There are 99 brain injuries every day in NZ, affecting more kiwis than cancer.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) can be an open/closed head injury, or mild TBI - a concussion.
Which of these is not a cause of TBI?
Strokes and aneurysms
Infections (e.g. Meningitis)
Hypoxia (lack of oxygen to the brain)
Brain tumours
Neurotoxics (drugs, alcohol, pesticides, gases, solvents)
These are all causes of TBI
TBI effects are related to location. Match the lobe/area to the effects. ❌ - Lack of focus, irritability, language difficulty ❌ - Difficulty reading, spatial misperception ❌ - Blind spots, blurred vision ❌ - Short and long term memory issues ❌ - Diffculty walking, slurred speech ❌ - changes in breath, difficulty swallowing
Primary Injury is due to a biochemical injury while secondary injury is due to mechanical injury.
Treatment principles • Decrease morbidity/mortality • Establish airway, maintain ❌/circulation during resuscitation • Maintain balance between ❌ delivery and consumption
Reducing intra cranial pressure (ICP):
1. ❌ agents (e.g. mannitol) • Plasma ❌ effects • Osmotic concentration ❌ across BBB • Side effects: ❌ (diuresis), renal dysfunction
2. High dose ❌ (medically induced coma) • Decrease regional cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (❌) • Decrease lipid ❌ • Alter blood vessel ❌ • Side effects: CV: hypotension due to ❌ vasodilation
