Traumatic brain injuries are becoming a huge concern for the military
Traumatic brain injuries are becoming a huge concern for the military. The Associated Press article reprinted in the Las Vegas Review Journal today reports that as more troops return home from the war, brain injuries are a growing burden: on the military, programs to treat them, and taxpayers to fund the treatment. A study at Walter Reed finds that of the symptoms commonly reported in mild TBI cases, the instances of memory problems and irritability double from the time of the injury to the time the serviceman or woman returns home.
Estimates are that 20% of all mild TBI sufferers will experience problems for the rest of their lives. All those with severe brain injuries will as well.
We know that most “brain injuries” are mild however we are seeing, in a very public way, that the consequences and symptoms are far reaching and many times disabling. The spontaneous recovery or natural recovery time for brain injuries is generally thought to be 12 months with variability.
Servicemen and women, like the general population, those involved in car accidents, falls and other non-war related trauma, are often misdiagnosed with personality disorders. Also similar to the general population, servicemen and women are unable to work because of unrecognized symptoms. People with TBI frequently complain of headaches, dizziness, trouble concentrating, distractibility, trouble sleeping, depression, irritability, and confusion. In addition there can be vision or speech problems.
Such was the case for staff sergeant O’Brien and specialist Bryan Malone. Both were stationed in Baghdad when a bomb exploded near them. Both survived but endured a pressure blast to the brain. Malone was struck in the head by an air conditioning unit which ultimately required multiple surgeries and a titanium mesh to reinforce his skull.
O’Brien was sent back to his unit after removal of shrapnel from his scalp. Later he complained of hip pain. Within 6 weeks he could not walk due to more shrapnel found in his hip. By then he was complaining of headaches and trouble sleeping. Having been through other blasts, O’Brien was suffering from multiple injury syndrome similar to what boxers experience.
The issue is deciding which servicemen and women go back to service and which do not. Soldiers and Marines are proud and want to return to their units. However, as the military is learning, this is often a more complicated decision.
For more information on the web see Centers for Disease Control and National Institutes of Health
