I must stay awake — keep me awake!
'Sveglio' = ZVEH-lyo (m), 'sveglia' = ZVEH-lya (f). 'Tenete' = teh-NEH-teh. Imperative plural of 'tenere'.
Asking bystanders or medics to help you stay conscious after a head injury or medical emergency.
'Devo stare sveglio/a' uses 'dovere' + 'stare' + adjective. 'Tenetemi sveglio/a' uses the imperative with a dative clitic 'mi'. It is a common belief in first aid to keep head trauma patients awake — Italian emergency guidelines (IRC — Italian Resuscitation Council) actually allow drowsy patients to rest, but staying awake with monitoring is helpful for assessing consciousness level.
Mi fa male la testa — potrei avere una commozione?
My head hurts — could I have a concussion?
'Commozione cerebrale' = concussion — requires medical assessment.
Sto perdendo la concentrazione — chiama un'ambulanza.
I'm losing concentration — call an ambulance.
Progressive deterioration is a medical emergency.
Rispondimi — come mi chiamo? Chi sono?
Talk to me — what's my name? Who am I?
Oriented conversation tests consciousness level.
Italy's Italian Resuscitation Council (IRC) provides public first aid training courses including 'BLSD' (Basic Life Support and Defibrillation) and 'PBLSD' (Paediatric). Concussion (commozione cerebrale) after impact always requires emergency assessment. The Italian Ministry of Health recommends immediate hospital evaluation for any loss of consciousness, however brief.