After a road accident head injury, the first few minutes matter more than anything that happens later at the hospital. This guide covers exactly what to do: keep the person still if a neck injury is possible, decide fast between calling 1122 or driving yourself, and know which warning signs mean it cannot wait.
What to Do in the First Minute After a Road Accident Head Injury
Check if the person is breathing and responsive. Speak loudly, gently tap their shoulder, don’t shake the head or neck to try to rouse them. If they respond, even confused, that’s reassuring, but it’s not a reason to relax completely. If they’re unresponsive, someone needs to call 1122 immediately while another person stays close and keeps watching their breathing. Punjab’s rescue service is free, the responders are trained specifically for this, and in most cases they’re genuinely faster and safer than trying to get through Faisalabad’s traffic yourself with an unstable patient in the back of a rickshaw.
Should You Move Them Right Away?
The common instinct after a motorbike accident, on GT Road, inside the city, anywhere, is for bystanders and family to lift the injured person immediately: onto the roadside, into a rickshaw, sometimes straight back onto a bike to rush to hospital. If there’s any chance the neck or spine was involved, moving someone carelessly can turn a manageable injury into a permanent one. Unless there’s an immediate danger like fire or oncoming traffic, keep the head, neck, and body in one line and avoid twisting the person as you help them. If you do have to move them for safety, get as many hands as possible to support the head and torso together, rather than one person pulling on an arm.
Call 1122 or Drive Yourself?
1122 is free across Punjab, and its responders are trained to stabilize a head or neck injury before moving the patient, which matters more than raw speed in the first few minutes. Inside Faisalabad city, this is usually the safer default. If you’re further out, closer to Gojra or Sangla Hill, and 1122 will genuinely take a long time to reach you, driving straight to the nearest hospital emergency department may be faster, use your own judgment on distance and traffic. Either way, don’t lose ten or fifteen minutes waiting for a decision from someone who isn’t there. If you’re the one present, act. Call the family elder or husband on the way to the hospital, not before you’ve even left.
What Not to Do
- Don’t offer food, water, tea, or any medicine by mouth if the person is drowsy, confused, or vomiting. They can choke on it.
- Don’t apply ghee, flour, henna, or any other home remedy to a bleeding scalp wound. Use a clean cloth and steady, gentle pressure instead.
- Don’t yank a motorbike helmet off by force. If they’re breathing normally, leave it on until trained help arrives. If you must remove it because they’ve stopped breathing, two people should do it together, one supporting the neck while the other slides the helmet off.
- Don’t let them get back on the bike or “walk it off” even if they insist they feel fine. Some serious injuries look mild for the first half hour.
Warning Signs That Mean This Is a Neurosurgical Emergency
Any of the following means the emergency room right now, not a wait-and-see approach and not a phone call to ask permission first:
- Worsening confusion or increasing drowsiness
- Vomiting more than once
- Unequal pupil size
- A seizure or fit
- Clear, watery fluid leaking from the nose or ears
- Weakness or numbness on one side of the body
A CT scan and an ER visit cost money, and it’s completely understandable that this crosses your mind in the moment. But if any of these signs are present, the visit is worth it. This is exactly the kind of situation where delay is the real risk, not the bill.
Urdu Summary (خلاصہ)
روڈ ایکسیڈنٹ میں سر پر چوٹ لگنے کے بعد پہلے چند منٹ سب سے اہم ہوتے ہیں۔ اگر گردن یا ریڑھ کی ہڈی میں چوٹ کا امکان ہو تو مریض کو غیر ضروری طور پر نہ ہلائیں۔ فوراً 1122 پر کال کریں یا قریب ترین ہسپتال لے جائیں، اور بے ہوشی یا الجھن کی حالت میں کچھ کھلائیں پلائیں نہیں۔ اگر بار بار الٹی، دورہ، جسم کے ایک طرف کمزوری، یا ناک کان سے پانی جیسا مادہ نکلے تو فوراً ایمرجنسی جائیں، انتظار نہ کریں۔
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do first if someone hits their head in a road accident?
Check if they’re breathing and responsive without shaking their head or neck, call 1122 or arrange transport to the nearest hospital immediately, and avoid moving them further if a neck injury is possible.
Accident ke baad sar ki chot mein kya nahi karna chahiye?
Don’t give food, water, or medicine by mouth if the person is drowsy or confused, don’t apply home remedies to a scalp wound, and don’t forcefully remove a motorbike helmet unless they’ve stopped breathing.
Is it safe to move someone after a head injury before help arrives?
Only if there’s immediate danger like fire or oncoming traffic. Otherwise, keep the head, neck, and body aligned and avoid unnecessary movement until trained help arrives or you’re ready to transport them carefully.
Should I call 1122 or drive to the hospital myself?
1122 is free and its team can stabilize a head or neck injury before moving the patient, which is usually safer inside Faisalabad city. In more remote areas, driving straight to the nearest hospital may be faster, use your judgment based on distance.
What warning signs after a head injury mean I need to go to the ER right away?
Worsening confusion, repeated vomiting, unequal pupils, a seizure, fluid leaking from the nose or ears, or weakness on one side of the body all mean immediate emergency care, not a wait-and-see approach.
Want this looked at? Dr. Saud Ahmed sees patients in Faisalabad, Gojra, and Sangla Hill. Book an appointment or call/WhatsApp 0313-8966559.
