There are many different kinds of treatment available for
patients of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). A TBI is any type
of blunt or piercing trauma to the head that causes brain
damage to an individual. Initial treatment of a TBI
stabilizes the individual immediately following the injury.
Next, rehabilitative care center treatment helps restore
the patient's ability to function in their daily life. If
the TBI is more serious, acute treatment may be necessary,
as this type of treatment is aimed at minimizing secondary
injury and negative effects on a patient's life support
system. Finally, surgical treatment may be used to prevent
secondary injury by helping to maintain blood flow and
oxygen to the brain and minimize swelling and pressure.
Initial treatment of a traumatic brain injury begins upon
arrival to a hospital. At the hospital, a team of medical
professionals, generally led by a trauma surgeon, will meet
the patient. The trauma surgeon, acting as the leader, will
direct the team. The trauma staff will initiate
resuscitation procedures, monitor the body's vital
functions, respond to potential life-threatening changes
and coordinate care with other hospital personnel.
The patient may need surgery for injuries. In addition to
the trauma surgeon, the surgical staff could include the
neurosurgeon, a physician who performs brain and spinal
cord surgery; an orthopedic surgeon, a physician who works
with broken bones such as fractures of the arms and legs or
the spinal column; or a general surgeon. In addition to the
physicians that are assessing the patient and their
response to treatment, the trauma nurse will b caring for
the patient: providing resuscitation, stabilization and
supportive care. The nurses have the responsibility to
coordinate and provide communication within the hospital
and with the family.
Once stabilized, the brain-injured patient will be
transferred to a specialized trauma care unit. Care will be
provided by the critical care nursing staff. The nursing
staff's responsibility is to assess, monitor and interpret
vital physiologic or body functions, notify the physician
of changes, repeat assessments at regular intervals and
provide information for the family. The patient will be
monitored for signs of infection and pain. Other key staff
also plays a role on the specialized trauma care unit. The
respiratory therapist helps with the initial resuscitation
efforts, provides oxygen therapy, configures the ventilator
settings and assesses proper equipment functioning. In
addition, the respiratory therapist monitors the patient's
breathing: looking at blood gas results and listening to
the lungs.
In most trauma centers, a psychologist familiar with acute
trauma is part of the team. Using crisis intervention
techniques, the psychologist will assist the patient and
family in decision-making during a crisis. The psychologist
provides counseling and education about the injury, as well
as assesses the cognition of the patient. A trauma social
worker will also work with the family after the injury.
Like the psychologist, the social worker will prepare the
family emotionally and physically to face the ill or
disabled patient. The trauma social worker will assist the
family in making plans for the duration of recovery,
especially if the recovery progresses slowly. The trauma
social worker will encourage the family to consider role
and responsibility changes while the patient is ill,
including changes in finances and family support, and will
also assist the family in discharge planning and most
patients proceed to a rehabilitation facility.
The families of traumatic brain injury victims often have
many questions when their loved one is transferred to a
rehabilitative care center. Similar to the acute care
facility, the brain injury patient will be cared for by a
team of professionals who specialize in the care of trauma
victims. Their goals are to stabilize the medical and
rehabilitation issues related to brain injury and the other
injuries, while also preventing secondary complications.
Complications could include pressure sores, pneumonia and
contractures. At a rehabilitation facility, the staff will
also work to help the patient restore lost functional
abilities. Functional changes could include limited ability
to move, use the bathroom, talk, eat and think. Each day,
the patient will participate in therapy. Initially, the
patient may require staff assistance for even the simplest
activities: brushing teeth, getting out of bed and eating.
The patient also may require staff for safety because there
is a risk of falling, eloping (trying to get out of the
hospital to go home) or getting hurt. The patient may be
confused and forgetful.
In some cases patients do not proceed to rehabilitative
services because the injury is too severe. In these cases
patients receive acute treatment and in some cases surgical
treatment, but rehabilitative treatment may not be an
option, as some TBI cases are too severe to allow for
rehabilitation. In the event of any traumatic brain injury,
once the TBI victim has received the proper course of
medical treatment, the injured person or their family may
wish to seek the counsel of on or more traumatic brain
injury attorneys. Brain injury lawyers have the experience
and information patients and their families need to know,
concerning a patient's rights and the due compensation they
need receive for expenses such as future medical care,
current medications and treatment, and pain and suffering.
If necessary, the patient can use one or more brain injury
attorneys to look into filing a traumatic brain injury
lawsuit.
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