Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Traumatic Brain Injuries and YouTube Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4orQo9_rVhA (The Today Show)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuxuKVKem78

Before reading these articles, my knowledge on TBI was minimal. I thought the articles were very interesting to read, especially with patients who have TBI related to combat injuries. The quotes at the beginning of the article, “Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury,” allowed me to see how people are affected by TBI. I thought it was mind blowing, how cognitive impairments resulting from TBI are not recognized often, and it seems as though caregivers don’t have adequate knowledge on TBI as a whole. I also previously thought, that a young child with TBI could bounce back quicker than an adult with TBI because the brain of a young child is still growing. I found it surprising that recent research believes there are greater possibility of long term effects with young children. After reading these articles, I find TBI to be fascinating, and I would love to get experience with patients in hospitals. On YouTube, I found a video from the Today Show that depicts a woman who violently shook her newborn, leaving her with a severe brain injury. Sarah, a 3 year old girl, is currently leaning to speak, and walk. Now, it seems as though parents are putting their child’s medical records online to seek help from doctors in hopes of providing treatments or getting information about their children with brain injuries. Although, I find it scary to share medical records with strangers, I think it’s a good idea, as the website provides a community where people can share similar experiences and offer their knowledge. After watching the YouTube film, it seems as though many doctors are not sure what to do with TBI. The second YouTube video shows an 8 year old boy who was hit by a car while riding his bike, leaving him in a coma. This video really shows that people with TBI, who receive therapy, can improve tremendously.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Kait,
    I enjoyed reading your blog post this week and had to comment because I am also surprised by the fact that young children brains have been shown not "bounce back" as quickly as one would assume. I am still left wondering why?
    When you were viewing those videos today to get ready to post on here I was thinking back to a news segment that I saw, at least over a year ago, about a girl in high school who played on her school soccer team, and because she had had so many concussions due to the sport she has sustained permanent damage to her brain, and her parents did not understand why her vision was blurred or why she was performing poorly all of a sudden.
    It amazes me how both, in an instant TBI can occur as well as over time, like with this girl, continuously being injured can cause life lasting injuries. Hopefully today in class we will find out ways to better foresee the impacts of TBI and to "diagnosis" it sooner.

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  2. Watching the TBI videos and reading Kait and Lauren's comment gave me a sudden rush of fear. The people I know including myself, that do not take brain injuries seriously. In high school I knew athletes that were advised to not play football anymore because another concussion could be detrimental. In my own athletic career I had two concussions and it never occurred to me the long term effects that it could have on my overall functioning. The other athletes and myself were more concerned with how quickly we could get back into the game. With TBI becoming a more prevalent issue, maybe the topic should become something that all athletes are educated on before starting the season.

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