With the potential to cause serious bodily harm and even death, a brain injury requires immediate medical attention. Without this, it’s more likely that the injury will cause additional harm, thus making it that much more difficult to recover.
The sooner you receive medical treatment for a traumatic brain injury the better, which is why you shouldn’t hesitate to call 911 if you’re injured in an accident. Upon presenting at a local emergency room, your medical team will run a variety of tests to diagnose your condition.
Here’s what you can expect:
- Use of the Glasgow Coma Scale: Your doctor will use this to pinpoint the severity of your brain injury, such as by testing your ability to move your limbs and take direction. The scale runs from three to 15, with a lower score meaning a more severe injury.
- Imaging tests: Despite what your doctor sees on the surface, they also need to take a closer look at your brain. It’s likely that they’ll order both an MRI and CT scan. Both of these provide an in-depth and different view, helping to quickly identify problem areas.
- Intracranial pressure monitor: It’s not always necessary, but this tool is often inserted to monitor pressure inside the skull. If it increases, it gives your doctor an idea that something is wrong.
Your medical team will also assess your condition based on the type and severity of the accident. They’ll seek to answer questions such as:
- How did the brain injury happen?
- What were the circumstances of the accident?
- Did you lose consciousness, and if so for how long?
- Are there any other injuries, such as those to the spinal cord?
Since no two people and no two traumatic brain injuries are exactly the same, your medical team will implement a unique treatment schedule to stabilize your condition and give you the best chance of making a full recovery.
Your health deserves all your attention immediately following an accident and until you begin to recover. It’s then that you can learn more about filing an insurance claim, your legal rights and any steps you can take to obtain compensation for your injuries and other associated damages.
