ABSTRACT
Head injury can be defined as the injury resulting from an external force to the head by penetrating, compression or impact forces, causing damage to the scalp, skull or brain (traumatic brain injury). If brain injury results, there is usually an impairment of consciousness and a period of retrograde amnesia. Not all cases of brain damage are associated; however, with a loss of consciousness (e.g. some frontal lobe injuries, extradural haematomas and some penetrating and compression injuries) but, conversely, all cases of loss of consciousness indicate brain injury.
