of Risk Management. Send the completed report to the Office of Risk Management