Title: Definitions Related to TBI – Traumatic Brain Injury
Headings: Definitions Related to TBI
Definitions Related to TBI
Secondary Injury Includes:
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Content: The only way to prevent the primary injury is to prevent the trauma. The prevention of this secondary injury is the focus of the acute medical care after injury. Secondary Injury Includes: Intracranial hemorrhage (bleeding inside the skull)
Brain swelling
Increased intracranial pressure (pressure inside the skull)
Brain damage associated with lack of oxygen
Infection inside the skull, common with penetrating trauma
Chemical changes leading to cell death
Increased fluid inside the skull (hydrocephalus)
Acquired Brain Injury– injuries other than congenital, birth trauma, hereditary or degenerative. This includes traumatic brain injury. In the non-traumatic types of acquired brain injury, the brain is usually diffusely injured. These injuries are usually not included in traumatic brain injury but the symptoms span the same spectrum. Common causes are anoxia and hypoxia. These are lack of oxygen to the brain and insufficient oxygen to the brain. They can occur because of mechanical problems with breathing, with cardiac arrest or bleeding.