Lathrop Brain Injury Lawyer

Injuries can happen anywhere, and a traumatic brain injury is the most serious among the many wounds. When a loved one suffers a brain injury, there is a lot of uncertainty about the future. Fortunately, there has been much research on brain injuries over the past few decades, which has led to new diagnostic and treatment modalities. 

A traumatic brain injury is severe. A few statistics on brain injuries from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) include:

• More than 1.7 million individuals will suffer a traumatic brain injury every year in the United States.
• Close to 1.5 million of these people will require a trip to the emergency room.
• Over a quarter of a million people will need to spend time in the hospital.
• Of these injuries, more than 50,000 will result in death.

There are many different ways that someone could suffer trauma to the head. According to the CDC, some of the most common causes of traumatic brain injuries include:

• Slip and Fall Injuries: Accounting for more than a third of traumatic brain injuries, it is easy for someone to slip, fall, and strike their head on the ground, leading to a concussion or even a skull fracture.
• Auto Accidents: When someone is involved in an auto accident, their head could strike the steering wheel or the dashboard. When this happens, a cerebral contusion could occur. This is where part of the brain tissue is bruised in the accident.
• Physical Assault: A gunshot or knife wound could lead to a severe brain injury. If a brain bleed occurs, treatment is needed to save someone's life.

Depending on the severity of the injury, the treatment will vary. The therapy may not entail anything more than observation for some injuries, such as mild concussions. The injured individual will be watched to ensure that they do not develop any severe symptoms. If they appear stable, they will be sent home without further intervention. However, if someone has sustained a more severe injury, some of the treatments could include:

• Blood Pressure Medication: When someone has suffered a severe head injury, it is essential to make sure that the blood pressure in the brain is stable. If the blood pressure is too low, the brain could be deprived of valuable oxygen. If it is too high, the brain tissue could start to swell, which could also make a potential brain bleed worse.
• Mannitol: This is a medication used to keep the pressure inside the skull low. If the pressure inside the skull rises too much, such as brain swelling, a cerebral herniation could result. Some of these herniations result in death.
• Emergent Surgery: In some cases, emergent surgery could be needed to save someone's life. A neurosurgeon is called when someone needs emergent pressure reduction or has a bleed that needs to be stopped. The surgeon will remove a portion of the skull, called a craniotomy, to allow the brain to swell without it herniating. Then, when the swelling reduces, the skull flap will be replaced.

Every brain injury is treated differently. Treatment options for head trauma are determined on a case-by-case basis.

The video below discusses how neurosurgeons monitor and treat patients with traumatic brain injuries.

When someone has suffered a traumatic brain injury, it is essential to seek medical care as quickly as possible. The earlier the injury is treated, the more of the brain tissue a doctor might be able to save. Once this has been done, there are other places people can turn to as well.