Study Finds Oxygen Plays Large Role In Traumatic Brain Injury Effects

The greatest factor in the effects of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) may be something that is all around us: oxygen.

A new study published in Neurosurgery, the official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, has found that a lack of oxygen supply to brain tissue, or brain hypoxia, rendered vulnerable after a TBI is a major factor in the occurrence of death or severe disability. Although other contributors in serious injury to the brain, such as pressure on the brain and brain blood flow, have a large role in whether a brain injury will have damaging effects, a lack of oxygen to the brain alone can have dire consequences.Brain hypoxia can play an especially large role in the short-term effect of TBI. According to Newswise.com, the study assessed 103 patients who had suffered TBI and monitored brain oxygen supply, pressure, and blood flow, and found that 43 percent of patients who suffered a poor flow of oxygen to the brain sustained a severe disability or death. The study also found that oxygen flow played a more critical role in the chance of recovery for a patient and that the longer a patient suffered from brain hypoxia, the less likely they were to fully recover.

The study lines up with a recent guideline revision for TBI intensive care that calls for brain oxygen monitoring. Traumatic brain injury creates the possibility that many complications could arise in a victim, including disability, paralysis, and even death. As such, those who sustain TBI must be taken to a hospital immediately and monitored closely in order to prevent serious and long-lasting complications from occurring.

The brain injury attorneys at Caputo & Van Der Walde have years of experience fighting for the rightful compensation of those who suffer traumatic brain injuries due to the negligent or reckless actions of another. If you or a loved one has suffered a TBI, call our offices at (800) 900-0863 for a free consultation on your case today.