How head and brain injuries are treated

 Brain and head trauma

One of the most serious injuries requiring immediate and professional attention involves a trauma to the head or brain. If ignored or left untreated for even a short period of time, head injuries may result in permanent and severe neural damage or even fatalities in some cases. A traumatic brain injury (TBI), also known as intracranial injury, involves neurological dysfunctions and disorders. A head injury may include TBI diagnosis but could also refer to wounds to the skull or scalp. The severity of head and brain injuries becomes compounded due to the fact that both external damage to the skull or skin may occur as well as secondary damage to the nervous system and other bodily functions.

Typically these injuries occur from an outside force. More than half of all reported TBI’s result from transportation accidents and involve the use of bicycles and motorcycle where head gear or helmets are not used. Automobile accidents are another leading cause as well as accidents involving pedestrians in a variety of situations. A smaller percentage of TBI’s occur from violent acts including firearms and child abuse with the remaining head injury accidents resulting from sports injuries.

The commonly diagnosed concussion is a minor type of brain injury that may include a short loss of consciousness but does not usually include fractures of the skull. The more serious head injury, a contusion, affects the brain tissue and may involve swollen tissues mixed with broken blood vessels. When the brain is shaken back and forth in the skull, for example from a car accident, the resulting trauma diagnosed as a contrecoup may cause severe damage to nerve cells and neurons within the brain. The brain regulates cerebral blood flow and a traumatic injury to that organ may cause excessive pressure or hemorrhaging and hematoma conditions. In any of these scenarios, a brain injury case requires immediate identification and treatment.

An acquired brain injury that is the result of an accident or provoked act of violence should receive immediate medical attention. In addition, questions about the legal implications of each case should be answered as quickly as possible. Head injuries may seem minor at first but then may develop into serious health issues. With the support of a legal team that understands all of the facts and possible future conditions resulting from a traumatic brain injury, a sense of well being and fairness will be achieved.

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