Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
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| Definition |
Traumatic brain injury involves
temporary or permanent damage to brain tissue. It is usually the
result of a hard impact to the head or face and is often associated
with bleeding into the brain and/or swelling of the brain. Depending
upon the severity of the traumatic brain injury, symptoms may range
from confusion, to loss of consciousness, to coma, all of which may
vary in duration.
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| Causes |
Common causes of traumatic brain
injury are automobile accidents, falls, sporting accidents and
industrial accidents.
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| Treatment |
The treatment of traumatic brain
injury involves support of all vital body systems. Because the brain
often swells following injury, pressure within the skull may
increase. If the pressure rises too much, blood flow to the brain
can decrease. Under these circumstances further brain injury may
occur and measures to lower pressure within the brain are used.
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| Comments |
Severity of traumatic brain injury
varies greatly. Some patients recover completely, while others may
suffer severe, permanent brain damage or death. Healing from a
traumatic brain injury may occur quickly or may be very slow. Some
patients may take many months to fully heal. Unfortunately the
medical profession does not have very accurate predictors of how
individual patients will recover following a traumatic brain injury.
The doctors can provide guidlines of how an individual may recover
and what the family should expect.
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| Related
Links |
National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, a
division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), provides
extensive site on TBI.
Brain Injury Association
Brain Injury Association’s extensive site on TBI.
National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health (NIH) site with extensive discussion
of TBI rehabilitation.
University of Iowa
University of Iowa TBI site guide for family and friends.
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