Articles Posted in Brain and Head Injury

Recently, the news of Ohio State University football player Kosta Karageorge has once again raised the important issue of the link between traumatic brain injuries and mental instability. According to an NBC News report, Karageorge allegedly suffered from debilitating concussions. His autopsy shed some light on what happened to him. But there are thousands more nationwide playing football at various levels: club, varsity, university and professional. It is important that these players understand this important information so they can make informed decisions about care and treatment.
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Swedish researchers have devised a blood test that could better diagnose traumatic brain injuries such as concussions.

According to a Reuters news report, this discovery could prevent athletes to return to the field when they are in danger of suffering further serious injury.

Researchers say their method can show just an hour after the head injury how severe the concussion is, regardless of whether there is the risk of long-term symptoms.

In contact sports such as football, repeated concussions are common where the brain has not healed completely after the first blow. This type of injury is particularly dangerous.
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Anandre Thomas, 17, is on life support and may have suffered catastrophic brain injuries after a near-drowning accident at a public swimming pool, CBS Los Angeles report. Officials say the swimming pool accident occurred the afternoon of June 12, 2013 at Jesse Owens County Park in the 9800 block of South Western Avenue. Fire officials say four lifeguards were on duty at the pool at the time of the accident. Thomas was not breathing and had no pulse when lifeguards found him. They called for help and started CPR. But his family members say, Thomas was underwater for more than five minutes before lifeguards attempted a rescue.
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A teenager who suffered traumatic head injury in a skateboarding accident last June is finding adjustment difficult, but he and his family keep a positive attitude about his recovery. They are hoping for an eventual full recovery, but that has not kept his family from having to endure the daily problems associated with brain injury.

“In An Instant”

Everett Zamarron-Smith was riding his skateboard near his home last June when he picked up too much speed and flew backward, landing on his head. His mother, alerted by her son’s friend, raced to his side only to have rescue personnel transport the unconscious teen to the hospital. There, doctors removed a portion of his skull to compensate for brain swelling.

First of all, know that you are not alone. According to the Utah Department of Health, there are 37 people who are treated and released from an emergency room due to a traumatic brain injury (TBI) every day. An additional 7 people are hospitalized or die each day from a TBI.

Nationally, more than 230,000 people are hospitalized annually and survive, and 50,000 people die each year from TBI-related injuries (Brain Injury Recovery Network).

Second, know that you can in fact get the help you need. There are a great many resources and services dedicated specifically to head trauma and TBI-related injury recovery. Resources and services will vary for each state, but each State’s Health Department should be of great help.

Adriana Nicanor, 29, was critically injured in a Ventura car accident when she was ejected from the vehicle in which she was a passenger. According to a news report in the Ventura County Star, the single vehicle accident occurred on Highway 101 near Victoria Avenue in Ventura, the morning of May 16, 2011. Ricardo Avila, 24, was driving south when his car veered off the roadway, entered the shoulder and struck a concrete wall. Nicanor was ejected from the car as it rolled over numerous times after hitting the wall. She suffered critical head injuries and Avila sustained a cut to his finger. Avila was later arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

My thoughts and prayers are with Adriana Nicanor following this DUI collision. I wish her the very best for a complete and quick recovery.

Ventura County DUI Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), two people were killed and 63 injured as a result of alcohol-related crashes in Ventura. During that same year, Ventura County DUI collisions claimed 27 lives and injured 475 people.
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Parents are constantly on the look out for how to keep their children safe. Kids, on the other hand, believe themselves to be brave and unstoppable, and often make daring moves that end in minor injuries. Sometimes, more serious brain injury results from a variety of situations children are involved in. Parents can consider the following to help avoid accidents that cause brain damage.

Remember to teach your children how to act around or inside vehicles. When crossing streets, talk about the steps of stopping, looking both ways before crossing, and using crosswalks. Teach them to be aware of their surroundings, especially the actions of nearby vehicle. Inside cars, babies and young children must be harnessed in car seats, and older children must wear their seatbelts. Before operating the vehicle, make sure everyone is “strapped in.”
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