Why the Severity of a Brain Injury Matters

Brain injuries in Vista can occur in many different types of circumstances, with some being classified as mild in terms of severity and others as moderate or severe. These injuries most commonly result from car accidents, falls, and assaults. Generally speaking, as the Mayo Clinic explains, a traumatic brain injury or TBI, regardless of its severity, typically “results from a violent blow or jolt to the head or body.” As such, even a mild TBI, also known as a concussion, needs to be taken seriously. More severe TBIs can have greater consequences in both the short term and long term, although a TBI of any severity “can have wide-ranging physical and psychological effects,” the Mayo Clinic reports.

Given that even minor TBIs are serious, does the medical severity of a brain injury matter? According to new research published in the journal Lancet Neurology, identifying the severity of a brain injury is crucial in order for a patient to receive appropriate treatment. And correct identification may involve a shift away from those classifications of mild, moderate, and severe. Our Vista brain injury attorneys can explain in more detail.

Assessing the Framework for Classifying the Severity of a TBI

For more than five decades, health care providers have relied largely on a classification system known as the Glasgow Coma Scale to determine the severity of a patient’s brain injury when they present with a TBI. That classification system is where the three general categories of mild, moderate, and severe come from. Once a patient is classified as having a mild, moderate, or severe TBI, that diagnosis then has an enormous impact on the treatment they receive. However, according to new research, that classification system might not actually be working well.

According to a report on the new research from the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, “there are patients diagnosed with concussion whose symptoms are dismissed and receive no follow-up because it is ‘only’ concussion, and they go on to live with debilitating symptoms that destroy their quality of life.” In other words, receiving a “mild TBI” diagnosis does not work for many patients.

Changing the Severity Classification for Brain Injuries

Rather than continuing to rely on the Glasgow Coma Scale, researchers propose a new way of classifying the severity of TBIs given the significant connection between severity diagnosis and proper treatment.

According to the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences report on the study, the newly proposed classification system will use some of the points from the Glasgow Coma Scale but will also rely on the patient’s “consciousness and pupil reactivity,” as well as biomarkers in blood tests and details about how the injury occurred (a fall, for example, versus penetration by a sharp object). The new assessment is part of a three-pillar system that assesses various aspects of a patient’s symptoms to ensure they receive the level of care they need.

Contact a Vista Personal Injury Attorney for Assistance

Brain injuries can vary greatly in terms of their severity, and as the recent study suggests, the severity really does matter. At the same time, even a concussion (or mild traumatic brain injury) can have significant consequences, particularly if a person is repeatedly concussed. If you recently sustained a TBI as a result of another party’s negligence, you may be able to hold that party accountable by filing a personal injury case. One of the experienced Vista brain injury lawyers at our firm can discuss the details of your case with you today. Contact the North County Injury Lawyers to find out more about your options for seeking compensation.