There are many different defining criteria when it comes to traumatic brain injury. There are many different measuring scales that determine the severity of a traumatic brain injury. The most common of these is the Glasgow Coma Scale. The GCS scale defines the severity of the traumatic brain injury, but what determines if it is traumatic in the first place? TryMunity is happy to provide information regarding how to establish whether a brain injury is mild or traumatic.
TBI Defined
Traumatic brain injury is defined as a dramatically induced destruction of brain function. What makes it dramatic is that it fits in the following characteristics:
- Loss of consciousness
- Loss of memory
- Alteration of mental state at the time of the accident
- Neurological effects
Traumatic brain injuries can be classified as either mild, moderate, or severe. Each of these has its own criteria that would determine the severity of a TBI.
Determining Brain Injury Severity
The best way to determine how severe a brain injury is is to be thoroughly checked by a medical professional. However, if you need to determine the severity of a brain injury right away, you can use the simplified motor score or SMS point scale system. The points are as follows:
- Obeys verbal commands = 2 points
- Localizes pain = 1 point
- With Withdraws to pain = 0
Depending on the final score of the SMS point scale system, you can have a quick and effective way to rate the brain injury in a quick manner.
Consequences of Brain Injuries
Even when you suffer a brain injury that may be relatively minor, you could still have long-lasting cognitive effects. It is important that if you have suffered any sort of traumatic brain injury, that you receive the medical care and ongoing therapy so you can recover to the best of your ability.
For more information on traumatic brain injury, join the TryMunity community today. We are all in this together!
