Concussion

Published on: July 4, 2012

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is now a well-defined clinical syndrome

by Stephen Bilkis

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is now a well-defined clinical syndrome, according to doctors on Long Island. 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 in Manhattan 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.

Published on: May 31, 2012

Primary brain damage is what occurs at the time of impact and its effects occur virtually immediately

by Stephen Bilkis

The fact is that most patients who suffer head injuries are not initially managed by emergency medical services that have specialized knowledge of the pathophysiology and treatment of head injury. This is the main reason why it is helpful to divide head injuries into primary and secondary. Primary brain damage is what occurs at the time of impact and its effects occur virtually immediately. Secondary brain damage occurs at some point after the impact, not only can it be treated, but it can often be prevented with the proper care. It is vitally important that a clinician both recognizes and documents the primary damage, and then prevent or treat any secondary damage. Primary brain damage is considered to be irreversible, but even that may not be set in stone, as new medical innovations are challenging even that assumption.

Lawyers have learned that understanding the difference between primary and secondary brain damage is important for non-specialists to know. If everyone were well-informed, secondary brain damage may not even occur in such cases. Even when it doesn’t work, it adds to the knowledge of how to treat head injury so we come closer to the time when secondary brain injury can be effectively prevented in the majority of cases in The Bronx and Brooklyn.

Secondary brain damage could happen very quickly after impact, so it is important for any medical personnel who arrive on the scene to work quickly and correctly to diagnose and treat such injuries, according to New York Brain Injury Lawyers.

Published on: April 25, 2012

Head injury data can come from a number of sources

by Stephen Bilkis

Head injury data can come from a number of sources, according to Lawyers, allowing for a comprehensive study of the causes and effects, so treatment might be more efficient and effective – or even so such injuries can be prevented entirely, in some cases.

National public health records in New York City and Westchester are largely mortality studies from death certificates. There may be some information available from hospital admissions, depending upon the country, doctors have found. In fact, in some locations, the authorities keep records of cause-related injuries, like industrial injuries.

Studies specifically related to head injury can also be a good source of data. These can be used to study such things as incidence and mortality rates across an entire nation. This can be difficult, however, when it comes to a large population. Whatever findings the studies reveal might underestimate the real rates.

Published on: April 7, 2012

Giants Fan Suffers TBI after Being Attacked at Game

by Stephen Bilkis

A Giants fan is still recovering from an injury incurred over one month ago. His family worries that he won’t be able to fully recover. His injuries included traumatic brain injuries from being attacked at a Dodgers game.

The Northern California paramedic was severely beaten at a Dodgers game in April of 2011. Just one month later, his family wonders if he’ll return to normal.

The victim’s mother says that their family is trying to remain optimistic. “Today was very odd,” she says. “I was looking at his eyes to see if there was any movement, any dreaming, and there’s just nothing there. He’s basically gone,” she cries.

Published on: March 29, 2012

Things become much more complex in a non-free field or enclosed area, such as a building, experts have learned.

by Stephen Bilkis

The type of explosion studied theoretically in the determination of the causes of explosive blast traumatic brain injury (bTBI) assumed an open field explosion. Things become much more complex in a non-free field or enclosed area, such as a building, experts have learned. Concussions are common place.

In an enclosed space, the shockwaves can reflect from walls, ceilings, and other objects, creating a “complex wave field.” An explosive blast under such conditions creates an individual scenario that cannot accurately be predicted or replicated.

Doctors in Nassau and Suffolk Counties have noted there has been the assumption that pressure, and not the shockwave, may cause bTBI, but such studies may not be valid. These studies suggest the pressure of the blast leads to failure of air-filled organs, such as the lungs and the bowels. Therefore, if this is true, lungs should be injured more often in explosions. Clinical experience shows this is not the case. The bowel is generally uninjured unless there is penetration from shrapnel. Brain injurywas not studied and some believe interceptor body armor may protect those organs from the blast. There may even be other physical forces that play a role in explosive blast injury.

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: January 27, 2012

In the war theater, the primary caregivers are often medics

by Stephen Bilkis

Diagnosing a concussion or mild TBI (traumatic brain injury) can be difficult, even to experienced physicians, especially on the battlefield, researchers have been told. Yet, that does not diminish the importance of diagnosing such an injury as soon as possible so the appropriate medical care can be given as soon as possible. If it isn’t, the warfighter may be return to duty at impaired status and the condition could even worsen over time.

