A 16-year-old baseball player displays confusion after a collision. What type of injury should you suspect given the depressed area over his ear?

In this scenario, a 16-year-old baseball player exhibits confusion following a collision, accompanied by a depressed area over the ear. Given these symptoms, a closed head injury is the most appropriate suspicion. A closed head injury involves trauma to the head where the skull remains intact but the brain can still sustain damage due to the impact. The depression in the area over the ear suggests there may be a fracture or significant soft tissue injury without breaking the skin or exposing the brain, characteristic of a closed head injury.

Understanding the context is important. An open head injury would involve a break in the skull resulting in exposure of brain tissue, which is not indicated in this case since there is no mention of a penetrating object or visible wounds through the scalp or skull. A concussion is a type of closed head injury that specifically describes a functional disturbance in the brain following trauma, but since the question highlights the depressed area, assessing the broader nature of the injury—including the physical aspect—is more critical. A scalp laceration would indicate an injury to the skin covering the skull, but it doesn’t account for the confusion or the specific signs of deeper damage that could impact the brain. Therefore, a closed head injury is the most fitting diagnosis considering the signs presented.