Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury on Balance
Traumatic brain injury (TBI), which is caused by trauma to the head, can impact many of the body’s normal functions, including its ability to maintain balance. Balance disorders (also known as balance dysfunctions or balance impairments) are common following brain injury. Compared to other conditions that also result in balance disorders (such as strokes), relatively few studies have been done regarding the effects of TBI on balance. Fortunately, this is changing.
Symptoms of Balance Disorders
Balance disorders occur, at least temporarily, in nearly all people who have suffered a TBI. This instability can exist even when neurological tests do not detect any problems.
Common symptoms of balance dysfunctions include:
* Feeling dizzy, lightheaded, woozy or a sensation of spinning (vertigo)
* Burred vision
* Falling or unsteady gait (feeling of falling)
Diagnosing Balance Disorders
Maintaining balance is a complex multifunctional process that involves interplay between three systems:
* Vestibular system (the inner ear balance organs)
* Visual system (eyes)
* Somatosenory system (joint and muscle receptors or sensors)
Normally, the brain receives and processes information about the environment and these systems work together to control balance. The Sensory Organization Test (SOT) is the primary test that assesses balance impairment by evaluating each of the three balance systems. Balance Impairment and Severity of Traumatic Brain Injury
The severity of TBI is determined using several measures such as:
* Glasgow Coma Test
* Length of unconsciousness (time in a coma)
* Length of post-traumatic amnesia (PTA)
For TBI patients beginning rehabilitation, there is a significant relationship between TBI severity and degree of sitting and standing balance impairment. Patients with more severe TBI ratings also have more impaired balance ratings.
Recovery from Balance Disorders Caused by Traumatic Brain Injury
A study at Wayne State University found that the degree of balance impairment for brain-damaged patients (specifically sitting balance impairment), measured at time of admission to rehabilitation can predict the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) at discharge. FIM measures the degree to which recovering patients can live independently after discharge. This study underscores the relationship between brain injury severity, balance impairment, and the prognosis for TBI recovery.
For cases of mild traumatic brain injury in which there was no loss of consciousness and no clinically detectable problems, balance impairments (as measured by performance on the Sensory Organization Test), usually last from 3 to 10 days. However, subtle balance impairments that are harder to detect, such as abnormally high reliance on vision for maintaining balance, can persist for months or years.
Individual treatment plans for balance disorders may include balance retraining exercises, general exercise, and certain drugs. Recovery takes time and recovery times vary. Some brain-injured people require assistance for years. If you have suffered from a traumatic brain injury, you may wish to contact an experienced TBI attorney to help you assess your claim and gain compensation for your medical expenses, future medical care, and the pain and suffering that brain damage and brain injury can cause.
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Mesothelioma Rare But Serious
Malignant mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the lining of the lung (pleural mesothelioma) or the lining of the abdomen (peritoneal mesothelioma). The only known cause of mesothelioma in the U.S. is exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma has a long latency period, the time between first exposure to asbestos and the diagnosis of the disease. In rare cases the latency period has been as short as 10 to 15 years after the first exposure to asbestos; however, generally mesothelioma occurs between 20 and 40 or more years after an individual’s first exposure. Diagnosing mesothelioma is often difficult because the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions.
Benign mesothelioma is a non-cancerous tumor of the pleura (lining of the lung and chest cavity). Nonmalignant mesothelioma is usually a localized tumor that affects men more frequently than women. The tumor may grow to a large size and compress the lung, which then causes the following symptoms: chronic cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity).
Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face. These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions.
Approximately half of mesothelioma patients are asymptomatic (show no symptoms of disease). During a physical examination, a health care provider may notice a clubbed appearance of the fingers in a patient, which is an indication of the exposure/disease.The health care professional may run tests that identify mesothelioma. These tests include a chest x-ray, CT scan of the chest and/or and open lung biopsy.
There is no universally accepted protocol for screening people who have been exposed to asbestos. However some research indicates that serum osteopontin levels might be useful in screening asbestos-exposed people for mesothelioma. The level of soluble mesothelin-related protein is elevated in the serum of about 75% of patients at diagnosis, and it has been suggested that assessing soluble mesothelin-related protein levels may be useful for screening.
Surgery is usually generally necessary for a solitary tumor (if found); however, according to current statistics, the outcome of the surgery is expected to be good with prompt treatment. One of the most common complications though is pleural effusion (fluid escaping into the membranes around the lungs), which can be very serious.
Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement products.
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Motorcycle Injuries and Traumatic Brain Injuries
Motorcycle accidents are a well-known leading cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Together with auto accidents, they are the single largest cause of brain injury in the United States. One out of every five motorcycle accidents results in head or neck injuries, which account for most motorcycle fatalities. And partly because drivers often don’t see motorcyclists or yield them the right-of-way, motorcyclists are at higher risk of an accident than drivers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that, per mile traveled in 2003, a motorcyclist was 32 times more likely to die in an accident than a passenger in a car.
