Surgery
Emergency surgery may be needed to minimize additional damage to brain tissues. Surgery may be used to address the following problems:
Medications
Medications to limit secondary damage to the brain immediately after an injury may include:
Rehabilitation
Most people who have had a significant brain injury will require rehabilitation. They may need to relearn basic skills, such as talking and/ or walking. The goal of rehabilitation is to improve their abilities to perform daily activities and to increase their quality of life.
Therapy usually begins in the hospital and continues at an inpatient rehabilitation unit, a residential treatment facility or through outpatient services. The type and duration of rehabilitation varies by individual, depending on the severity of the brain injury and what part of the brain was injured.
Rehabilitation specialists may include:
Emergency surgery may be needed to minimize additional damage to brain tissues. Surgery may be used to address the following problems:
- Bleeding outside or within the brain can result in a collection of clotted blood (hematoma) that puts pressure on the brain and damages brain tissue. Thus, the clotted blood may need to get removed.
- Surgery may be needed to repair severe skull fractures or to remove pieces of skull in the brain.
- Surgery may be used to relieve pressure inside the skull by draining accumulated cerebrospinal fluid or creating a window in the skull that provides more room for swollen tissues.
Medications
Medications to limit secondary damage to the brain immediately after an injury may include:
- Diuretics: they reduce the amount of fluid in tissues, increase urine output and help reduce pressure inside the brain.
- Anti-seizure drugs: Individuals who had a moderate to severe TBI are at risk of having seizures.
- Coma-inducing drugs. A temporary coma may be induced by doctors because a comatose brain needs less oxygen to function. This is particularly helpful if blood vessels, which may be compressed by increased pressure in the brain, are unable to deliver the usual amount of nutrients and oxygen to brain cells.
Rehabilitation
Most people who have had a significant brain injury will require rehabilitation. They may need to relearn basic skills, such as talking and/ or walking. The goal of rehabilitation is to improve their abilities to perform daily activities and to increase their quality of life.
Therapy usually begins in the hospital and continues at an inpatient rehabilitation unit, a residential treatment facility or through outpatient services. The type and duration of rehabilitation varies by individual, depending on the severity of the brain injury and what part of the brain was injured.
Rehabilitation specialists may include:
- Physiatrists: doctors trained in physical medicine and rehabilitation; they oversee the entire rehabilitation process and manages medical rehabilitation problems
- Occupational therapists: they assist patients with a variety of activities that are essential to daily life and require fine motor control such as eating, bathing and dressing
- Physical therapists: they help patients increase their mobility and relearn movement patterns, balance and walking
- Speech and language pathologists: they help patients improve their speech, language and cognitive skills. In addition, they work with patients who have voice and swallowing difficulties.
- Neuropsychologists: they assesses cognitive skills and provide patients with coping strategies
- Social workers or case managers: facilitates access to service agencies, assists with care decisions and planning, and facilitates communication among various professionals, care providers and family members
- Rehabilitation nurses: they provides ongoing rehabilitation care and services and help with discharge planning from the hospital or rehabilitation facility
- Vocational counselors: they assesses the patient's ability to return to work and provide resources for addressing common challenges in the workplace