Cranial Decompression in Children
When children suffer a traumatic injury, it is always a serious issue. Traumatic injuries can span the spectrum from minor cuts and scrapes to traumatic brain injuries, which are particularly severe. It is essential for everyone to understand some of the basics regarding brain injuries because they are more serious than many people realize. According to statistics published by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA):
- In the United States alone, close to 500,000 children between the ages of 0 and 14 years of age visit an emergency room due to concerns about a traumatic brain injury.
- Nearly 700 out of 100,000 children every year sustain a traumatic brain injury.
- The most common mechanisms that lead to traumatic brain injuries in children include car accidents, sports injuries, slip and fall events, and cases of child abuse.
One form of traumatic brain injury that is particularly severe is a subdural hematoma, also known as a brain bleed.
Mechanism of a Subdural Hematoma
There are multiple types of brain bleeds that someone could sustain following a traumatic accident. Some of the most common types of brain bleeds include:
- Epidural Hematoma
- Subdural Hematoma
- Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
An acute subdural hematoma results from the rupture of a set of blood vessels in the brain called the bridging veins. While a chronic subdural hematoma is a slow bleed that evolves over time, an acute subdural hematoma requires a tremendous amount of force to cause this bleed to develop. The most common example is that of a child who is ejected from a motor vehicle in an auto accident. When this occurs, emergent treatment is necessary.
The Role of Cranial Decompression: Pediatric Subdural Hematoma
When someone sustains a subdural hematoma, particularly children, blood starts to fill the skull and leads to an increase in someone’s intracranial pressure. This can cause a brain herniation if not treated quickly. Recent research demonstrated that an emergent cranial decompression, known as a craniotomy, can lower the intracranial pressure in a child and result in a positive outcome. In the study, four children who had been diagnosed with this form of traumatic brain injury received a cranial decompression. Two of these children also had developed strokes that needed to be treated. Three of the children survived and had a positive outcome. More research is being done to explore whether or not this can be applied on a larger scale.
Help from a Lawyer
No parents want to see their child suffer a serious injury and during these stressful situations, it is important to meet with an injury lawyer in Sacramento. Make sure that all of the details of the accident have been reviewed because you and your family may be entitled to financial compensation.
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I’m Ed Smith, a personal injury lawyer in Sacramento. Brain injuries in children are serious injuries that can lead to lifelong complications. 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.
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Pediatric Cranial Decompression: AutoAccident.com
Photo by Luca Campioni on Unsplash/ Pediatric Cranial Decompression.
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