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What tests are available to help determine whether or not a brain injury has occurred? My name is Kenneth Berger, and I handle brain injury cases across South Carolina. A lot of times, after someone sustains a closed head injury, they'll be taken to the hospital, and a CT will be performed. The CT is there to identify if there's been a major brain bleed, known as a hemorrhage, and also to see whether a skull fracture has occurred. Oftentimes, someone who has experienced a traumatic brain injury, also known as a TBI, will in addition undergo an MRI along with an EEG to check on brain activity and whether or not you're going to be more susceptible to seizure.
Even if the MRI, CT, and EEG all come back normal, it doesn't mean an injury didn't occur. Many times, people will experience symptoms ranging from mood swings to memory loss, difficulty concentrating, headaches, and nausea, yet those tests—those initial tests—all came back normal. Those initial tests do not mean additional care is not required. They do not mean that an injury has not occurred.
There are advanced images. Some advanced types of images are known as DTI and SWI, and these types of images see whether or not micro hemorrhaging, microbleeds, have occurred. DTI looks at whether or not the electrical wires in your brain have been damaged. These types of advanced images are the next step in brain injury treatment.
So regardless of whether or not these initial tests came back negative, if you are experiencing symptoms that you believe are related to a traumatic brain injury, there are additional tests that can be done. We work with some of the best specialists in the entire country, from folks in Florida to folks in Michigan to people out on the West Coast, who can help diagnose brain injury and make sure it's properly treated.
If you have any questions regarding what can be done, especially from a testing standpoint, to help you move forward with your life, know that we're here to help. You can request free copies of my books on my website or contact me for a free consultation today. Our South Carolina TBI lawyer team looks forward to hearing from you and to doing everything we possibly can to help.
Potential Signs and Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury
Diagnosing a traumatic brain injury isn’t always as straightforward as you might think. Not all injuries that can cause a TBI leave readily apparent wounds, or even visible at all in many cases.
That’s why it’s critical to be examined by trained medical personnel after any accident in which a head injury could have happened, such as a car accident. There are even some signs of a TBI that, to an unqualified observer or a disoriented victim, may not seem to be related to a brain injury at all.
Some of the signs of a TBI may include the following:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Drowsiness
- A bad taste or a change in ability to smell
- Light or sound sensitivity
- Mood swings, anxiety, or depression
- Clumsiness, paralysis, or lack of coordination
Other, more telling signs may include mental confusion, slowed breathing and pulse rate, a clear fluid leaking from the nose or ears, or unconsciousness. There are many other potential symptoms, so if you suspect a brain injury, get medical help immediately.
Initial Tests Used to Diagnose a TBI
When you seek medical help after an actual or suspected TBI, medical personnel will perform a number of tests, depending on the severity and the timeframe of the injury. Tests may be for acute diagnosis immediately after the head injury, or to check the status of a TBI victim and determine how well he or she is functioning to determine if further treatment or rehabilitation is necessary. Some of the common tests used after a TBI include:
- The Glasgow Coma Scale is used to gauge the status of a person with a suspected TBI, both immediately after the injury and during follow-up assessment. The GCS provides for rapid assessment of mental status using eye movements and pupil measurements, the ability to speak and respond to verbal commands, and physical reflexes and response to touch. The doctor will assign a GCS score after assessment, typically between three and fifteen. The lowest GCS score of three indicates coma, and the highest indicates normal function, with varying degrees of mild, moderate, or severe TBI in between.
- CT or CAT scans are a commonly used imaging technique that uses X-rays to take pictures in many thin “slices” that together form a picture of the skull and brain. CT scans are often used to quickly diagnose brain bleeds (i.e. intracranial hemorrhages), skull fractures, bruised brain tissue and other damage inside the skull. A fast-acting radioactive dye may be injected into the patient during the procedure to help the doctor see certain details.
- MRI imaging is not usually done immediately after an injury for an emergency diagnosis, but may be done later, or during follow-up examination. MRI imaging takes pictures in thin “slices” like a CT scan, but it uses powerful magnets instead of X-rays. This test checks your brain activity.
- EEG, or electroencephalogram, is a test that detects electric activity in your brain using small electrodes attached to your scalp. EEGs are often completed alongside an MRI to test for brain activity and whether or not the injured person is more susceptible to seizures.
It's important to know that CT scans, MRIs and EEGs may come back "normal" even though the patient with the closed head injury knows something is not right. In many instances, negative results on a CT scan or basic MRI lead a neurologist to discharge the patient, even though "subjective complaints" persist.
Get Legal Help After Your TBI
No one living in South Carolina should be forced to live with an undiagnosed brain injury. Dealing with the effects of a TBI are hard enough. Being told that nothing is wrong with you simply because the MRI came back normal is not fair nor medically sound. If you or someone you love has been the victim of a TBI after an accident due to someone else’s carelessness or negligence, you may be eligible for compensation.
We focus on helping people who have suffered brain injuries from car wrecks in South Carolina, and want you to consider us a resource in finding the right doctors, tests, and treatment. We have seen far too many people get released by their neurologist simply because the MRI returned negative. If "something has been different since the accident," and you find yourself in need of answers and direction, call me today at (803) 790-2800 or contact us by using the live chat box below.
When you’re ready to speak to an experienced attorney, the Law Office of Kenneth E. Berger is here for you. Although we are based out of Columbia, we've represented victims from many parts of South Carolina, including Charleston, Myrtle Beach, and Lexington.