How Are TBIs Treated?
Car accidents are a primary cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), and because they directly affect the brain, these injuries are some of the most challenging to endure. An injury to your brain not only seriously affects your health but can also alter your sense of self, which is an emotional consequence that is exceptionally difficult to overcome.
Treatment for TBIs takes a wide range of forms, and recovery is often an ongoing process. If you’ve suffered a TBI as a result of another driver’s negligence, it’s time to consult with an experienced Reading car accident attorney.
TBIs
Every brain injury is a serious injury, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shares that those TBIs categorized as moderate to severe tend to be life-altering, and car accidents are a primary cause. The five-year outcomes reported for TBI victims highlight the severity of these injuries. Consider the following:
- Only 26 percent of victims show improvement.
- A full 30 percent of victims experience a worsened condition.
- About 22 percent of victims die, while the other 22 percent experience no change in their condition.
TBIs are as unpredictable as they are dangerous and should always be taken seriously.
Treatment
The Mayo Clinic reports that, for moderate to severe TBIs, treatment begins with emergency care that’s focused on all the following:
- Ensuring the victim has adequate oxygen
- Ensuring the victim has an adequate blood supply
- Maintaining the victim’s blood pressure
- Preventing any additional injury to the victim’s head or neck
Medications
Often, TBI victims receive medications that are designed to limit any secondary damage to the brain following the accident, including:
- Anti-seizure medications, which help to reduce the risk of seizures that TBI victims are prone to
- Diuretics, which help decrease swelling and reduce the buildup of pressure in the brain
- Coma-inducing medications, which reduce the brain’s oxygen requirements
Emergency Surgery
To prevent additional damage to the brain, post-TBI, emergency surgeries like the following are sometimes necessary:
- Surgeries to remove clotted blood
- Surgeries to repair skull fractures
- Surgeries that address bleeding in the brain
- Surgeries that open a window in the skull to help alleviate excess pressure
Rehabilitation
Most victims of moderate to severe TBIs need rehabilitation in some form, which generally begins in the hospital and continues at one of the following:
- A residential treatment facility
- An inpatient rehabilitation facility
- Outpatient services
Rehabilitation generally focuses on relearning basic skills like walking and talking as well as on the activities of daily living.
When it comes to injuries as serious as TBIs, treatment generally focuses on preventing further trauma and on regaining skills after the victim’s health has been stabilized.
Seek the Skilled Legal Guidance of an Experienced Reading Car Accident Attorney
The dedicated Reading car accident attorneys at Fanelli, Evans & Patel, P.C., recognize the severity of your injury and will unleash the full force of their impressive experience in defense of your rights and in focused pursuit of the compensation to which you’re entitled. Learn more by contacting us online or calling 570-622-2455 today.