In the war theater, the primary caregivers are often medics, who are not as extensively trained as physicians. They may not be able to recognize such subtle injuries as the ones caused by mild TBI. Often there are no cuts or bruises with these injuries. In fact, the patient may not even know he or she has sustained an injury. Others may hide evidence of an injury to remain with their unit.

It is important that medics and other medical providers need to watch out for bTBI (explosive blast traumatic injury) after any soldier has been in close proximity to an explosion, experts have discovered. The patient may even need to be referred to another strata of care, like a neurologist, neurosurgeon, or emergency medical physician.

Published on: January 18, 2012

Closed head injuries generally result from a moving head hitting a stationary object

by Stephen Bilkis

The response of the head when a head injury is sustained has a great effect on the severity of the injury, according to studies. If the head is unable to change its velocity after impact, the skull may be crushed somewhat, resulting in a deformation of the skull. Injuries like this occur when a heavy object falls on the head of someone lying on an unyielding surface, such as a concrete floor. Closed head injuries or concussions generally result from a moving head hitting a stationary object or an object moving at a different velocity. Such injuries are thought to be caused by the acceleration of the brain within the skull.

Doctors know that impact with something that will bend, like the panel of a car, will have much less impact force than impact with something like a concrete floor. The panel of the car will absorb the force and slow the acceleration of the victim at a slower rate than a harder surface would. It may be the case, however, that in some cases a low level of acceleration over a longer period of time may actually be more harmful than a high level of acceleration that lasts a very short time.

Physicians and other experts in Staten Island and Westchester can attempt to model such effects with physics, but any efforts are often in vain due to the differences between individuals. The shape of the head itself, which varies quite a bit between human beings, may well be a factor in the effect of an impact upon the skull. Each case is therefore, unique, and may be difficult to judge by the examination of another case.

Published on: January 12, 2012

Diagnosing a concussion or mild TBI (traumatic brain injury) can be difficult, even to experienced physicians, especially on the battlefield, New York Brain Injury Lawyers have been told

by Stephen Bilkis

Diagnosing a concussion or mild TBI (traumatic brain injury) can be difficult, even to experienced physicians, especially on the battlefield, researchers have been told. Yet, that does not diminish the importance of diagnosing such an injury as soon as possible so the appropriate medical care can be given as soon as possible. If it isn’t, the warfighter may be return to duty at impaired status and the condition could even worsen over time.

In the war theater, the primary caregivers are often medics, who are not as extensively trained as physicians. They may not be able to recognize such subtle injuries as the ones caused by mild TBI. Often there are no cuts or bruises with these injuries. In fact, the patient may not even know he or she has sustained an brain injury. Others may hide evidence of an injury to remain with their unit.

It is important that medics and other medical providers need to watch out for bTBI (explosive blast traumatic injury) after any soldier has been in close proximity to an explosion, studies have discovered. The patient may even need to be referred to another strata of care, like a neurologist, neurosurgeon, or emergency medical physician. Studies in New York City and Queens hospitals have confirmed these findings.

Published on: December 4, 2011

Diagnosing a concussion or mild TBI (traumatic brain injury) can be difficult

by Stephen Bilkis

Diagnosing a concussion or mild TBI (traumatic brain injury) can be difficult, even to experienced physicians, especially on the battlefield. Yet, that does not diminish the importance of diagnosing such a brain injury as soon as possible so the appropriate medical care can be given as soon as possible. If it isn’t, the warfighter may be return to duty at impaired status and the condition could even worsen over time.

In the war theater, the primary caregivers are often medics, who are not as extensively trained as physicians. They may not be able to recognize such subtle injuries as the ones caused by mild TBI. Often there are no cuts or bruises with these injuries. In fact, the patient may not even know he or she has sustained an injury. Others may hide evidence of an injury to remain with their unit.

It is important that medics and other medical providers in hospitals in Nassau and Suffolk need to watch out for bTBI (explosive blast traumatic injury) after any soldier has been in close proximity to an explosion, doctors have discovered. The patient may even need to be referred to another strata of care, like a neurologist, neurosurgeon, or emergency medical physician.