Doctors do not treat skull fractures in the same way as other fractures. It is important to protect the brain while treating the fracture. Doctors consider a patient’s age, size, sex, and various other factors. Medical therapy is an option for skull fracture treatment in which adults with simple fractures and no neurological damage may be discharged to heal at home. Most fractures that are a single line, referred to as linear fractures, and do not show any neurological damage do not require extensive treatment.
Simple depressed fractures usually heal on their own and generally smooth out over time. More complicated depressed fractures, however, may require surgery if the depression is deep enough. Severe depressed fractures have a harder time healing without surgery.
Open fractures subject to contamination may require antibiotics. However, infants and children with open fractures usually need some type of surgery as part of their treatment. Surgery is generally more common among people who suffered a skull fracture in car accidents or from a hard object hitting them on the head.
Doctors often prescribe medication to manage pain, and most skull fractures will heal on their own over time. The average time for a skull fracture to heal is six weeks.
If you suffered an occipital bone skull fracture from someone’s negligence, contact the experienced San Diego brain injury attorneys at Estey & Bomberger, LLP today. Our occipital bone fracture attorneys understand how traumatic these injuries can be and can provide legal support as you focus on recovery. Call (800) 260-7197 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation of your case.