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Treatment and Rehabilitation of Traumatic Brain Injury
The treatment and rehabilitation of traumatic brain injury varies from case to case. However, there are accepted standards and procedures that should be followed in determining the extent and severity of traumatic brain injury. By following these procedures, the medical community is able to diagnose and provide a course of traumatic brain injury treatment no matter how severe the head injury may be.
Emergency Treatment of TBI
The first stage in the treatment of traumatic brain injury is to stabilize the patient and perform whatever life saving procedures is necessary. Car accidents are one of the most common causes of traumatic brain injury so there may be other injuries in addition to head injury that require immediate attention. Blocked airways or excessive and profuse bleeding could be some of these other issues. Traumatic brain injury treatment that may be necessary immediately are those that will reduce intracranial pressure, sometimes caused by edema of the brain. If left untreated, the buildup of intracranial pressure can cause permanent damage. It is important that pressure not be allowed to build up in and around the brain. Situations such as subdural hematomas, blood clots and intracerebral hemorrhages are all cause for immediate medical intervention. Treatment for these conditions may include medications, surgery, or the insertion of a shunt to drain excess fluids. Once the patient has been stabilized then a more thorough course of treatment may begin.
Treatment after stabilization
After the patient is stabilized, a thorough assessment of the severity of the traumatic brain injury can be made. This is usually done by a neurologist. The assessment will include daily observation if the injury is severe enough to keep the patient in a medical or rehab facility. Symptoms of additional problems will be the patient is not progressing as well as expected complaints of headaches that are increasing in intensity and or frequency, signs of swelling of the cranial cavity, muscle and coordination issues that do not improve, and other signs that there may be unresolved or undiscovered issues. Once testing and assessment has been completed, a course of treatment for traumatic brain injury can be determined.
Ongoing therapy
Part of this course of treatment may involve occupational and physical therapies. Patients suffering from traumatic brain injuries often suffer coordination issues, interruptions in speech patterns and problems with memory loss and retention. All of these issues must be dealt with in order to facilitate the best recovery possible. Many times a patient will be referred out to a physical therapist in order to help improve muscle coordination that has been adversely effected by the head injury.
Occupational therapists may need to be consulted in order to treat issues with memory and fine motor skills such as writing. Speech therapists may be involved in order to help regain "loss of words" or for help with speech patterns that may have been affected by the injury. Memory specialists may also need to be brought in for those suffering from severe memory issues.
For many individuals suffering from traumatic brain injury the treatment and rehabilitation takes months or perhaps years. There may be lingering and ongoing disabilities and handicaps that result from this type of injury. For some, recovery and rehabilitation become a lifelong process.
There is no single course of action for traumatic brain injury treatment. Every individual case is different. Only through a series of diagnosis and tests will the patient be able to have a course of treatment and rehabilitation of traumatic brain injury that is best suited to them.
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