Blood Clots Following a Traumatic Brain Injury

There are numerous injuries that someone might sustain in an auto accident. The injuries can range widely in severity. In some cases, the injuries could be relatively minor. In other cases, they could lead to lifelong complications. This is the case for those with a loved one who suffers a traumatic brain injury. According to the statistics that have been published by Neuroskills:

Close to 7,000 people visit an emergency room every day for concerns related to a possible traumatic brain injury.
About 150 people die every day because of a traumatic brain injury.
Nearly 300,000 people are hospitalized annually in the United States due to a traumatic brain injury.
The most common age groups who suffer a traumatic brain injury are toddlers, adolescents, and the elderly.

The statistics above clearly demonstrate that traumatic brain injuries remain a serious concern despite the research that has been done regarding neurological trauma. There are also serious complications that could result following a traumatic brain injury.

Possible Complications Following a Traumatic Brain Injury

When someone suffers a traumatic brain injury, some different complications could arise. These include:

Motor deficits such as difficulty using the arms and legs.
Numbness or tingling in certain areas of the body.
Memory loss, either of old memories or difficulty of making new memories.
Possible issues with vision or hearing.

One complication that is overlooked is the development of blood clots following a traumatic brain injury. If these aren’t addressed quickly, they can lead to life-threatening situations.

Blood Clots: A Life-Threatening Issue

In the case of a penetrating traumatic brain injury, blood clots are important to stop the scalp from bleeding; however, these blood clots could also travel to places where they aren’t wanted. If a blood clot enters the blood vessels of the brain, this could lead to a stroke. These blood clots can also travel to other areas of the body and cause problems such as:

A DVT
Heart attacks called a myocardial infarction
A pulmonary embolism, or a blood clot in the lungs

These are serious problems that are all life-threatening. Therefore, it is essential for everyone to understand just how these complications are treated.

Treatment of Blood Clots Following a Traumatic Brain Injury

The treatment of blood clots that form following a traumatic brain injury is dependent on their timing and location. In some situations, people could be given a clot-busting medication called tPA; however, in other circumstances, tPA could lead to serious bleeding inside the brain, which is also life-threatening. Therefore, this medication needs to be used carefully. First, imaging procedures are used to identify precisely where the clot is located. Then, surgeons or interventional radiologists could use a wire to remove the clot manually. Ultimately, the complications that develop following a traumatic brain injury are always serious and deserve emergent medical treatment.

Related Articles

Sacramento Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyers

I’m Ed Smith, a traumatic brain injury lawyer in Sacramento. A traumatic brain injury that occurs in a car accident could lead to severe complications, including blood clots. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries in a car accident, call me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly legal advice.

I am a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

See our list of verdicts or settlements.

Our past client reviews are on Yelp, Avvo, & Google.

Blood Clots Following a Traumatic Brain Injury: AutoAccident.com

Image Attribution: The photo at the start of this article is seen in its original form on Unsplash. The image has been reproduced here with permission/Blood Clots Following a Traumatic Brain Injury.

:dr cha [cs 642] cv

Blood Clots Following a Traumatic Brain Injury