traumatic brain injury
INTRODUCTION
Traumatic Brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death and disability among the youth in Australia and other countries. The most common cause of moderate and severe head injury among the young adults is road traffic crashes with falls and assaults being the next most common cause (Elliot, Aitken & Chaboyer, 2012). Descriptive analysis of the data from 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2006 from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare National Morbidity Database found that males had a greater rate of head injury that was a high threat to life, than their female counterparts (Harrison, Berry & Jamieson, 2012). Mortality rate in trauma patients with severe TBI is 30%-35% during the first 6 months after the injury (Baguley, Nott, Howle, Simpson, Browne, King, Cotter, & Hodgkinson, 2012). Despite surviving the initial injury patients with severe TBI often have severe functional impairment after discharge from the hospital. The focus of this essay is to reflect upon the different interventions used in the management of severe TBI in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and outline the various arguments supporting the use of each intervention. Critical care nurses are responsible for implementing and monitoring the outcome of these activities in order to achieve the best possible outcome in terms of decreased mortality and reduced length of hospital stay.
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI)
TBI is a non-degenerative injury caused by an aggression or started by a process of high energy acceleration or deceleration of the brain inside the cranium (Abreu & Almeida, 2009). A head injury is classified as severe if it is associated with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 3 to 8, GCS score of 9 to 12 is considered moderate and GCS score of 13 to 15 as mild TBI. This injury can be the direct result of a fall, motor vehicle crash, sporting accident, assault, gunshot wound or violent shaking (Morton & Fontaine, 2009).
NORMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGY IN TBI
Monroe-Kellie
Traumatic Brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death and disability among the youth in Australia and other countries. The most common cause of moderate and severe head injury among the young adults is road traffic crashes with falls and assaults being the next most common cause (Elliot, Aitken & Chaboyer, 2012). Descriptive analysis of the data from 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2006 from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare National Morbidity Database found that males had a greater rate of head injury that was a high threat to life, than their female counterparts (Harrison, Berry & Jamieson, 2012). Mortality rate in trauma patients with severe TBI is 30%-35% during the first 6 months after the injury (Baguley, Nott, Howle, Simpson, Browne, King, Cotter, & Hodgkinson, 2012). Despite surviving the initial injury patients with severe TBI often have severe functional impairment after discharge from the hospital. The focus of this essay is to reflect upon the different interventions used in the management of severe TBI in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and outline the various arguments supporting the use of each intervention. Critical care nurses are responsible for implementing and monitoring the outcome of these activities in order to achieve the best possible outcome in terms of decreased mortality and reduced length of hospital stay.
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI)
TBI is a non-degenerative injury caused by an aggression or started by a process of high energy acceleration or deceleration of the brain inside the cranium (Abreu & Almeida, 2009). A head injury is classified as severe if it is associated with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 3 to 8, GCS score of 9 to 12 is considered moderate and GCS score of 13 to 15 as mild TBI. This injury can be the direct result of a fall, motor vehicle crash, sporting accident, assault, gunshot wound or violent shaking (Morton & Fontaine, 2009).
NORMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGY IN TBI
Monroe-Kellie