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Traumatic Brain Injuries, more commonly known as TBI are any of a class of head injuries that affects the brain. Generally classed into two groups, closed (non-penetrative) head injuries and open (penetrative) head injuries, closed head injuries are further classified as mild, moderate or severe. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) actually breaks down into additional subgroups which further define the amount of potential damage that has been caused, and to describe the type of damage done.
The least level of traumatic injury to the brain is called a concussion. Typically, someone who loses consciousness for a few seconds or so after a blow to the head is said to have suffered a concussion, however this term has come to describe any low level blow to the head that may have the possibility of causing injury to the head or brain. Someone who suffers a concussion generally has few lingering symptoms other than a headache, or slightly blurred vision. Even these symptoms quickly resolve with mild injury.
Skull fractures result when a blow to the head is severe enough to violate the integrity of the skull. Other than a crack of the bone, there are two types of skull fractures. The first is termed a Depressive Skull Fracture which means that an area of the skull has depressed inward and is pressing against the brain. The next is a Penetrative Skull Fracture which means that something has pierced the skull and has continued into the brain, causing localized damage to the brain material.
Since the brain is suspended in cerebral-spinal fluid, it is capable of movement within the skull. Due to this ability to shift, the brain can hit the inside of the skull, causing a bruising or contusion of the brain. Like an external bruise, this is typified by localized swelling and breakage of blood vessels. A closed head injury resulting in a contusion is called a contrecoup and usually occurs during an auto accident, or with Shaken Baby Syndrome.
If a large blood vessel breaks causing heavy bleeding into or around the brain, this is called a hematoma. There are three types of hematoma that describes which layer of the skull and brain is affected. An Epidural Hematoma is caused when there is bleeding between the skull and the Dura, which is a membrane surrounding the brain. There is a secondary membrane that covers the brain called the arachnoid membrane, and bleeding between the dura and this membrane is called a Subdural Hematoma. Bleeding within the brain itself is called an intracerebral hematoma. Unless the bleeding manages to stop on its own, surgery is required to prevent severe brain damage from occurring.
Another type of brain injury that occurs is called Anoxia. This is when the oxygen supply is cut off from the brain, causing cells to die. Hypoxia is a similar state in which the oxygen supply is reduced to the point that brain damage occurs, but isn’t a complete lack of oxygen. These conditions occur most often with a near drowning victim, heart attack victims and when there’s significant blood loss from other injuries that affects the flow of blood to the brain. One cause of this anoxia/hypoxia damage has come to the forefront of late in the news with what has been termed “The Choking Game” which is when someone cuts off oxygen to the brain to create an artificial “high”. Several deaths have been attributed to this, and the amount of brain damage that has occurred to practitioners is unknown.
These terms cover the basic brain injuries that can occur. More information is available online or from your local library.
If you have a loved one who is a victim of a traumatic brain injury, and you have no legal representation, then now is the time to call. Toll Free Phone Number 1-877-220-0550.
