A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be caused by any number of blunt or penetrating-force traumas. Depending on the extent of the problem, there can be a lengthy road to recovery.
1. Acute Issues
Some mild brain injuries may cause little or no initial symptoms. Generally, your loved one may need to stay in the hospital for observation to be sure there are no underlying issues that only become worse over time. When the injury is more serious, the acute issues are often related to basic life support, bleeding, and brain swelling.
Your loved one may need CPR and/or a ventilator if parts of their brain were injured that are responsible for these functions. Head injuries can also cause bleeding in the brain, which may stop on its own or may require surgery. Additionally, brain swelling is another potential complication of a head injury. Surgeons will remove part of the skull if the brain begins to swell or they believe swelling will occur.
2. Evaluation
After acute issues are handled, the full extent of problems may not be known for a while. Generally, a person will have several brain scans to determine the extent of their injuries. They might also have tests to determine neurological function to better understand awareness, reflexes, and whether a person may have experienced irreparable damage. Surgeons may be able to give you an idea of what to expect over the coming days and weeks.
For extensive brain damage, the next several days may be critical, especially in cases of bleeding, swelling, or unstable vital signs. The most important part to remember is the prognosis may change day to day as new brain scans are done and if there are complications. Some people with extensive brain damage may be in a coma, whether due to their injury or medically-induced, for weeks or months.
3. Recovery
The recovery phase will have different meanings for each patient. For the most severe cases of TBI who have survived the initial injury, there may be little or no chance of recovery, and they may live in a nursing home indefinitely. TBI patients with a better prognosis may spend significant time in the hospital recovering before being moved to a long-term care facility. Their recovery can include different types of rehabilitation, such as occupational and speech therapy, in hopes of regaining basic functions.
Physical therapy is often important, even if the ability to walk or move was not directly impacted. Staying in the hospital for weeks or months can mean there is muscle wasting, which requires physical therapy to help with movement. There may also be changes to cognition or mood that require cognitive therapy or help from a neuropsychologist.
TBIs can cause a wide range of outcomes, from little long-term problems to being fatal. Taking each challenge as it comes will make the overwhelming nature of a TBI easier to manage. For more information, contact a medical office like Neurosurgical Associates of San Antonio.
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