Traumatic Brain Injury.(M4)

Traumatic Brain Injury
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Case Study
John Doe, a 46-year-old male was involved in a motorbike accident that led to a closed head injury. The injury was severe since he was not wearing a helmet. A passerby noticed he had lost consciousness and called an ambulance and John was taken to the hospital. At the emergency department, nurses gave him first aid and then took him to the operating room where multiple specialists assessed his injuries using the Computerized tomography (CT) scan. The findings revealed that John had sustained right epidural hematoma, diffuse subarachnoid hemorrhage, skull fracture, and concussion. Nurses gave him comma inducing drugs before undergoing an invasive surgical procedure to remove the blood clots, repair the fractures and stop bleeding. The patient recovered but had numerous incidents of memory lapse, concussion, and dizziness.
Is there any point in working towards an end that is focused solely on mortality?
There is no point in focusing on reducing mortality while neglecting other complications that may manifest as a result of the TBI. The treatment interventions outlined in the above case study are aimed at reducing mortality rates. They focus on mending the fracture, stopping bleeding and removing blood clots. All these interventions are meant to address immediate pain and suffering after the injury rather than taking into considerations the long-term effects of the Traumatic Brain Injury on the victim. Treatment does not restore the full functionality of the brain.

Instead, a patient of Traumatic Brain Injury needs to undergo rehabilitation depending on which functionality of the brain has been affected (Nelson et al., 2016).
Most victims of TBI have challenges regaining and recovering mobility and speech. There are numerous cases where patients diagnosed with TBI succumbed due to complication manifesting after treatment (Rondin et al., 2015). Traumatic brain injury can also plunge victims and their families into a situation of psychological and emotional turmoil. Despite receiving treatment, a substantial number of TBI victims are left incapacitated and without the ability to attend to Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) (Han et al., 2017). The chances of survival are dependent on how well medics can handle the injury. Consequently, the treatment approach used is vital in assessing the resulting complications.
Should we first focus on discovering treatments to reduce morbidity?
Yes, treatment intervention should be harnessed towards reducing morbidity rather than solely focusing on reducing the mortality rates. Traumatic brain injury leads to long-term impairment and disability which ends up placing an immense socioeconomic burden on the families of the survivors. According to Dash & Chavali (2018), the US lost approximately $51 billion since most victims of TBI were not in a position to regain their functional performance. A substantial number of TBI survivors become independent after treatment due to lost productivity. Approximately 1 million victims of Traumatic Brain Injury are in need of rehabilitation each year in India (Kashyap & Kumar, 2010).
Traumatic brain injury has far more reaching implications on the life and health of survivors. These implications range from cognitive and behavioral problems. Resolving physical problems do not warrant a remedy to other complications that may arise later. This necessitates the need to develop treatment strategies meant to reduce morbidity. Most complications resulting after the treatment of TBI are long-term and may persist for more than ten years (Kashyap & Kumar, 2010). The discovery of new treatment approaches will also help reduce the burden placed on the victim’s family. A more holistic treatment strategy is commendable since the focus is placed on improving the quality of life rather than treating the injuries.
References
Dash, H. H., & Chavali, S. (2018). Management of traumatic brain injury patients. Korean journal of anesthesiology, 71(1), 12-21.
Han, J. X., See, A. A. Q., Gandhi, M., & King, N. K. K. (2017). Models of mortality and morbidity in severe traumatic brain injury: an analysis of a Singapore neurotrauma database. World neurosurgery, 108, 885-893.
Kashyap, H., & Kumar, K. (2010). Integrated rehabilitation for a case with traumatic brain injury. Indian Journal of Neurotrauma, 7(01), 89-91.
Nelson, C. G., Elta, T., Bannister, J., Dzandu, J., Mangram, A., & Zach, V. (2016). Severe traumatic brain injury: A case report. The American journal of case reports, 17, 186.
Rondina, C., Videtta, W., Petroni, G., Lujan, S., Schoon, P., Mori, L. B., … & Chesnut, R. (2005). Mortality and morbidity from moderate to severe traumatic brain injury in Argentina. The Journal of head trauma rehabilitation, 20(4), 368-376.