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Traumatic Brain Injury Essay

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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the result of an external force against the head that causes displacement of the cranial structures, either through impact with an object or through acceleration and deceleration. TBI is not isolated to a single ethnic group, socioeconomic class, or region (Berquist et al., 2009; Jang et al., 2013). In 2002, the United States had the highest incidence of reported TBI cases of any developed country. The incidence of hospital admissions due to closed head injuries in the United States was estimated to be approximately 200 per 100,000 people, and the number of penetrating head injuries was estimated to be 12 per 100,000—approximately 500,000 new cases in total. Many of those cases had significant …show more content…

There is currently limited information regarding the long-term effects of brain injuries sustained in battle (Mass et al., 2008). In the military population, TBI cases are sometimes co-morbid with post-traumatic stress disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder and TBI can present with similar symptoms of cognitive impairment, which further complicates the process of making an accurate diagnosis (Tanev, Pentel, Kredlow, & Charney, 2014). Injuries associated with TBI are divided into two categories: primary injuries and secondary injuries. Primary injuries are the direct physical damage incurred at the moment the trauma occurs. Secondary brain injuries occur indirectly as a result of trauma and usually appear hours or days after the initial injury. Secondary injuries exist as result of or separate from the initial injury. They cause complications such as hemorrhaging, alterations in intracranial pressure (ICP), and neurological deficits. Deterioration can occur even after patients have been downgraded from critical status. Approximately 40% of all cases of TBI deteriorate after hospitalization. These complications are a major cause of death in people with a TBI (Narayan et al., 2002). The brain normally maintains a state of homeostasis, meaning the cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) stays within a normal range to adequately carry blood to the brain. The protective

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