Brain Injury Lawyer - New York

Woodruff Returns to U.S. For Brain Injury Rehabilitation

CNN News reports that ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff and video journalist Doug Vogt were both returning to the U.S. today for treatment at the brain injury center of the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.   Their head injuries are described as serious with continued brain swelling. 

The head injury suffered by Woodruff has now been described as a "concussive" injury to his brain as compared to penetrating brain trauma from the shrapnel.  Here is the full CNN report on their head injuries.

We will continue to monitor their brain injury rehabilitation.

ABC News correspondent, Bob Woodruff shows signs of improvement following serious head injury

Encouraging news out of Germany today from an ABC news message concerning correspondent Bob Woodruff who suffered a serious head injury following the explosion of a road side bomb in Iraq.

Woodruff apparently sustained a head injury which caused severe brain swelling requiring a craniotomy (removal of a portion of the skull) to relieve the swelling and pressure in his brain.  He remained conscious following the explosion and head trauma.

The latest reports are that he may return to the United States tomorrow for further treatment. Read the associated press update on Woodruff's condition.

The Brain Injury Association of New York State extends our best wishes and prayers to Bob Woodruff and his family and extend our hands in support of their journey to recovery.  We invite them or anyone with a brain injury to call upon us for advice and support following a traumatic brain or traumatic head injury.

The mission of the Brain Injury Association of New York State which am proud to be president of for the past 6 years is to improve the quality of life for persons with a brain injury, their family and friends as well as to prevent brain injuries from occurring.  The Brain Injury Association sponsors support groups and other programs to assist persons with a brain injury and family members cope with this injury as well as providing valuable brain injury resources, educational programs and legislative advocacy.

 

Long Term Rehabilitation Care For Patient's With Severe Brain Injury To Receive New Attention

Medical experts are now advising the family of Israel Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon that he needs long term brain injury care following his stroke and brain bleeds (hemorrhage).

While it is not clear from the news reports exactly what his condition is, is he in a coma, persistent vegetative state or minimally conscious, what is clear is that he no longer needs the services of an acute care hospital and needs to be transferred to a long term rehabilitation center. 

Sound familiar, you bet, but now that it is the Prime Minister of Israel whose family is faced with this important decision, hopefully this transition from acute care to long term brain injury rehabilitation will receive increased media attention. 

It certainly would be useful if the media looked at how the average person and his family is thrown into this decision making process without much support and with little time to make an informed decision.  Hopefully the media will also look into the refusal of many health insurance companies to pay for this necessary care.

E mail me  to tell me your experiences with long term brain injury rehabilitation services so I can post some of these comments on this brain injury blog. As a member of the New York State Traumatic Brain Injury Services Council, I will also pass your e mails on to the full council and the New York State Commissioner of Health.

More information on:  Sharon's doctor's discuss his long term care

Bats and Brains

Here's something a little different:  A Syracuse university researcher has found that for bats, sexual prowess is associated with smaller the average size brains.  The study reports that male bats with the largest testicles have the smallest brains.  Is there a trade off between intelligence and sexual ability?  I will keep you posted! Read more news on the brains and bats by clicking here .

Concussion In Youth Sports Summit

I have just received information from the Brain Injury Association of New Jersey concerning a program that they are sponsoring on Youth Concussion Injury scheduled for February 24, 2006 at the Stadium Club at Giants Stadium, New Jersey.

Since funding for this program was provided from the New Jersey Traumatic Brain Injury Fund, attendance is free!.  You can get more information by contacting the Brain Injury Association of New Jersey or the sport concussion program web site.

More Information on Brain Injury Awareness Month

Hopefully everyone by now is aware that March has been designated as Brain Injury Awareness Month (BIAM).

To raise awareness so that the public better understands brain injury and its life-altering consequences, the Brain Injury Association of America has announced the availability of new materials for the public, those who have experienced a brain injury, their family members/caregivers, professionals and interested persons. A new brain injury awareness packet and materials are now available.

The "Living with Brain Injury" packet includes:

- "A Basic Glossary: Legal Terms for People with Brain Injury" booklet;
- "Overcoming Loneliness and Building Lasting Relationships after Brain Injury" booklet;
- "Preparing for Life after High School: Next Steps" booklet;
- "Communicating with an Adult after Brain Injury" tip card;
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "Facts about Traumatic Brain Injury" fact sheet;
- Directory of the Association's Chartered State Affiliates;
- "Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems" sheet; and
- "Brain Injury Awareness Activity Guide."

The new activity guide suggests activities and provides brain injury professionals with tools that they can use during Brain Injury Awareness Month.  Together, we can prevent injuries, increase awareness and create a better future for individuals with brain injury and their families and caregivers.

These materials can also be downloaded from the brain injury awareness month web site pages.

New York Hospital Report Cards

You can now evaluate hospital performance in New York State in a new web site opened this week by the New York State Department of Health. 

The site evaluates individual hospital performance and allows patients to compare hospitals in New York State.

According to press reports, Health Commissioner Antonio Novello said that the site was "intended to serve as a catalyst for patients to begin discussions with their doctors and hospital staff before undergoing specific procedures or treatments."

The New York State Health department web site for hospital performance is an excellent tool to utilize before agreeing to hospitalization in New York State.

NFL Study Shows Professional Football Players Have A Better Recovery From Concussions Than High School Players

In a new study sponsored by the National Football League (NFL) to be published in the Feburary issue of the journal Neurosurgery, national football league players showed more rapid recovery from concussions than high school football players.  The study was undertaken by the NFL's Committee on Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

I seriously hope that this study is not accepted as gospel and that further research is done to evaluate concussion injuries in professional athletes.  I have spoken with several players who have regreted the instructions that they received that it was safe for them to return to play and now have life long disability as a result of their brain injury.   

In the meantime, it is important to underscore the following conclusion from one researcher invovled in the study, "There current findings also underscore the criticial need for careful evaluation and managment of concussions in younger athletes and caution in not allowing a concussed young athlete to return to play until they have recovered."

The University of Pittsburgh Sports Medicine and Concussion Program has put out a press release concerning this NFL Concussion study.

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury & Anxiety Disorders

An interesting article in this month's issue of Brain Injury reviews the medical literature on the association of mild traumatic brain injuries and anxiety disorders.

The comprehensive review concludes that their is significant evidence to suggest that mild traumatic brain injury plays an important role in the emergence and expression of anxiety.  Just as important, the article also concludes that anxiety plays an important role in the prognosis and eventual recovery of persons who have sustained a mild traumatic brain injury. 

I was astounded to read how prevalent anxiety disorders are following mild traumatic brain damage.  The authors cite statistics that show that anxiety disorders may exist in 70% of the population that suffers mild TBI's.   

The title of the paper is Mild Traumatic Brain injury and anxiety sequaelae: A review of the literature, Brain Injury, February 2006, 20(2) 117-132.

New York Times Article on Prevelance of Traumatic Brain Injury In Returning Iraq War Veterans

Here's an advance on a story dated tomorrow in the New York Times entitled, "Struggling Back From War's Once Deadly Wound's" on the prevalence of traumatic brain injury in returning troops. 

The New York Times brain injury article cites statistics that more than half of all wounds in the Iraq war are head injuries with the cost of care estimated to be at least $14 billion dollars over the next twenty years. You must have a subscription to the times on line to review the article. Sign up is free.