Miami, Florida (June 26th, 2023) –  Accidental or sports-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the primary cause of death and disability among children and young adults in the United States. TBI is also a significant concern for those over 75 who are prone to falling. An estimated 5 million Americans live with the difficulties of a TBI-related long-term disability.

Traumatic brain injury is usually caused by a blow or other traumatic injury to the head or body. The degree of damage can depend on several factors, including the nature of the injury and the force of impact as Sports injuries, Falls, Vehicle-related collisions, Violence, Explosive blasts (in active-duty military personnel), and other combat injuries. Also, can have wide-ranging physical and psychological effects. Some signs or symptoms may appear immediately after the traumatic event, while others may appear days or weeks later,” explained Dr. George Diaz,  Brain Injury and Vascular Neurologist of Memorial Neuroscience Institute, part of Memorial Healthcare System in South Florida.

For diagnosing brain injury, aside from the clinical examination, MRI and CT scans are very useful tests and can diagnose both acute and chronic brain injuries quickly and with accuracy.  Many brain injuries result in seizures and therefore an EEG (electroencephalogram ) is also part of the standard work-up.  

Treatment is based on the severity of the injury. Mild traumatic brain injuries usually require no treatment other than rest and over-the-counter pain relievers to treat a headache. Severe injuries may also have other injuries that need to be addressed. Additional treatments in the emergency room or intensive care unit of a hospital will focus on minimizing secondary damage due to inflammation, bleeding or reduced oxygen supply to the brain. Medications are also important in the treatment of post-traumatic headaches, seizures and mood disorders, which are very common after significant head trauma.  Psychological and psychiatric therapy are also very important in the recovery of any brain injured patient,” says Dr. Diaz, whose expertise has guided medical professionals, evaluated retired NFL athletes, and assisted organizations in developing effective strategies for managing TBI and maximizing the quality of life of patients.

Your healthcare provider should asses any type of head or brain injury, even if you don’t think the impact was serious. Problems from TBIs can develop right away, but it’s possible to have a mild brain injury and not know it. It’s helpful to know what signs to look for so you can get the medical care you need.

“Improving the quality of life of our patients is the driving force to continue innovating, growing, and learning as professionals,” stated Dr. Diaz. 

About Memorial Global Health:

Memorial Global Health provides personalized coordination of specialized and emergency medical services for adult and pediatric international patients. Memorial Healthcare System offers premier clinical expertise throughout their six hospitals including Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, exclusively dedicated to the care of children.  For more than 60 years, the physicians, nurses, specialists and healthcare professionals at Memorial have placed patients and their families at the heart of everything they do. The skilled team at Memorial offers patient-and-family-centered care by partnering with patients and their families.

About Memorial Healthcare System: 

Memorial Healthcare System is one of the largest public healthcare systems in the United States and has served South Florida since 1953. Since, the South Florida community has benefited from compassionate healthcare delivered according to the service vision of Deeper Caring, Smarter Healthcare. Memorial has six hospitals and more than 150 employed physicians, who compose the Memorial Physician Group, a nursing home, home health services, research, and primary and urgent care centers and the South Broward Community Health Services.  In 2013, Memorial Health Network led the way in putting the clinically integrated healthcare delivery model into action. By expanding on this new framework, Memorial will continue to improve the quality, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the services they proudly provide.

For more information:

Memorial Global Health

1 (954) 265-3200 

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Address: 3501 Johnson Street Hollywood, Florida 33021