South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog
The Army has developed a simple blood test that can diagnose minor traumatic brain injury or concussion, the USA Today reported.
Such a breakthrough would have a wide range of uses in diagnosing Traumatic Brain Injury from Fort Lauderdale car accidents or injuries caused by bicycle, pedestrian or slip and fall accidents.
TBI can be very hard to diagnose and, left untreated, can lead to life-threatening medical conditions. Brain injuries affect 1.4 million Americans each year, according to the National Brain Injury Association. Seventy percent are mild cases, which can be particularly hard to diagnose. A contributor to the New York Times recently reported an undiagnosed head injury resulting from a bicycle accident was nearly fatal after she developed a subdural hematoma.
Each year, about 1.3 million people are treated in the emergency room for a traumatic brain injury, about 275,000 are hospitalized and more than 50,000 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The most common causes of TBI:
-Falls (35.2 percent)
-Traffic Accidents (17.3 percent)
-Struck by object (16.5 percent)
-Assaults (10 percent)
Mild TBI, including concussions, are often missed at the time of initial injury. Fifteen percent of patients have symptoms for one year or more.
Symptoms of mild TBI may include:
-Fatigue
-Headache
-Visual Disturbances
-Memory Loss
-Poor attention or concentration
-Sleep disturbances
-Dizziness
-Irritability/emotional disturbances
-Depression
-Seizures
-Nausea
-Loss of smell
-Light or sound sensitivity
-Mood changes
-Getting lost or confused
-Slowness of thinking
Freeman & Mallard is a personal injury and wrongful death law firm dedicated to helping motorists who have been injured in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and the Port St. Lucie/Fort Pierce areas. Call today for a free consultation. 1-800-529-2368.