Increase in traumatic brain injury in adolescents

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For Young Athletes, Coaches Are Key to Brain Injury Prevention

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    May 03, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Flying in the face of conventional beliefs, recent research indicates that children are more likely than adults to experience long-term complications after concussions and other traumatic brain injuries resulting from contact sports or other blows to the head. One-third of kids who survive a traumatic brain injury will experience lasting effects, according to Australian researched released in early 2012.

With help from the Brain Injury Association of Washington and similar groups nationwide, concussion awareness is improving among coaches and others who work with young athletes. A recent survey by Korrio and Axon Sports found that 75 percent of youth coaches are aware of sports-related concussions among young athletes -- but the bad news is that 25 percent were not.

Second-Impact Syndrome

For kids involved in contact sports, concussions and related complications like second-impact syndrome can pose a serious risk of permanent harm or even death. Second-impact syndrome occurs when a second brain injuryoccurs before the first has completely healed, creating a major risk for young athletes who are allowed to continue playing after an undiagnosed concussion.

While the brain is healing from a concussion, it is extremely vulnerable to injury and even a seemingly minor additional blow to the head may trigger rapid, uncontrollable swelling. The sudden increase of pressure that results can quickly cause irreparable brain damage and in many cases is fatal.

Prevention

Because the risks associated with undiagnosed concussions are extremely high, particularly for kids who play contact sports, it is essential that coaches learn to recognize the signs of concussion and respond to them appropriately. Young athletes with concussion symptoms should be removed from play and barred from further participation until they have been evaluated by a medical professional. Not only is this common sense, but in Washington it is also the law -- and many other states are following suit.

Baseline testing can be an effective tool in helping coaches to spot concussions. The method involves testing athletes before the athletic season begins, or at any time when they are not injured, to determine each player's baseline level of cognitive functioning. Athletes can then be re-tested after experiencing a blow to the head, potentially revealing subtle cognitive changes that are often a sign of concussion.

Legal Help

If your child has experienced a concussion or other traumatic brain injury while playing contact sports, consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer to learn about your options for seeking possible compensation for your child's injuries and medical costs.

Article provided by Blado Kiger Bolan, P.S.
Visit us at http://www.bkinjurylaw.com

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Adolescents at higher risk for brain damage in car Accidents

May 4, 2012 /24-7PressRelease / -dead in the teen drivers have decreased over the past six years, the centres for Disease Control (CDC) car claims accidents remain the leading cause of death among adolescents. More adolescent survivors of accidents, the effects of an accident are more and more obvious. Unfortunately, the recent debate national concussions among teenagers in high school sports has overshadowed the broader question of serious head injuries in accidents among teenagers.

Stats

Due in part to reach-out programs, death of the pilot teen falls 46% between 2005 and 2010 (from 2 399 at 1 305). He was also a 41% drop in the death of passengers during the same period (from 777 to 1 1,022). Unfortunately, young drivers and their passengers (55,000 of them in 2009 and 2010) continue to be seriously injured in a car accident. Thirty percent of these 55 000 adolescents have undergone a form any injury to the head, including concussions, skull fractures and same-traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The reasons

The National Institutes of Health, said children and teenagers are more susceptible to concussions and injuries to the brain due to the ongoing brain development. Young minds is also more likely to suffer from neurological and psychological disorders in the long term that may affect social and cognitive skills, as well as family relationships, for years. As the brain is the most difficult to heal the body, the road to recovery is long and often very expensive.

Teens are very susceptible to injuries in the head leading to traumatic brain injury from a car accident. The results of such an injury to the head can be devastating. If your young child suffered a head injury in an automobile accident, please contact experienced injury lawyer to discuss your situation and your options.

Article provided by Law Offices of Jay a. Bansal
Visit us at the www.jaybansallaw.com

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New Method Discovered for Monitoring Traumatic Brain Injuries

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April 27, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Traumatic brain injuries are some of the most troubling consequences of a motor vehicle accident. They can cause severe damage, especially if left unchecked, but are sometimes very hard to detect. Further, until recently, doctors have not had a safe way to monitor the intracranial pressure that follows a severe head injury.

