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Evolving treatment of TBIs

On Behalf of | Aug 11, 2015 | Brain Injury |

In many ways, treatment for traumatic brain injuries is still an inexact science. As some West Virginia residents may know, the ability of medical practitioners to provide reliable treatment when serious harm has been done to the brain is limited by technology. New methods and treatments are constantly being researched; however, it’s also essential to revisit earlier forms of treatment and evaluate them based on effectiveness.

A major set of rules for the treatment of TBIs was issued by the Brain Trauma Foundation in the 1990s. However, the procedures recommended by the document and their suggested guidelines for best practices have not been overwhelmingly effective.

A recent study by the Los Angeles County Trauma Consortium shows no major difference in patient outcome between hospitals that treated patients using these guidelines and those that did not follow them. In fact, researchers indicate that there does not seem to be common compliance with these guidelines even within the observing hospital. This may be an outgrowth of realistic experience after two decades under these rules. Medical technicians and doctors may be disregarding the Brain Trauma Foundation’s documents because their experience has shown those guidelines to be ineffective.

People who feel that a surgery has exacerbated a traumatic brain injury or caused delayed brain damage may choose to file a civil suit alleging malpractice and seek financial compensation from all responsible parties. A lawyer may be an apt guide to the details of filing such a suit and following it through to its conclusion, whether it be a trial, an out of court settlement or some other arrangement.