Traumatic brain injury

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Prevention

By Mayo Clinic staff

Follow these tips to reduce the risk of brain injury:

  • Seatbelts. Always wear a seat belt in a motor vehicle. Small children should always sit in the back seat of a car and be secured in child safety seats or booster seats that are appropriate for their size and weight.
  • Alcohol and drug use. Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, including prescription medications that can impair your ability to drive.
  • Firearms. Store firearms, unloaded, in a locked cabinet or safe. Store bullets in a separate location.
  • Helmets. Wear a helmet while riding a bicycle, skateboard, motorcycle, snowmobile or all-terrain vehicle. Also wear appropriate head protection when you bat or run bases, ski, skate, ride a horse, or play a contact sport.

Preventing falls
The following tips can help older adults avoid falls around the house:

  • Install handrails in bathrooms
  • Put a nonslip mat in the bathtub or shower
  • Remove area rugs
  • Install handrails on both sides of staircases
  • Improve lighting in the home
  • Keep stairs and floors clear of clutter
  • Get regular vision checkups
  • Get regular exercise

Preventing head injuries in children
The following tips can help children avoid head injuries:

  • Install safety gates at the top of stairs
  • Install child-height handrails on staircases
  • Keep stairs clear of clutter
  • Install window guards to prevent falls
  • Put a nonslip mat in the bathtub or shower
  • Use playgrounds that have shock-absorbing materials on the ground
  • Don't let children play on fire escapes or balconies
References
  1. Living with brain injury: Education. Brain Injury Association of America. http://www.biausa.org/education.htm. Accessed July 8, 2010.
  2. Heads up: Facts for physicians about mild traumatic brain injury. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/concussion/headsup/physicians_tool_kit.html. Accessed July 7, 2010.
  3. Traumatic brain injury: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tbi/detail_tbi.htm. Accessed July 8, 2010.
  4. Ling GS, et al. Management of traumatic brain injury in the intensive care unit. Neurologic Clinics. 2008;26:409.
  5. Nolan S. Traumatic brain injury: A review. Critical Care Nursing Quarterly. 2005;28:188.
  6. Living with brain injury: Treatment and rehabilitation. Brain Injury Association of America. http://www.biausa.org/treatmentandrehab.htm. Accessed July 8, 2010.
  7. Traumatic brain injury. Family Caregiver Alliance. http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=579. Accessed July 21, 2010.
  8. Coping with behavior problems after head injury. Family Caregiver Alliance. http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=396. Accessed July 21, 2010.
  9. Brown AW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Aug. 11, 2010.
  10. Traumatic brain injury in the United States: Emergency department visits, hospitalizations and deaths, 2002-2006. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/TraumaticBrainInjury. Accessed Aug. 16, 2010.
  11. Military & veterans. BrainLine.org. http://www.brainline.org/landing_pages/categories/military.html. Accessed Aug. 23, 2010.
  12. Thinking/cognitive symptoms. BrainLine.org. http://www.brainline.org/landing_pages/categories/cognitivesymptoms.html. Accessed Aug. 23, 2010.
  13. Barbara Woodward Lips Patient Education Center. Understanding brain injury: A guide for the family. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2008. http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/mayo/research/tbims/upload/ubi_families.pdf. Accessed Aug. 23, 2010.
  14. Moessner AM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. August 16, 2010.
  15. Behavioral and emotional symptoms. BrainLine.org. http://www.brainline.org/landing_pages/categories/behavioralsymptoms.html. Accessed Aug. 23, 2010.
DS00552 Sept. 16, 2010

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