Head trauma can lead to elevated pressure within the skull, crushing brain tissue and cutting off blood supply to the brain. Doctors have long thought that the only way to monitor this pressure was to drill a hole in the skull though which they could insert a catheter into the damaged tissue. This procedure is invasive -- and sometimes quite risky -- so doctors have traditionally reserved it for only the most critically ill patients.

Unfortunately, this meant that doctors could not track the progression of head trauma in non-critical patients. Even for these patients, increasing pressure comes with significant risk of long-term brain damage.

New Method to Track Intracranial Pressure

Recently, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a new method for monitoring the progression of intracranial pressure after a concussion or other traumatic head injury.

The researchers found that intracranial pressure could be accurately measured by inserting a catheter at the wrist to measure radial arterial pressure. That pressure reading is then run though a computer model that uses the arterial blood flow to determine pressure on the brain.

Accessible Technology Still Needs to be Developed

Researchers are now working on a way to translate this discovery into an easily accessible tool for doctors and hospital staff. They also hope to develop a non-invasive continuous monitoring system that head injury victims can wear.

If their efforts work out, the innovation could have striking effects on the prognoses of brain injury victims in Denver. Since most of the negative effects of traumatic brain injuries are related to tissue damage caused by pressure on the brain, knowing when a patient is in trouble can help doctors intervene appropriately.

Treating brain injuries can be an arduous and costly experience. Victims may suffer long-lasting consequences, even if their injury was detected and treated early. If you have been the victim of a traumatic brain injury caused by a traffic accident or other negligent act, a Colorado personal injury attorney can help you understand your options.

Article provided by Coppola & Marlin PC
Visit us at www.coppolamarlin.com

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Cars, Not Contact Sports, Pose Greatest Threat for Teen Brain Injury

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    April 22, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Cars, Not Contact Sports, Pose Greatest Threat for Teen Brain Injury

Media outlets have been abuzz recently with a steady stream of reports about the dangers of concussions among child athletes, but a recent study suggests that teens may face a greater risk of serious brain injury on the road than on the athletic field.

In a study conducted by State Farm Insurance and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, researchers found that 30 percent of teenagers seriously injured in car accidents in 2009 and 2010 suffered major head trauma resulting in skull fractures, concussions and other traumatic brain injuries. Since full recovery after a brain injury is not always possible, these injuries often have devastating, lifelong consequences for the injured teens and their families.

With Treatment Options Limited, Prevention Is Key

The good news is that prevention can go a long way in protecting teenagers from the risks of crash-related brain injuries and fatalities. Perhaps not surprisingly, seatbelt use is a major factor; two-thirds of teens killed in car accidents are not buckled in, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

Less obvious, however, is the impact that graduated driver's licensing laws can have on reducing teen injuries and deaths on the road. In fact, the authors of the brain injury study found that states with the most comprehensive graduated licensing laws -- including Arizona -- have the lowest rates in the country for teen brain injuries and fatalities.

Arizona Graduated Driver's License Law

Under Arizona's graduated driver's license law, teen drivers must complete a total of 30 hours of supervised behind-the-wheel driving practice, including 20 daytime and 10 nighttime hours, before qualifying for a graduated driver's license. In addition, a teen driver who has had a graduated license for less than six months is generally prohibited from driving between midnight and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by a licensed parent or guardian. Finally, except when accompanied by a parent, a teen driver with a graduated license may not transport more than one passenger under the age of 18 unless the passengers are siblings of the driver.

If your child has been injured in car accident, you may be able to receive compensation for the injuries and expenses arising from the crash. Contact an experienced personal injury lawyer to learn more about your legal options.

Article provided by Kinerk, Schmidt & Sethi, PLLC
Visit us at http://www.kbsds.com/

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