SAN ANTONIO – A Brackenridge High School student was punched out and rushed to the hospital Wednesday afternoon.
SAISD officials have not been able to tell KSAT the student’s condition. Classmates on campus told us the victim was having seizures and foaming at the mouth.
KSAT spoke to Lillian Liao the pediatric trauma and burn director at University Hospital to find out what happens when you take a vicious hit to the head.
"Your brain is kind of fixed within your skull and so there’s not a whole lot of room to move around and so once you get punched or struck by something your brain jolts back and forth within the skull," Liao said.
Liao says a severe blow to the head could have several effects.
"At the very least you would have concussion symptoms, right? Those are nausea, vomiting all the way to complete comatose after an injury like this so it just kind of depends and depending on what part of the brain you can also have seizures," said Liao.
Death could also be a result. In 2013, Logan Davidson, 15, a Canyon High School sophomore died after being knocked unconscious.
"The reason why I think the public doesn't really understand about concussions or even more severe injuries is because you can’t really see the brain. So for the most part you don't understand what can happen," Liao said.
Head injuries are common though. Liao says 20 to 30 percent of our population will have some variance of a head injury.