Head Injury Criteria
Statistic show a leading cause of instant death in the United States is due to head injury. With around 50,000 mortality, and nearly a million hospitalizations, fifty percent of these are due to motor vehicle accidents. If it doesn't result to death, traumatic incidents oftentimes end up in temporary or permanent disability. To come up to successful head injury criteria is tedious and meticulous process that requires consideration of the three components of the human head in its complex system.
Head injury criteria may be mathematically based on Articulated Total Body (ATB) model to complement full mechanical testing in computer programs used to simulate the dynamic motion of jointed systems of rigid bodies, the Head Severity Index and the Head Injury Criteria.
Thru anthropomorphic test dummies as live human subject, cadaver, or animal, that which brain injury criteria functions, and based on observed impact responses of such dummies pointing further advance understanding of the head injury mechanisms.
Revealing full extent of head injury criteria based on studies on motor vehicle victims where impact on trauma results to coma is oftentimes mistaken as mild; however, leaving permanent hopeful victim's family for a reckoning day of consciousness but instead, turning to a vanishing point of hopelessness. Diagnosis resulting to complications of mild, instead of severe oftentimes seem more destructive to the family of the victim. Mild should not be diagnosed as such. The severity of brain damage is obviously demonstrated in the way coma victim persist as to the extent in time duration, and cause for normal healing definitely uncalculated.
How is the Head Injured (in the 3 component areas)?
- SCALP (skin and other soft tissues covering the skull), this is when damaged in this areas are superficial and deep, obviously on bruises, lacerations, and scrapes.
- SKULL (as cranial and facial bony parts), determines the breakage of two or more bones, or a fractured part of the bony skull.
- BRAIN (contents of the skull and brain's protective membranes, the "meninges" and many blood vessels), this is caused by sudden impact and abrupt head movement that affects the soft tissues of the brain, or a simultaneous damage-effect of the two.
Parameter studies reflecting the complexity of the head and the brain systems is attributed to the consequence of every details when the injury occurred. An attempt to categorize this effect is difficult because head injury assessment is in itself a complex process to consider, demonstrated and enhanced in the ATB computer program simulations of observed-impact responses of victims, volunteers, animals and cadavers. Data on each have certain limitations.
The relationship of the acceleration level and impulse duration about head injury is presented in a series of data points indicating a tolerable acceleration level as duration increase. The theory has certain affiliation to some researchers that became the founding group which most recent accepted indexes of head injury tolerance has its basis.
Other current test on head injury criteria is the Head Impact Power (HIP). The criterion on the HIP theorizes not only on the rigid body motion of the skull (kinematics of the head), but also the changes of the kinetic energy of the skull having to do with form impairment of and damage to the non-rigid brain matter. HIP has its core on general rate of change of translational and rotational kinetic energy
Head injury criteria do not conclude a definite consensus of opinion or any standardized procedure, predictors, or specific measurement criterion owing to the complex process the head injury involves.
Head Injury Tip #1
Any injury to the head should be taken very seriously. Otherwise, the injured person could suffer from paralysis or even death if necessary medical treatment is not administered immediately. Without conducting some tests, like x-ray and/or CT scan, the injured or the doctor will not know the extent of the injury.
Head Injury Tip #2
Observe the injured person constantly for additional symptoms that may develop. Document these changes meticulously to help the patient's physician in diagnosing the extent of the brain injury, since onset of symptoms may occur days, weeks or months after the initial injury.
Head Injury Tip #3
Get as much details as soon as possible about the incident that caused the traumatic brain injury. Whatever the cause of the injury - car accident, work-related, working around the house, etc., it will be important to have all the details documented in case the cause of the injury ends up in court.