Brain Injury Recoveries - Pediatric versus Adult Ability to Recover - Research Paper Example

Brain injury recoveries- pediatric versus adult ability to recover Head blows or bumps commonly cause a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBIs). These kinds of injuries are also referred to as concussions, and they vary from mild conditions to severe conditions in the brain. Eventually, the occurrence of the injuries results to impaired emotions, physical disability, behavioral functioning changes, and cognitive inabilities. Common causes of (TBI) include fall, sports related injuries, explosive blasts, assaults and automobile accidents. TBI injuries are of different kinds, for example, shaking of the brain inside the skull hence resulting to bruises (contusions) formation at the site of force (Anderson and Catroppa 459). The healing process differs with the level of bruises. In situations where there are many bruises, the brain swells and takes a prolonged time to heal. Whereas if the brain bruises are few, healing of the brain takes a short time to recover from injuries. Brain injuries can also be as an effect of an individual suffering from whiplash. This is as a result of, acceleration and deceleration of the head. Here, vigorous movement separates elongated linking fibers in the structure of the brain. However, this damage disrupts the body’s nervous cells communication hence lowers the brains network efficiency (Catroppa and Vickin 85). Another common cause of brain injury is a damaged blood vessel that surrounds the brain thus resulting to bleeding of the skull and brain. Notably, blood vessel bleeding stops after some time and heals normally like other cuts. Nevertheless rapid pressure exposure results to brain damage. This occurs when present pressure induces air bubbles in the brain bloodstream interrupting on its activity of blood supply. The brain injury severity ranges from mild to severe conditions. A mild instance occurs if there is consciousness after the injury while severe conditions occur when there is extended length of unconscious period. Moreover, severity of injuries can be measured by a period of time the person is either conscious or unconscious. If the person is unconscious for 30 minutes, it shows that brain injury was mild, and if a person is unconscious for less than 6 hours, it shows that injuries were moderate. Mild cases are roughly 80% of TBI occurrences, with 1 million numbers of people visiting emergency rooms for treatment. Other sign for Mild TBI (MTBI) includes headaches, cognitive changes, and dizziness as observed from patients. Diagnosis of TBI is more sophisticated since affected persons fail to show physical signs of injuries. Additionally, from neuroimaging technique there may be no results available. Normally, only large brain abnormalities are detected by available clinical techniques. Tests range differently; an example is one test may take a completion period of one hour, depending on tests being administered to patients. Most patients on formal testing (TBI) show signs of brain injuries in available memory, through their processing speed and distractibility. In one month, effects in young adults are often mild with no consequences from bad health or thinking. However, by three months, the encountered problems disappear, but few patients continuously have health problems. After a brain injury, symptoms occur in days, weeks and in months, but improve over a time limit. Post-concussion syndrome (PCS) is the most common symptom that occurs immediately after the brain injury. It involves physical complaints causing troubled sleep, sensitivity of sound and light, dizziness, headaches, fatigue, psychosocial concerns and cognitive changes. However, this signs are not problematic as they occur because the brain is in the process of healing. Majority of PCS patients recover fully between 3 to 6 months. Nevertheless, 20% of the patients resist from recovery and it takes some more time. Notably, most patients fail to develop any symptoms of PSC. It takes them days, weeks and months after the accident. Either way, disappearance of symptoms takes place without any specific treatments. In occurrences of untreated symptoms, there is a disruption of working setups and relationships within the family setups. PCS is a normal procedure of recovery. Mostly in duration of 3 months, patients are able to normalize without the need of treatments. If a PCS symptom makes it difficult to work, one is required to stay at home and relax while if it is persistent, one can gradually resume to normal activities bit by bit without causing strain to the brain (Catroppa et al. 709). This procedure depends on one’s comfort ability to adhere to it completely. It is beneficial to practice activities like socializing with friends, having fun with family members and exercising, but greatly depends on one's capabilities and strengths. If symptoms persist, it shows that one has not had enough rest as required. Similarly, this has been evident from brain injury doctors who have been advocating for enough rest and gradual resumption of work. Studies by scientists in Netherlands show that duration of 1 week spent at home in the mode of relaxing and another week of working gradually after release from the hospital is beneficial for the majority of patients. In about 3 to 4 weeks, adults and children who had put this policy into consideration resumed normally at work and school (Hessen et al. 964). On the other hand, patients who lacked knowledge on what to do, it took them 5 to 12 weeks to respond to their normal routine. In addition, the patients suffered more especially had memory problems, trouble