Manhattan

Published on: February 19, 2012

Death and very severe injuries are noted by hospital records

by Stephen Bilkis

Trying to incorporate minor head injuries into studies is often more difficult than making a study of severe head injuries, doctors in many different areas note. Death and very severe injuries are noted by hospital records. When a minor head injury occurs with other more serious injuries, the head injury is often left out of reports. Concussions fall into this category.

The problem of insufficient documentation is worse in rural areas. Most minor head injuries go unreported there because people don’t bother to visit an Accident and Emergency department. When a hospital is involved, there are often a number of medical professionals that attend to the injury, including neurosurgeons, general or orthopedic surgeons, neurologists, geriatricians, and primary care physicians.

A Health Interview Survey study of USA households showed an annual estimated rate of head injury of 6 per 1000 of the population, but it also included facial injuries. Actual head injuries would probably be somewhat less than this, many studies on this subject note.

Published on: February 13, 2012

Derek Boogaard Found Dead at 28

by Stephen Bilkis

Derek Boogaard, a 28-year-old NHL player, was found dead in his Minneapolis apartment by his two brothers, unconscious, but not breathing. It was too late to get him to a hospital and he died there, sources told reporters.

Investigators were unable to find any signs of foul play, they did find any sign Boogaard was injured, either. Those who follow sports were able to make an important link, however – the NHL player had not played for five months since he sustained a concussion in a fight. Boogaard’s parents had allowed their son’s brain to be donated to medical experts who study brain trauma in athletes at Boston University, allowing more pieces of the puzzles to be filled in.

It is still too early to tell what the official cause of Boogaard’s death might be – it will be some time before a full autopsy can be completed. Everyone suspects brain trauma was a major factor, however, if not the only real factor.

Published on: February 10, 2012

UFC Fighter Brian Foster Suffers Brain Hemorrhage

by Stephen Bilkis

Welterweight Brian Foster suffered a brain hemorrhagewhich results in him being out of his UFC 129 fight against Sean Pierson. The 27-year-old fighter posted the announcement two weeks ago on his Twitter account.

The Ontario Athletic Commission commissioned an MRI sixty days prior to the bout according to a friend. The test revealed a damaged blood vessel. Foster believes the injury took place during a hard sparring session he had before the test.

“I was dealing with a really good boxer and he caught me with a left hook that rocked me a little bit,” Foster said. “I hadn’t been rocked like that very often. I’ve never been knocked down. My record says I’ve been knocked out before but I was not unconscious in that fight.

Published on: January 21, 2012

Safety features in vehicles contribute a great deal to preventing head injuries

by Stephen Bilkis

Safety features in vehicles contribute a great deal to preventing head injuries, doctors have learned. Such factors can be the difference between safety and a debilitating or even fatal injury.

The windshield of a car is a big safety consideration. When made out of materials like laminated glass, it can be made not to shatter into sharp fragments that penetrate the brain or eyes. It seems to have reduced injury in real crashes. Car manufacturers are now looking into ways to make the steering wheel and the hard components of the roof safer in case of a crash. The roof or its supporting pillars are often the cause of head injury, studies have discovered.

When it comes to frontal impacts, the energy of the crash can be greatly reduced by inserting an airbag between the occupant and the force of the impact. Studies have shown that airbags can significantly reduce the risk of death or severe brain injury, not only to unsecured drivers, but to those belted in, as well. Large cars show an even greater advantage when it comes to safety.

Published on: December 31, 2011

The symptoms of bTBI (explosive blast traumatic brain injury) can actually be very subtle

by Stephen Bilkis

The symptoms of bTBI (explosive blast traumatic brain injury) can actually be very subtle, doctors tell patients. Sometimes, there is no outward sign of brain injury until certain symptoms begin to arise, like headaches, vertigo, or short-term memory loss. Because of this, victims of bTBI should be evaluated by a physician or psychologist to determine how extensive their injuries might be, if any. Neurophysical evaluation should be a part of this examination. There are currently efforts to create neuropsychological tests that can be automated on laptop computer or are easy enough to be used to by first responders who may have less training.

Patients who may have PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) should see a combat stress team provider or a psychiatrist as soon as possible. It is very important to remember, doctors have learned, that bTBI and PTSD can have very similar symptoms and may occur alone or together in a patient. It may be difficult to tell them apart.

When TBI brain injury may be present in a patient, that person should be excused from all combat-related duties. The patient should be put on light duty until the symptoms are gone or until he or she is moved to a place where advanced neuroimaging, like MRI, may be used, and a more detailed evaluation can be used. Studies in Manhattan and Long Island have determined that it is vital for a patient suffering TBI, or who may be suffering from it, to be treated with the utmost care, so the condition does not become worse.

