INFORMATION ON TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

Traumatic brain injury, also called acquired brain injury or simply head injury, occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. Traumatic brain injury can result when the head suddenly and violently hits an object, or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue. A traumatic brain injury is an injury to the brain caused by the head being hit by something or shaken violently. This injury can change how the person acts, moves, and thinks. A traumatic brain injury can also change how a student learns and acts in school.

CAUSES OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

1. Neurointensive care for traumatic brain injury in children
2. Motor vehicle collision
3. Auto accident
4. Child physical abuse
5. Gunshot wound
6. Secondary brain injury, brain ischemia, brain trauma,
7. Closed-head injury, diffuse axonal injury, increased intracranial pressure

SYMPTOMS OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the extent of the damage to the brain. A person with a mild Traumatic Brain Injury may remain conscious or may experience a loss of consciousness for a few seconds or minutes.

Other symptoms are

1. Headache, confusion, lightheadedness,
2. Dizziness, blurred vision or tired eyes, ringing in the ears,
3. Bad taste in the mouth, fatigue or lethargy, a change in sleep patterns,
4. Behavioral or mood changes, and trouble with memory, concentration,
5. Attention or thinking.

DIAGNOSIS OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

Patients suffering TBI are typically brought to a hospital emergency room for initial diagnosis and treatment.
1. A complete neurological evaluation is performed to rule out conditions requiring neurosurgical attention, such as hematomas, depressed skull fractures, and elevated intracrantial pressure.
2. X-rays, CT scans, and/or MRI scans may be performed to determine if the bones of the skull are fractured and if bone fragments have penetrated the brain tissues.
3. Doctors often use the Glasgow Coma Scale to rate the extent of injury and chances of recovery. The scale (3-15) involves testing for three patient responses: eye opening, best verbal response, and best motor response.
4. The patient may be on a ventilator and sedated and the evaluation for brain injury will be limited until the patient is allowed to emerge from medications and mechanical ventilation.
5. Evaluations by physical, occupational and speech therapists help clarify the specific deficits of an individual.

TREATMENT OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

Stabilize the patient immediately after the injury:

Rescue or emergency personnel unblock airways, assist breathing, and keep blood circulating. Treatment then focuses on stabilizing the patient. Hospital personnel then take over, working to maintain the body fluid levels and prevent or treat infections and other complications.

Rehabilitate and return the patient to the community:

The patient is usually admitted to an acute rehabilitation hospital equipped to manage TBI and its complications. At admission, most patients still are in post-traumatic amnesia
The main goals of treatment are
Early detection of complications,
Facilitation of neurological and functional recovery, and
Prevention of additional injury.

Continue rehabilitation and treat the long-term impairments
There are two categories of treatment:
Community-based rehabilitation and return to work or school, and
Treatment of long-term consequences of the injury.