in concentration than patients who had resumed work or school. For children, they may be feeling tired, easily irritated, changes in sleeping patterns, changes in plays, drop in schoolwork, loss of balance among many other signs. As a guardian, one is required to ask for assistance from pediatric or specialists of brain injuries. On the other hand, adults experience urge to vomit, feeling dizzy, mood changes, loss of sense of taste and smell among many other symptoms. To be able to minimize brain damage, adults and children should be encouraged to always wear their seat belts when necessary to avoid accidents causing head injuries (Hessen et al. 964). Children should be encouraged to wear helmets when riding a horse, batting, playing sports, riding motorcycle. Adults and children should be encouraged to remove loose electrical cords, use a step stool with a grab bar when reaching objects placed on high shelves, install handrails on stairways, and maintain a regular exercise program to improve strength, balance, and coordination. There should be regular eye checkup to minimize on chances of falls, as a result, of lack of vision. The surface used by children for play, should be made of shock absorbing material, such as mulch, sand and hardwood. All firearms should be stored, unloaded, and kept in a well-closed cabinet. Bullets should be stored in a secured separate place out of childrens reach. Children at the age of 12 years old are in adolescence stage and need a lot of care. Psychological trauma occurs in an acute event or can be a repeated exposure of the child to devastating stress. Children who are exposed to this kind of stress have bad outcomes as compared to children exposed to acute events. In addition, caregiver’s failure to protect the child is experienced as rejection or betrayal and eventually causes major trauma effects. Parents suffering from the same may also transmit this. Notably, parents who have not recovered from post-traumatic stress find it difficult to engage with their children hence exposing them to brain damages adhered to on time. When children are exposed to hurting, frightening and threatening caregivers, more serious negative results for the child occurs, which as compared to trauma from flood and accidents is much worse. Therefore, feelings of victimization, despair, belief that the world is unsafe and loss of control become common in the children’s life. Although DSM-IV or PTSD remains a necessary measure in diagnosing symptoms and treating, for children, it creates traumatization diagnosis barriers. There is impairment of neuroendocrine systems that is caused by severe psychological traumas. With extreme stress, the fight for survival is minimal hence activating sympathy and suppresses parasympathetic part of the nervous system. The fight or flight feedbacks increases cortisol levels in central part of the nervous system. As a result, the child is driven to take action that could be either hyper arousal or dissociation or both of them. Consecutively, this may alter the brain process of development and eventually may destroy the brain cells. In such conditions, a pediatrician is able to handle well the situation without ignoring the small bits of information about the child. The person is able to give the correct guidelines on ways and methods used in stabilization of brain injury. This is of essence as compared to adult’s ability because at times they may lack skills for treatment and therapies needed. An adult at times may ignore some information from the child and as a result, it may be tough to deal with the situation (Kirkwood et al. 1360). A pediatric has wisdom in handling specific issues, especially in this case the child is an adolescent, and the brain is still in the development process. Through observations, the child will be able to open up freely without fear for disappointments and rejection. In brain damage recovery, there is need for structure to be set and used in aid for healing. An adult who has never experienced the same could tend to assume some processes able to help the child heal quickly. Eventually, this may turn to be a future effect that could develop serious issues that could have been dealt with earlier. In conclusion, psychological brain damage is a condition that can be dealt with fully and correctly. This condition needs a lot of patience and if handled incorrectly may become a future problem from the effects. Depending on acceptability, the brain can develop back to normal without strain of activities but with gradual involvements and rest is enough. Works Cited Anderson, V, & Catroppa, C. "Recovery of executive skills following pediatrics traumatic brain injury (TBI): A 2 year follow-up." Brain Injury 19.6, (2005): 459-470. Print. Catroppa, Cathy, & Vicki Anderson. "A prospective study of the recovery of attention from acute to 2 years following pediatric traumatic brain injury." Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society 11.1, (2005): 84-98. Print. Catroppa, Cathy, et al. "Outcome and predictors of functional recovery 5 years following pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI)." Journal of Pediatric Psychology 33.7, (2008): 707-718. Print. Hessen, Erik, Knut Nestvold, &Vicki Anderson. "Neuropsychological function 23 years after mild traumatic brain injury: a comparison of outcome after pediatric and adult head injuries." Brain Injury 21.9, (2007): 963-979. Print. Kirkwood, Michael, Keith Yeates, & Pamela Wilson. "Pediatric sport-related concussion: a review of the clinical management of an oft-neglected population." Pediatrics 117.4, (2006): 1359-1371. 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