KylenMartinez

S00847240

HallofFameAssignment

TracyMorganisanactorandcomedianbestknownforhiseightseasonsonSaturdayNight
Livefrom19932003.Aswellashisroleinthecomedy30Rock,whichranforsevenseasons.OnJune
72014MorganwasridinginaMercedesSprinterminibus.Thevehiclewastravelingnorthonthe
NewJerseyturnpikearound1:00amwhenitwasstruckfrombehindbyatractortraileroperatedby
Walmart.Morganwasflowntothehospitalwherehewasdiagnosedwithaseveretraumaticbrain
injury,aswellasabrokenfemur,brokennoseandseveralbrokenribs.Morganremainedinacoma
for2weeksandItwasunclearifhewouldeverfullyrecover.OnJune20thMorganwastransferredto
arehabilitationfacilitywhichhewasreleasedfromonJuly12th.InOctoberof2014Itwasreported
thatMorganwasstillundergoingrehabilitationfivedaysaweekforhisTBIandstillrequireda
wheelchairwhenwalkingmorethanafewfeet.NearlyoneyearlateronJune4th,2015Morgenmade
hisfirstpublicappearancesincetheaccidentwherehereportedthathehadgooddaysandbaddays
andwasstillnotbackto100%.Hereportedthatevenafterayearhestillsufferedfromheadaches,
andnosebleedsaswellassomememoryandbalanceissues.Thecomedianalsoexpressedfeelingsof
doubtastowhetherhecouldeverbefunnyagain(nbc.com)
Etiology
Atraumaticbraininjuryoccurswhenthereisabloworotherinjurytothehead.Themost
commoncausesofthesetypesofinjuriesincludesportsinjuries,vehiclecollisions,falls,violence,and
explosiveblasts.ThedamageofaTBIcanbefocusedononeareaofthebrainlikefromadirectblow.
Itcouldalsobeamorediffuseinjurywhichinvolvesmultipleareasofthebrain.Theimpactcancause
thebraintobruiseorswellandbleed.Amorediffuseinjurysuchasanaccelerationdeceleration
injurycanresultinaxonalshearing.Thisoccurswhenthedifferentlayersofthebrainslideovereach
otheratdifferentspeeds.Thiscausestheneuronstostretchandbreakwhichresultsinalackof
communicationanddamagetothatareaofthebrain(mayoclinic.org)
Pathology

Mildtraumaticbraininjuriesmaycausetemporarydysfunctionofbraincells.Amoreserious
traumaticbraininjurycanresultinbruising,torntissues,bleedingandotherphysicaldamagetothe
brainthatcanresultinlongtermcomplicationsordeath(mayoclinic).SymptomsofaTBIare
determinedbytheseverityofdamagetothebrainaswellastheareaofthebrainaffected.Someof
thesymptomsofamildtraumaticbraininjuryincludeheadaches,difficultysleeping,dizziness,

sensitivitytolightsandsoundsanddifficultywithmemoryandconcentration.Amoresevere
traumaticbraininjuryincludesymptomssuchaslossofconsciousness,seizures,slurredspeech,
profoundconfusionandcoma.ThepeoplemostatriskfordevelopingaTBIarechildrenunder4,
youngadultsbetweentheagesof1524,andadultsabove75.ItisestimatedthataTBIwasa
contributingfactorin30%ofallinjuryrelateddeathsintheUnitedStatesofamerica(cdc.org)
Prognosis
Thebrainisaverycomplicatedorganandnotwoheadinjuriesarethesame.Thismakesit
difficulttomakeanaccurateprognosis.Itmaybemonthsbeforedoctorscanaccuratelydecidehow
longitwilltakeforapatienttorecoverfromaTBI.However,thereareafewfactorsthatdoctorscan
usetomakeageneralprognosis.Thesefactorsincludethelengthandseverityofthecoma(ifthereis
one)andthelocationandsizeofthetrauma.Generallythemoreseveretheinjurythelongerthe
recoveryprocesstakesandthemorelongtermeffectsthereare.Ageisalsoafactorindetermininga
prognosis.Childrenunder2andadultsovertheageof65haveaworseprognosisthansomeoneelse
withthesameinjuryatadifferentage.recoveryfromatraumaticbraininjurycantakeanywhere
fromaweektoseveralmonthsandsomepeopleneverfullyrecover(traumaticbraininjury.com)
Symptoms
MildTraumaticbraininjury(concussion)
Lossofconsciousnessforafewminutes
Nauseaandvomiting
Headache
Difficultysleepingorsleepingmorethanusual
Dizzinessandlossofbalance
blurredvision
Ringingintheears
Changeintheabilitytosmell
Sensitivitytolightandsound
Problemswithmemoryandconcentration
Feelingsofanxiousnessordepression

