Conditions
Minor head injury triage
Primary care and urgent-care triage framework for minor head injury with immediate escalation thresholds.
Last reviewed 2026-02-07|head injury | trauma | triage
Assessment priorities
- Confirm mechanism, loss of consciousness, amnesia, and symptom progression.
- Screen for anticoagulation use and high-risk bleeding context.
- Assess neurologic status and cervical-spine risk indicators.
Red flags
- Deteriorating consciousness, repeated vomiting, focal neurologic deficit, or seizure.
- Signs of skull fracture or significant cervical injury.
- Persistent severe headache with worsening neurologic symptoms.
Initial management
- Apply validated risk approach for urgent imaging/ED disposition.
- Provide cognitive and physical rest guidance when outpatient care is appropriate.
- Give explicit warning signs requiring immediate emergency reassessment.
Follow-up and escalation
- Arrange short-interval reassessment for persistent post-injury symptoms.
- Escalate immediately for any neurologic deterioration.
- Coordinate concussion-focused follow-up for prolonged recovery.