Seemingly insignificant injuries can cause a chronic subdural hematoma. A subdural hematoma (aka blood clot) patient with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score lower than eight should be intubated, often through the trachea, for proper airway passage protection.
Even after rapid surgical evacuation of a hematoma, patients suffering acute subdural hematomas with a midline shift will rarely recover fully from such injury due to their associated underlying brain injury complications.
Patients suffering acute subdural hematomas after a bad head injury frequently have a devastating prognosis despite the timely surgical evacuation of hematomas. The reason for this is due to underlying damage. Following surgery, patients often need intensive care for ventilator-dependent respiration and to manage cerebral hypertension.
If you or a family member is suffering from hematomas, we at Ehline Law Firm can assist you with receiving the necessary compensation! This article a discussion about everything you need to know regarding surgical treatment of chronic subdural conditions.
Hematomas
What Is a Subdural Hematoma?
Blood vessels gather on the top of the brain, causing a subdural hematoma. Hematomas in the subdural space may be fatal. Additionally, they are frequently caused by head injuries. An acute or chronic hematoma may exist. A severe head injury is the most common cause of a traumatic acute subdural hematoma. Following an acute subdural hematoma, between 20 – 30% of persons regain partial or complete functionality.
Seemingly insignificant injuries can cause a chronic subdural hematoma. A subdural hematoma (aka blood clot) patient with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score lower than eight should be intubated, often through the trachea, for proper airway passage protection. Even after rapid surgical evacuation of a hematoma, patients suffering acute subdural hematomas with a midline shift will rarely recover fully due to their associated underlying brain injury complications.
How Does a Subdural Hematoma Form?
A subdural hematoma forms when a vein ruptures between the surface of one’s brain and skull.
Acute Subdural Haematomas
Numerous cases exist where an acute subdural hematoma is operated on with complications, including a midline shift. It is a medical term for a condition where the damaged region may fill and trigger serious issues if you have a significant brain injury. These types are the most severe.
The following are the most common causes of this medical condition:
These happen rapidly and cause rapid trauma symptoms. These conditions cause 50 – 90% of persons to die. With this condition, there is morbidity and major mortality reduction in comatose patients treated within four hours.
Chronic Subdural Hematomas
Mild or repeated traumas are the most common cause of a chronic subdural hematoma. These are typical in elderly patients who fall and hurt their skulls frequently.
The fact that older individuals have a higher rate of this illness could be due to the fact that the brain decreases with age. This creates greater space, making it easier to injure veins during an accident. Chronic subdural hematomas have symptoms that do not show up right away and can take weeks to occur.
An acute subdural hematoma is more difficult to treat than a chronic subdural hematoma. They may, nevertheless, result in higher risk consequences.
Symptoms of This Condition
Intracranial subdural hematomas and cerebral herniation induce immediate symptoms.
The common clinical characteristics include:
- Loss of consciousness
- Coma
- Slurred speech
- Numbness
- Seizures
- Weakness
- Exhaustion
- Terrible headache
- Visual issues
- Pain
- Disability.
These prognostic factors can potentially indicate the presence of other, more alarming health issues. The significance of these symptoms may get confused with those of stroke, dementia, tumors, or alternative diseases; hence, awareness is crucial.
Diagnosis – Delays Exacerbate Brain Injuries & Liability Defenses?
You can use a CT scan or MRI to diagnose and confirm these issues. The CT scan findings or MRI criteria provide the doctor with a detailed picture of the other arteries in this region of the body, such as the veins and other vessels.
The medical professional can order a test to assess the total count. The data measures your red cell count, white cell count, and platelet count. A low red cell count might indicate a fluid loss.
Physicians can perform a physical examination to assess the individual’s blood pressure and heart rate for signs of internal bleeding.
Conservative Treatment Options
Only healthcare professionals in a hospital can treat acute bilateral hematomas. A craniotomy is a surgical management operation that can remove a subacute subdural hematoma. The surgeons remove a portion of the skull to obtain entry to the hematoma. Medical experts perform the removal with irrigation and suction.
However, a systematic review and case reports show that these operations still have dangers. Research and outcomes show that 18% of diagnosed patients died within a month of neurosurgery.
One uses burr hole craniotomy to prompt drainage in both hematomas that are not thick. The surgeon makes small holes and inserts rubber tubing into the airway. The acute subdural hematoma’s fluid drains out of these holes. Although recovery times vary, 80 – 90% of people report substantial improvements following this procedure.
The doctor may prescribe high doses of anti-seizure medicine to prevent or treat seizures caused by the condition. One frequently uses corticosteroids to treat inflammation.
Temporary or Consistent Complications
Postoperative recurrence might happen immediately after the incident or neurosurgery.
The following are examples of potential concerns:
- Comas
- Herniation
- Death seizure
- Numbness
- Permanent muscle weakness.
The severity of the injury determines the extent of the issues. Various health conditions affect subdurals. Anticoagulant or thinner users face higher risks. A patient over 65 is also at an increased risk.
Traumatic Brain Injury Attorneys
While the surgical outcome of this occurrence is challenging to predict, the legal implications do not have to be! At Ehline Law Firm, our team of friendly and charismatic lawyers is here for anyone experiencing head trauma or life-threatening complications.
Call us at (213) 596-9642 or visit our site for a free case evaluation; our analysis and findings may help you receive the compensation you deserve.
Citations:
- Report about two cases. J Neurosurg>. 1994 Feb. 80(2):324-7. [Medline]. Atkinson JL, Lane JI, Aksamit AJ. MRI depiction of chronic intradural (subdural) hematoma in evolution. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2003 Apr. 17(4):484-6. [Medline].
- Foelholm R, Waltimo O. Epidemiology of chronic subdural hematoma. Acta Neurochir (Wien). 1975. 32(3-4):247-50. [Medline].
