Overview

These are head injuries and head injuries are one of the most common causes of disability and death in adults. The injury can be as mild as a bump, bruise (contusion), or cut on the head, or can be moderate to severe in nature due to a concussion, deep cut or open wound, fractured skull bone(s), or from internal bleeding and damage to the brain.

Causes

Common events causing traumatic brain injury include the following:

• 1. Motor vehicle accidents
• 2. Falls
• 3. Physical assaults
• 4. Sports-related accidents

Which result in three different states:

• • Concussion This is the most common type of head injury.
• • Contusion A bruise on the actual brain itself is called a contusion.
• • Intracranial hematoma (ICH) This is bleeding under the skull in the brain that forms a clot.
• • Skull fracture.

Types

Hematoma

A hematoma is a collection, or clotting, of blood outside the blood vessels. It can be very serious if a hematoma occurs in the brain. The clotting can lead to pressure building up inside your skull. This can cause you to lose consciousness or result in permanent brain damage.

Hemorrhage

A hemorrhage is uncontrolled bleeding. There can be bleeding in the space around your brain, called subarachnoid hemorrhage, or bleeding within your brain tissue, called intracerebral hemorrhage. Subarachnoid hemorrhages often cause headaches and vomiting. The severity of intracerebral hemorrhages depends on how much bleeding there is, but over time any amount of blood can cause pressure buildup.

Concussion

A concussion occurs when the impact on the head is severe enough to cause brain injury. It’s thought to be the result of the brain hitting against the hard walls of your skull or the forces of sudden acceleration and deceleration. Generally speaking, the loss of function associated with a concussion is temporary. However, repeated concussions can eventually lead to permanent damage.

Edema

Any brain injury can lead to edema, or swelling. Many injuries cause swelling of the surrounding tissues, but it’s more serious when it occurs in your brain. Your skull can’t stretch to accommodate the swelling. This leads to pressure buildup in your brain, causing your brain to press against your skull.

Skull fracture

Unlike most bones in your body, your skull doesn’t have bone marrow. This makes the skull very strong and difficult to break. A broken skull is unable to absorb the impact of a blow, making it more likely that there’ll also be damage to your brain.

Diffuse axonal injury

– A diffuse axonal injury (sheer injury) is an injury to the brain that doesn’t cause bleeding but does damage the brain cells. The damage to the brain cells results in them not being able to function; It can also result in swelling, causing more damage. Diffuse axonal injury is one of the most dangerous types of head injuries. It can lead to permanent brain damage and even death.

Treatment

Medication

If the patient had a severe brain injury, you may be given anti-seizure medication. You’re at risk for seizures in the week following your injury. The patient may be given diuretics if your injury has caused pressure buildup in your brain. Diuretics cause you to excrete more fluids. This can help relieve some of the pressure. If your injury is very serious, you may be given medication to put you in an induced coma. This may be an appropriate treatment if your blood vessels are damaged. When you’re in a coma, your brain doesn’t need as much oxygen and a nutrient as it normally does.

Surgery

It may be necessary to do emergency surgery to prevent further damage to your brain. For example, your doctor may need to operate to:

• 1. remove a hematoma
• 2. repair your skull
• 3. release some of the pressure in your skull

Rehabilitation

If you’ve had a serious brain injury, you’ll most likely need rehabilitation to regain full brain function. The type of rehabilitation you get will depend on what functionality you’ve lost as a result of your injury. People who’ve had a brain injury will often need help regaining mobility and speech.
Coping and support
A number of strategies can help a person with traumatic brain injury cope with complications that affect everyday activities, communication and interpersonal relationships. Depending on the severity of injury, a family caregiver or friend may need to help implement the following approaches:

• • Join a support group – Talk to your doctor or rehabilitation therapist about a support group that can help you talk about issues related to your injury, learn new coping strategies and get emotional support..
• • Write things down – Keep a record of important events, people’s names, tasks or other things that are difficult to remember.
• • Follow a routine – Keep a consistent schedule, keep things in designated places to avoid confusion and take the same routes when going to frequently visited destinations.
• • Take breaks – Make arrangements at work or school to take breaks as needed.
• • Alter work expectations or tasks. – Appropriate changes at work or school may include having instructions read to you, allowing more time to complete tasks or breaking down tasks into smaller steps.
• • Avoid distractions – Minimize distractions such as loud background noise from a television or radio.
• • Stay focused – Work on one task at a time

Specialists

• • Neurologist – Treats nervous system disorders.
• • Speech therapist – Treats people with speech and language problems.
• • Critical Care Doctor – Monitors and treats those in intensive care.
• • Occupational Therapist – Improves daily living and work skills of patients.
• • Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation – Restores function and quality of life to those with physical disabilities.
• • Neurosurgeon – Specialises in nervous system disorders.
• • Primary Care Provider (PCP) ) – Prevents, diagnoses and treats diseases.