← Back
Scenario — Head injury following fall at AFL game
Patient Information
Dispatch
You are called to a patient (Marcus Henley, 35YO male) who has been found on the ground in the stadium concourse after reportedly slipping and striking his head on the concrete steps. Bystanders state he was briefly unresponsive.
Incident History
Pt slipped on wet concrete steps while descending to his seat during the third quarter of an AFL game at Optus Stadium. Witnesses report he fell backwards and struck the back of his head on the edge of a step. Pt was unresponsive for approximately 30 seconds before regaining consciousness. Pt is now conscious but confused and complaining of headache and neck pain.
Emergency Contact
Claire Henley (Wife) 0412 774 391
Initial Rapid Assessment
Response
Voice
Airway
Patent. No foreign bodies or obstructions. No audible stridor. Nil airway swelling.
Breathing
Self-ventilating. Breathing is adequate but shallow. RR elevated. No cyanosis.
Circulation
Radial pulse present, regular, normal rate. Skin warm and dry. Small laceration to posterior scalp with active but controlled bleeding — approximately 3 cm.
Disability
GCS 13 (E3V4M6). Disoriented to time and place. Pupils equal and reactive to light. No focal neurological deficit detected on brief assessment. Pt reports headache 7/10 and neck pain.
Exposure
Laceration to posterior scalp approximately 3 cm, actively bleeding. No obvious deformity to skull on palpation. No visible periorbital bruising or retroauricular bruising. No visible CSF from ears or nose. No other injuries identified.
Vitals
Time SpO2 Resp Dist RR Pulse BP CRT GCS PERL Temp BGL Pain
Initial 96% (RA) Mild 20 94 138/86 <2s 13 4 4 ++ 36.8 5.4 mmol/L 7
10 mins 98% (O2 NRB 15L) Nil 18 88 134/84 <2s 14 4 4 ++ 36.8 5.4 mmol/L 5
History Taking
Signs/Symptoms
Headache, neck pain, confusion, nausea. Pt reports feeling 'foggy' and cannot clearly recall the fall.
Onset
Sudden onset following fall approximately 15 minutes ago. Brief loss of consciousness for approximately 30 seconds reported by bystanders.
Pain
Headache — posterior, 7/10. Neck pain — midline, 4/10.
Quality
Headache described as throbbing and constant. Neck pain described as aching and worsened with movement.
Radiates
Headache does not radiate. Neck pain does not radiate to limbs.
Severity
7/10 headache. 4/10 neck pain.
Allergies
Nil known drug allergies.
Medications
Nil regular medications.
Pertinent History
Nil relevant past medical history. Nil previous head injuries. Pt consumed 2 beers approximately 90 minutes prior to incident.
Last Oral Intake
2 beers approximately 90 minutes ago. Pie approximately 1 hour ago.
Treatment
Bystanders applied hand pressure to scalp laceration. No other treatment prior to EHS arrival.
Events Leading
Pt was descending concrete stadium steps to return to his seat when he slipped on a wet step and fell backwards, striking the back of his head on the step edge. No preceding dizziness, chest pain or loss of balance reported by bystanders.
Scenario Progression and Treatment Objectives

((If cervical spine is NOT assessed and spinal precautions are NOT applied within 5 minutes, the patient reports increasing tingling in both hands — prompt the trainee: 'The patient says his hands feel strange — do you want to do anything else?'))

((If scalp haemorrhage is NOT controlled within 3 minutes, facilitator reports bandage becoming visibly soaked — 'You notice blood has soaked through the bystander's cloth'))

((If oxygen is NOT applied within 4 minutes, GCS drops to 12 and patient becomes more agitated))

((If BGL is NOT checked, facilitator prompts: 'The patient is still confused — is there anything else you want to assess?'))

((If head elevation to 30° is performed on a patient not adequately assessed for haemodynamic stability, facilitator notes: 'Consider whether the patient has any features of haemodynamic compromise before elevating the head'))

((If alcohol intake is NOT identified in history, facilitator prompts: 'The patient's friend approaches and says — he had a couple of drinks before the game'))

This patient is suffering from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) — moderate closed head injury with brief loss of consciousness, GCS 13, scalp laceration with active haemorrhage, and posterior cervical pain requiring spinal precautions.

  • Ensure scene safety — approach patient on concourse, request crowd to move back, do not move patient until assessed
  • Don appropriate PPE including gloves — blood exposure risk from scalp laceration
  • Perform Primary Survey with C-spine consideration — establish response level (Voice), assess airway, breathing, circulation; identify scalp laceration with active haemorrhage as immediate threat
  • Apply manual C-spine stabilisation — patient reports posterior neck pain following mechanism consistent with axial loading; maintain throughout assessment
  • Control scalp haemorrhage — apply direct pressure via non-adherent pad and trauma bandage to posterior scalp laceration; monitor for re-bleeding
  • Administer Oxygen via Non-Rebreather Mask (NRB) 10–15 L/min — titrate to maintain SpO2 above 94%; TBI management requires avoidance of hypoxia
  • Perform Vital Sign Survey — GCS (13: E3V4M6), SpO2, RR, BP, HR, BGL, temperature, pupils (PERL 4mm bilateral)
  • Check Blood Glucose Level — all patients with altered GCS require BGL; result 5.4 mmol/L, no treatment required
  • Perform Secondary and CNS Survey — palpate scalp for deformity (nil), assess pupils (equal and reactive), assess for CSF from nose/ears (nil), check for periorbital/retroauricular bruising (nil at this time), assess four-limb neurological function (intact), note posterior midline cervical tenderness present
  • Apply spinal precautions — NEXUS criteria NOT met for clearance due to: altered mental status (GCS 13, disoriented), posterior midline cervical tenderness, intoxication history (alcohol); do NOT clear C-spine
  • Apply C-spine collar (measured and appropriately sized) once manual stabilisation established — inform patient: 'You have neck pain and we cannot rule out a neck injury, so we need to keep your neck still'
  • Position patient — maintain supine with 30° head elevation if haemodynamically stable (BP 138/86, HR 94, no features of hypovolaemia); contraindication: do NOT elevate if hypotensive
  • Administer Ondansetron 4 mg oral wafer — patient reports nausea; nausea and vomiting prophylaxis appropriate for suspected spinal injury and head injury; confirm GCS allows safe oral administration
  • Monitor patient persistently — record full observations every 10 minutes; monitor for signs of clinical deterioration including falling GCS, asymmetric pupils, Cushing's triad (bradycardia, hypertension, abnormal breathing), seizure activity
  • Brief patient and provide reassurance — explain all procedures clearly; patient may be anxious or confused
  • Prepare for ambulance arrival — this patient is time critical and requires transport Priority 1 with pre-notification of receiving facility; document time of injury, duration of LOC, GCS trend, haemorrhage control, medications administered, BGL, spinal precaution status
  • Prepare IMISTAMBO handover — include: mechanism, LOC duration (~30 seconds), GCS 13 improving to 14, scalp laceration controlled, neck pain, spinal precautions applied, alcohol intake, BGL 5.4, Ondansetron 4 mg oral given, oxygen applied
  • Scenario ends on arrival of ambulance and IMISTAMBO handover.
  • Attention to hand hygiene will be given throughout the scenario.

Clinical references: Traumatic Brain Injury · Primary Survey · Secondary & CNS Survey · Spinal Trauma · Spinal assessment · C-Spine Collar · Haemorrhage · Direct Pressure and Trauma Bandages · Oxygen Delivery · Ondansetron · Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) · Blood Glucose Monitor · Unconsciousness