Image: jupiterimages (brain), Getty Images (duct tape)
In Brief
- Doctors can often save the life of a victim of severe traumatic brain injury if they reach the patient soon enough—but are far less able to preserve the person’s mental abilities.
- The best hope for improved healing lies neither in new medications, which have been disappointing so far, nor in exotic fixes involving stem cells and neural regeneration, which are at least a decade away.
- The biggest gains in cognitive recovery will likely result from advances in emergency room and intensive care practices such as slowing the brain’s metabolism by cooling the body, removing part of the skull to relieve intracranial pressure and injecting an experimental polymer “glue” to repair damaged brain cells.
Kirsten Timmons was navigating a frozen overpass one night when a passing car skidded out of control and slammed into her vehicle. As her car came to a stop, Timmons’s head probably snapped around its own axis, decelerating sharply when it struck the seat-belt holder next to her.
The impact produced a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), knocking Timmons out and setting the stage for lasting brain damage. Luckily for her, emergency services rushed her to the hospital within an hour of the crash, greatly boosting her chances of survival. Prompt medical attention can, for example, prevent dangerous pressure buildup in the brain, remove perilous blood clots and thwart other life-threatening consequences of severe TBI.
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7 Comments
Add Comment" When faced with a persistant pressure problem, Physicians drill a small hole in the base of the skull to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid" This is incorrect. Physicians drill a small hole in the TOP of the skull to place a ventriculostomy, which is a small catheter inserted into one of the ventricles of the brain to drain excess cerebral spinal fluid.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThanks
Intensive care nurse
Mr. Laursen, Thank you for an accurate discription of my/this devastating injury I have indured. Please continue to report on this TBI injury since our country will continue to encounter it tremendously as a result of the injuries to our military members in the war. Kirsten Timmons
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHas there been any discussion regarding the residual effects of lowering the patients body temperature. I work with people who have suffered a TBI and quite a few have difficulty feeling warm. Even in a very warm environment they will complain that they are freezing. I was wondering if there is a possible connection between induced lowered body temp and the feeling they are always cold.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWow, I thought duct tape would do damage. I'll try that next time! Great article.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this@ Kristen; Thanks for your service! God speed with your recovery.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWe're FREE because we have veterans--we need to take care of them!
Quinn--Viet Nam 67-71
Here here for the shout out to the vets....This tech could make some of my friends lives tremendously better and, if not them, service members that are injured in the future.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHope you continue to recover Kirsten.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBgray - remember the temperature 'control' is in the brain stem. maybe this is affected during the cooling period when the brain is shocked.
Best wishes,
Marg.