Moderatetoseveretraumaticbraininjury
Includeallofthesymptomsofamildtraumaticbraininjuryplusafewmore
Lossofconsciousnessformorethanafewminutes
Seizures
Dilationofpupils(inoneorbotheyes)
Clearfluidsdrainingfromeyesornose
Weaknessandnumbnessinfingersandtoes
Lossofcoordination
Profoundconfusion
Agitationorotherunusualbehavior
Slurredspeech
Coma


Treatment
TreatmentfollowingaTBIisdependantupontheseverityoftheinjury.Amildtraumaticbrain
injurywilltypicallybetreatedwithrestandpainkillerssuchasIbuprofen.Howeveramoresevere
Traumaticbraininjurycanresultinmuchmoreextensivetreatment.Apatientmayneedsurgeryto
maintainbloodflowandoxygenandalsotodecreaseswelling.Treatmentmayalsoincludekeeping
thepatientinadruginducedcomatominimizeagitation.Apersonmayalsobegivenmedicationsfor
seizures,depression,andbehavioralissues.Whenthepatientisabletheywillbeginrehabilitation
treatment.Thistreatmentwillincluderestoringfunctionalabilitiessuchaswalking,talking,eatingand
usingthebathroom.Itwillalsoincludepreventingsecondarycomplicationssuchasbedsoresand
stabilizingandtreatingotherinjuriesthatmayhavebeensustainedatthesametimeastheTBI.
PhysicaltherapyplaysahugerollintherehabilitationofatraumaticbraininjuryPhysical
therapistshelppeoplewithTBIregaintheirphysicalabilities,relearndailytasks,andimprovetheir
strengthandoverallfitness(apta.org)Aphysicaltherapistcanworkwithapatientonstrengthand
flexibilityandendurancewhichcanhelpthemregainsomeofthefunctionalactivitiestheymayhave
lost.Theycanalsoworkonbalanceandcoordinationwhichwillhelpthepatientwhenwalkingand
movingaround.Aphysicaltherapistcanalsoworkwithcognitivedevelopmentandtheabilitytolisten
toandfollowcommands.whichcanhelpthepatientsissueswithmemoryandconfusion.Physical
therapistmayalsobeabletorecommendandeducatepatientsinthecorrectuseofwalkers,
wheelchairsandotherassistivedevicesthepatientmayneed.
ItwasunclearatfirstifMorganwouldeverbeabletorecoverfromhisinjuriesandevenifhe
didthereitwasunclearhowlonghisrecoverywouldtake.Howeverafter16monthsofrehabilitation
Morganreturnedtothecomedystageforthefirsttimesincehisaccident.Sincethenhehasbegun
doingmorecomedyandhasbeencastintheroleofReddFoxxinRichardPryorsnewbiopic.He
recentlytoldpeoplemagazineIfeellikeacompleteartistagainWhileTraceyMorganwasableto
makeanexcellentrecoveryfromasevereTBI,notallpeoplearesolucky.Whiletraumaticbrain
injurieshavereceivedincreasedpublicawareness,withmanystatesandthefederalgovernment
consideringorimplementinglawsdirectingtheresponsetosuspectedbraininjury(jamanetwork.org)
traumaticbraininjuriesstillcontinuetobeafactorinalargeamountofinjuryrelateddeaths.
Hopefullywithincreasingawarenessoftheseverityoftheseinjurieswecancontinuetoimplement
changestopreventasmanyoftheseinjuriesaspossibleinthefuture.

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