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Abstract
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Unintentional injury can negatively impact anyone, regardless of age, race or economic status. More Americans die from unintentional injuries and violence in the first three decades of life than from any other disease (Haegerich et al., 2014). Among all ages, unintentional injuries are the fourth leading cause of death with over 136,000 lives lost annually (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1). Millions of others suffer a non-fatal injury each year; due to an unintentional injury more than 3 million people are hospitalized and more than 27 million people are treated in emergency departments and released each year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention2, 2015).
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be one of the most debilitating injuries because of the potential for negative long-term effects on a person’s mental and physical status; and vocational, motor, behavioral and social/interpersonal functioning (Hoofien et al., 2001) In 2010, there were at least 2.5 million emergency department visits, hospitalizations, or deaths related to a TBI in the U.S. - either alone or in combination with other injuries. Every hour, there are an average of 204 TBI-related emergency department visits, 33 TBI-related hospitalizations; and 6 TBI-related deaths (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention3, 2015). TBIs can occur in a variety of ways, ranging from a car crash, a fall in the bathtub, a collision with another player in a soccer game, an assault or suicide attempt, or from military engagement on the battle field. Falls and being struck by or against an object are the leading causes of TBI (CDC3, 2015).
The severity of a TBI may range from mild to severe. The greater the severity of injury, the greater the likelihood of long-term and life-changing disability or even death. Most people who suffer a concussion, or mild TBI, recover within one or two weeks. For some however, symptoms can last for several weeks, months, or longer as the severity of the injury increases. TBI-related symptoms can affect all aspects of a person’s life -at home, at school, or at work. They can lead to short- or long-term problems with how someone acts, feels, and thinks that can impact memory, behavior, mood, family dynamics, activities of daily living, and sleep patterns. TBIs, however, are largely preventable.
There is growing recognition that experiencing a TBI is not a single injury event, but can manifest in similar ways as a “chronic condition,” having lasting effects many years after the initial injury (Masel & DeWitt, 2010). While we are learning more each day about the long term health outcomes and impacts from a TBI, there is much that we still do not know. Rehabilitation experts are helping us to better understand how to promote healthy lifestyles among individuals living with the effects of a TBI, often through finding ways to reduce barriers for community participation....
Language: en |