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Grade 2 Moderate Concussion

My 16 year old son was in a car wreck 5 1/2 days ago where he suffered a grade 2 moderate concussion. He was knocked unconscious for a short period of time & received a scalp laceration to the right side of his head . The CT scan discovered what the neurosurgeon described as a small thread size bleed. Later that day another CT scan was done & all signs of bleeding were gone & the blood had been absorbed. His stay in the hospital was for 3 days. He was given physical therapy & speech therapy before he left the hospital and we were told he passed with flying colors with no signs of trauma. He is to rest for the next 2 weeks at home but they do want him to get up & walk around the house several times a day and to sit up when he's not sleeping.

Since he has been home he hasn't felt dizzy except when he gets up too quick. His head isn't hurting except for the stitches. He has all his motor skills, no slurring of speech, no change in his personality. In fact it's as if he was 100% himself except that he sleeps all the time. He is taking percocet for pain but has only been taking 1 a day and that seems to be more at the end of a day. I would say he sleeps 22 of the 24 hours a day. Sometimes it feels like more. Is this something normal with a concussion & how long can this last? I don't know if I should make him wake up & sit up or let him sleep. He goes back to the neurosurgeon in 8 days for a check up. I'm worried he is sleeping due to depression from the wreck.

Is the sleep common for a Grade 2 concussion 5 1/2 days after occurring? Am I over reacting?
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with a doctor.

Without the ability to examine and obtain a history from your son, I can not tell you much more than from the information you provided. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.

There are multiple grading scales for concussion. The American Academy of Neurology scale is graded on a scale of 1 to 3, where grade 3 has any loss of consciousness. Grade 2 is with any symptoms lasting more than 15 minutes. If there is any loss of consciousness or alteration in mentation or neurological deficit, labeling the injury as traumatic brain injury would also be appropriate.  

You are not over-reacting. He is your son. It is common for sleep disturbances to occur after traumatic brain injury such as from a concussion. There are no randomized studies on sleep disturbance in brain injury patients.  The sleep disturbance may last a few days to a few weeks/months. If it does persist, I would advise getting a sleep study evaluation to ensure he has not developed sleep apnea.

It is also important to recognize that post-concussive symptoms may also include headache, dizziness, memory challenges, difficulties with concentration, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and increased or decrease in sleep.  

If there are ever any changes in your son’s ability to speak, move, see, or if he has an episode of sudden jerking of an extremity, he should be evaluated in an emergency department and obtain a repeat CT scan.

Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.
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Avatar universal
Thank you for your helpful insight.

I read the Vienna Guidelines and also thought his concussion was a grade 3 but I'm not a neurosurgeon so I was guessing there was something else the doctors were going off of.

I am keeping an eye on him for any changes as you listed. After I posted my first comment I saw a big change in him. He got out of bed & started interacting & is sleeping less.

Again, thank you for replying so quickly & for your insight.
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