Traumatic Brain Injury Essay

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Introduction
Traumatic Brain Injury, otherwise known as TBI, is caused by an external force such as a blow to the head that causes the brain to move inside the skull or damages the skull, which in turn damages the brain. It is a leading cause of death in the United States and nearly one-third of all injury-related deaths in the US are diagnosed as TBI (CDC-Quick stats, 2010). A human can experience traumatic brain injury any time after birth but according to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, 1.7 million people in the United States sustain a TBI per year. Children up to four years-old, teens aged 15-19 years-old, and adults aged 65 and older, are most likely to sustain a traumatic brain injury. Also, males in every age group experience …show more content…

The three leading causes of traumatic brain injuries are falls, motor vehicle accidents, and sport injuries. A few examples of TBIs are a concussion, contusion, brain hemorrhage, and an edema. During an impact, the brain is pushed against the skull and may cause bruising as well as stretching and tearing of nerve tissues, causing a concussion. It can also change the brain’s nerve cell functions and can cause loss of consciousness. A contusion commonly is caused by a coup or contrecoup injury. A coup injury means that the brain is injured in immediate impact while a contrecoupe is when the brain bounced off due to the coup injury on the opposite side. The brain may be contused when it collides with the skull which can lead to bruising and blood vessel leaks. A brain hemorrhage can occur when an artery in the brain bursts which causes bleeding in the brain which kills brain cells. Edema of the brain is when the brain swells due to injury which can cause blockage of necessary fluids and lead to …show more content…

People with these injuries may also have other injuries that need to be addressed, such as loss of excessive blood and paralysis. Medications to limit secondary damage to the brain immediately after an injury may vary depending on severity. A couple of these may include diuretics which reduce the amount of fluid in tissues and increase urine output to get rid of toxins in the body. This process can help reduce pressure inside the brain. Another form of medication used on patients with TBI may include anti-seizure drugs. People who've had a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury are at risk of having seizures during the first week after their injury. They may be prescribed anti-seizure medication to avoid any additional brain damage that might be a secondary injury due to a seizure. Doctors sometimes use coma-inducing drugs to put patients into temporary comas. This is because a comatose brain needs less oxygen to function making it easier for the brain to return to normal functionality. This is especially helpful if blood vessels, compressed by increased pressure in the brain, are unable to deliver the usual amount of nutrients and oxygen to brain cells. Emergency surgery is also a form of immediate treatment for traumatic brain injuries to minimize additional damage

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