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Heads Up Alaska: Traumatic Brain InjuryThe first in a seriesRelated Content
ANCHORAGE - Last year more than 630 Alaskans were treated for traumatic brain injuries, or TBI, at Alaska Regional Hospital -- 48 of them died, including two patients under the age of 5. Dr. Regina Chennault is a trauma surgeon and the Trauma Medical Director at Alaska Regional Hospital. It's her job to make sure people coming into the emergency room with a TBI get the help they need. “Time is of the essence, in that golden hour [as] it's referred to,” said Dr. Chennault. One of the first steps is to take a CT scan of the patient’s brain. “A lot of times if it's a penetrating injury we can see a bullet in the head, or if it's a fall or some impact where the skull was fractured we will see bone fragments displaced through the brain,” said Chennault. The CT scan can also show signs of swelling or bleeding in the brain. Dr, Tim Cohen, a neurosurgeon in Anchorage for the past 17 years, is called on to help assesses CT scans to decide if surgery is needed. Dr. Cohen says it's not only the CT scan that's important when making surgery decisions -- it's also how the patient is acting. “You can have a patient with these exact findings and they are sitting up talking to you; you can have a patient with these exact findings and they are unresponsive,” said Cohen. Current data shows the third leading cause if TBI in Alaska is assault, and Dr. Chennault says many patients are women who are victims of abuse. The number one cause of TBI is falling. The severity of a TBI depends on the type of accident or trauma, and the amount of energy that's impacted the brain. Sometimes surgery is needed immediately; other times a patient is put under watch. “Sometimes TBI don't manifest themselves until they've been in the hospital for a day or two,” said Dr. Cohen. Severe TBI can leave patients with a long road to recovery. “Not everybody leaves the hospital at the same level of function that they were prior to their injury,” said Dr. Chennault. |
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Damage? What Dain Brammage? said on Friday, Jan 11 at 7:18 PM
yeah, yeah, TBI's, CVA's, CHI's...but what about CHEMICAL BRAIN INJURY ?? What can be done about all those knuckleheads that are frying their gray matter, hmmmmm?
111122522Susan said on Friday, Feb 1 at 5:27 PM
TBI can be caused by lack of oxygen during or after a surgery for another injury.Just because the number on the machine says it is above 90 dosen't mean the patient is getting enough o2, I live on a daily basis with a brain injured husband, who had to have a finger re-attached, and he went from a IQ of 138 to 121 and now it is down to 99, he has ongoing progressive dementia and you know what, the medical profession says its not their fault, he can not work, and has not been able to since the surgery of 12/8/2008 Thanks Matanuska Regional, you didn't do good on that one, thats why they call you Death Vally Hospital.
112702885Patty Raymond said on Sunday, Feb 3 at 11:30 PM
Thank you for helping raise awareness re: this critical and widespread public health problem in Alaska. - Patty Raymond (Regional Education Coordinator, Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center - based at JBER TB Clinic)
112818001Jeffry Kellerman said on Friday, Feb 15 at 3:05 AM
There is no need for an attitude because brain damage is brain damage, no matter how it was acquired. The fact is that a lot can be done, and a lot is being done. There is a reason why we use only a small percentage of our brain and in this it is so the brain is able to recover from damage. When positively approached, the individual learns what they can do and then does those methods of reprogramming. With help and assistance the brain will literally bring to life a part of itself that was not normally used... i.e. Speech is damaged, and when properly trained, the brain will create a new area to control the speech.
113572216Dave Eubank said on Sunday, Feb 24 at 5:07 PM
I was once asked a peculiar and highly unusual question by a neurophsychologist: "What would you like us to do for you today." After I responded he said, "That's very good because you have to, ... you have to do the work; we can mend the broken bones and close the open wounds but we cannot rehabilitate the mind, you have to. How do I spell relief? That's how.Los Angeles Veteran's Hospital
114418972Dave Eubank said on Sunday, Feb 24 at 11:07 PM
Spelling infraction and correction on previous post:omit the letter h between letters p/s in the word neuropsychologist. A-
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