Published on: November 21, 2011

The military also uses the same criteria to assess such injuries as civilians

by Stephen Bilkis

Physicians currently do not have many distinctions between explosive blast traumatic brain injury (bTBI), closed head traumatic brain injury (cTBI) and penetrative traumatic brain injury (pTBI). The military also uses the same criteria to assess such injuries as civilians.

A 1993 definition from the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine of TBI apples to bTBI when an explosive blast causes loss of consciousness, amnesia, or loss of focus. The severity is determined by how long the altered mental state lasts. Less than 5 minutes is mild, though it can lead into difficulties like headaches, confusion, and amnesia, as well as a difficulty to concentrate, altered mood, problems sleeping, and general anxiety. These symptoms usually go within a few hours or days.

Authorities have discovered that even these mild cases could result in post-concussive syndrome which could happen days later. Government agencies and authorities in Manhattan and Long Island are currently developing guidelines to manage this condition, which seems to respond to simple reassurance and specific treatments like non-narcotic analgesics, anti-migraine medication to treat headaches, and anti-depressants. Just as with civilian cTBI, the problem might last only a few weeks, but it might well last a year or more in some cases.

Published on: November 17, 2011

The way surgeons deal with shrapnel or bone fragments in the brain has changed since the days of Korea or Vietnam

by Stephen Bilkis

The way surgeons deal with shrapnel or bone fragments in the brain has changed since the days of Korea or Vietnam, doctors tell reporters. It was once the standard to remove every last fragment of bone or any other foreign body, so the brain would have a lower risk of infection and there would be less chance of developing post-traumatic epilepsy. Studies of Vietnam War patients has shown that removal of all fragments is not actually necessary, though objects that cause gross contamination should still be removed.

Closure of the scalp and replacement of the dura are absolutely vital to prevent, or at least reduce the chance of, CSF leakage and meningitis. A soldier who seems to have good neurological status, with only small fragments in the brain may be able to be treated locally to prevent leakage. One with a more extensive injury will have to undergo a large decompressive creniectomy and removal of the fragments.

Another source of head injury from an explosive blast can result from being bodily thrown by the explosion. The soldier’s head could strike some other object, causing tertiary blast injury. This can cause injuries in a number of places in the patient’s skull. There is also the risk of infection in cases such as these, often from bacteria that are drug-resistant. A number of dangerous injuries can result from such a brain trauma. It can be very important to repair such injuries as facial fractures quickly. Doctors in Manhattan and Brooklyn know this.

Published on: November 7, 2011

In the United States, fire arms and unintentional falls come a distant second and third

by Stephen Bilkis

In the matter of fatalities due to head injuries, New York Brain Injury Lawyers have learned that motor vehicle accidents are the vast majority of cases. In the United States, fire arms and unintentional falls come a distant second and third. The motor vehicle deaths were more common among young people, from 15 to 24 years of age, while the deaths from Slip and Falls were far more prevalent among those over 75 years of age.

When it came to head injuries causing comas, motor vehicles were again the most frequent cause. Head injury was most likely to occur when the injured person was out of odors and traveling by motor car during the warmer months of the year on a weekend.

The vast majority of transport-related injuries were due to road crashes, New York Brain Injury Lawyers discovered. Most of these were to the occupants of vehicles. Children were more likely to be injured than pedestrians or cyclists.

Published on: November 2, 2011

Sledding can be dangerous

by Stephen Bilkis

Many young people love to go sledding especially when school is out and they can have loads of fun in the park. However, parents have to make sure that their kids are safe when it comes to sledding. In the past, it has been the reason for many emergency room visits; some that are very traumatic.

The current weather conditions make it even more fun as children from all over delve into the snow to feel the exhilaration of sledding. One local physician agreed that although sledding is fun, both parents and children have to keep in mind that extra care has to be taken. In fact, both physician and Lawyer recall many incidents that occur where the individual receive massive injuries to the brain that changed their lives considerably.

The emergency rooms at many local hospitals in Long Island, according to one source, are busy during the winter months with accidents related to sledding. Injuries range from a broken arm or leg to a severe brain injury.

Published on: October 27, 2011

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is now a well-defined clinical syndrome, according to New York Brain Injury Lawyers

by Stephen Bilkis

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is now a well-defined clinical syndrome, according to New York Brain Injury Lawyers. The 2000 edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision states that some patients who experience life-threatening events might well feel intense fear or helplessness which becomes PTSD.

Victims of PTSD suffer through a number of symptoms, which may include re-experiencing the traumatic event, avoidance of stimuli associated with the event, a loss of concentration, sudden anger or irritation, hypervigilance, and a heightened response to being startled. All of these can cause a detrimental effect on the victim to enjoy life.

Mild explosive blast traumatic brain injury (bTBI) has many of these symptoms in common with PTSD, including changes in sleep patterns and moods. There are some differences, however, studies have learned. Headaches, for instance, are much more likely with TBI, while hypervigilance and the tendency to startle more easily is more common with PTSD.