Motorcyclists, even those who wear helmets, are most likely to sustain non-penetrative injuries to the front of the head, damaging parts of the brain responsible for speech and higher functions. Those without helmets may also be susceptible to a penetrating brain injury, in which an object enters the head and skull, damaging the soft tissue of the brain itself. Helmets Essential to Prevent Traumatic Brain Injury
Study after study shows that the best way to prevent a traumatic brain injury is to wear a helmet approved by the federal Department of Transportation. (Some also carry approval from the Snell Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to testing the effectiveness of commercial helmets.) In January of 2006, only four states in the U.S: Colorado, Illinois, New Hampshire and Iowa- had no law at all requiring motorcyclists to use helmets. Twenty-six others had limited helmet laws, usually ones that require helmets for riders who are under 18 or 21.
But even in states without strict helmet laws, riders are still strongly advised that their chances of death or serious head injury are seriously reduced by wearing a helmet. A rider’s failure to equip passengers, particularly passengers who are under 21, with helmets may be considered negligent. And if the helmet is below state and federal standards, poorly fitted, old or has been through a previous accident, that helmet is not safe, may not be legal and will not prevent death, brain damage or another traumatic injury. Other Brain Injury Risks for Motorcyclists
Even though proper equipment significantly cuts down a motorcyclist’s chance of a traumatic brain injury, it is not foolproof. Riders must stay aware of other factors that could lead to a motorcycle accident involving a traumatic brain injury. Motorcyclists are advised to check their bikes and equipment for problems before each ride; adjust the suspension and tire pressure of the motorcycle when carrying a passenger; wear boots, gloves and other protective gear; and adjust for changing road conditions.
The cost of an accident that causes traumatic brain injury can be severe. A traumatic brain injury causes brain damage that can range from a mild concussion to severe, life-changing disabilities such as trouble communicating, personality changes, schizophrenia, or even a coma. Because the brain cannot heal itself the way other organs do, these are often lifelong problems that cost tens of thousands of dollars to treat. They also place a severe emotional and financial burden on the injured person’s family members. If you or someone you know is the victim of a motorcycle accident causing traumatic brain injury, it is essential to seek out an expert in accidents and TBI who can help reconstruct the accident and secure compensation.
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Trasylol Manufacturer Removes Trasylol from Shelves after Increased Risk of Death Found
Under pressure from medical regulation agencies around the globe, the manufacturer of Trasylol (generic Aprotinin) announced on November 5, 2007 that it would remove the controversial heart surgery drug after a study conducted in Canada appeared to show an increased risk of death among patients on whom the drug was used. The drug’s maker, German pharmaceutical firm Bayer AG, has stated that it still believes the drug to be beneficial. However the study in question, conducted by the Ottawa Health Institute, had to be stopped after it appeared that among the heart and valve surgery patients in the study, though those given Trasylol had increased risk of death, compared to those patients given two older antifibrinolytic drugs used in the study.
Antifibrinolytic drugs such as Trasylol are used during heart surgery because they slow the breakdown of blood clots during, and thus can prevent excessive bleeding. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) there are not many alternatives when it comes to patients at risk for excessive bleeding during heart surgery. Thus, the FDA is working with Bayer to phase Trasylol out of the marketplace in a way that does not cause shortages of other drugs used for reducing bleeding during surgery. Therefore, at this point there will be no complete Trasylol recall. However, these recent negative findings concerning Trasylol are only the next in a long line of safety concerns and warnings that have been documented by the FDA.
In September 2006, Bayer A.G. was faulted by the FDA for not revealing during testimony the existence of a commissioned retrospective study that concluded Trasylol carried potentially greater risks than other similar antifibrinolytic drugs. The FDA was alerted to the study by one of the researchers involved. Although the FDA issued a statement of concern they did not change their recommendation that the drug may benefit certain subpopulations of patients. In a Public Health Advisory Update dated October 3, 2006, the FDA recommended that “physicians consider limiting Trasylol use to those situations in which the clinical benefit of reduced blood loss is necessary to medical management and outweighs the potential risks” and carefully monitor patients. Due to the necessity for such drugs in hear surgery, the FDA did not recommend any withdrawal or Trasylol recall, but did issue a new Trasylol warning label to strengthen safety warnings concerning Trasylol.
This trend of potentially dangerous findings concerning Trasylol illustrates sometimes that once a drug is approved by the FDA, halting its sale is exceedingly difficult. Experts on FDA advisory panels are often hesitant to take widely used medicines out of doctors hands, even when their safety is uncertain. For this reason it is important for anyone who may have had Trasylol used during a surgical procedure to consult with their doctor about the potential risks involved. The need for serious consultation concerning the safety of Trasylol is perhaps even more important for those who may potentially require Trasylol in a future surgical procedure.
For anyone who believes that, in addition to a medical consultation, they might require any kind of legal advice, contacting an experienced Trasylol law firm may be the best course of action. A Trasylol lawyer experienced in the intricacies of the complex situation involved in this case would be able to offer guidance and information to anyone who may have been affected, or who may have had a loved one affected. Getting in touch with an expert Trasylol attorney can be as easy as filling out the Trasylol lawyer case evaluation form at the top or bottom of this page. Get advice you need on any potential Trasylol lawsuit today!
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