While not always the case, traumatic brain injuries are typically emergencies that require immediate medical treatment. Without this, symptoms can worsen and in the most severe cases, death can occur.
Upon presenting at a hospital with a suspected traumatic brain injury, your medical team will conduct a thorough examination while ordering a variety of imaging tests. This will quickly give them an overview of what’s happening, thus ensuring fast treatment.
Emergency surgery is often required to not only address the current situation, but to prevent additional damage to brain tissues. Here are some of the many types of problems a surgical procedure can address:
Bleeding in the brain: Any amount of bleeding in the brain is extremely dangerous, as it can damage tissues and increase swelling.
Blood clot: If a blood clot reaches the brain, the end result can be damage to the tissue, increased pressure and stroke.
Skull fracture: The skull is extremely strong, but that doesn’t mean there’s no potential for a fracture. Depending on the severity and location, surgery may be necessary to repair the fracture and/or remove pieces of the bone from the brain.
To relieve pressure: For example, by opening a window in the skull, your doctor is able to drain any fluid or blood that is causing a pressure imbalance. This also creates additional room to accommodate swollen tissues.
Other Types of Emergency Care
While your medical team is running tests and attempting to determine if you require surgery, they’ll focus on stabilizing your condition. This includes but is not always limited to:
Ensuring that you are getting enough oxygen
Ensuring an adequate blood supply
Maintaining a healthy blood pressure
Stabilizing your back, head and neck to prevent additional injury
Also, your medical team will take steps to prevent secondary damage, such as the result of losing too much blood.
As with any serious injury, your health is more important than anything else. It deserves 100 percent of your attention for as long as it takes. But as time allows, you should also learn more about the cause of your accident, who was at fault and any steps you can take to obtain compensation for your injuries and all other damages.
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