Washington residents who suffer a traumatic brain injury sometimes face a serious change in the quality of their lives. This type of injury can result from a car crash, a fall or many other situations. The effects of a traumatic brain injury can be temporary, long-term or permanent. Many experts feel that the categories of this type of injury are in need of a major update.
The categories are outdated
A new report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine claims that the categories related to traumatic brain injuries are inadequate and out of date. The three major categories as they currently exist are “mild,” “moderate,” and “severe.” Experts feel that these categories don’t give enough weight to the severity of the situation that a brain injury patient may face.
These experts point to the fact that no physician would ever attempt to classify the symptoms of cancer as “mild,” “moderate,” or “severe.” To do so would ignore the fact that a situation can quickly go from mild to severe with no warning. They feel that people who suffer from traumatic brain injuries deserve more close attention.
Experts are working to update the categories
The progress of a patient who has suffered from a recent concussion ought to merit more study. This is one of the main reasons why experts in the health care field are working to update the categories that are associated with traumatic brain injuries.
Many point to the Glasgow coma scale as the true standard that patients with these kinds of brain injuries should be measured by. This leads to a more accurate reading of the true condition of a patient with these injuries.