| Those men and women who choose to serve their | | | | evidence that such symptoms may occasionally |
| country in the military unfortunately run a | | | | be misdiagnosed as pure psychological, or |
| higher risk of incurring a traumatic brain | | | | even a result of a soldier's malingering, |
| injury (TBI) than those civilians who might | | | | partly due to the lack of resources and |
| be exposed to less risk. One reason for this | | | | traumatic brain injury expertise that combat |
| is that military personnel are under a high | | | | doctors might be forced to deal with. |
| risk for being involved in car accidents, | | | | |
| which are the most common cause of all TBIs. | | | | And as Commander James Dunne, lead trauma |
| In addition, military personnel are | | | | surgeon at the National Naval Medical Center, |
| consistently at risk of being injured by | | | | observed at a 2006 summit of military |
| powerful munitions, which can also cause a | | | | physicians, the long-term consequences of an |
| brain injury through concussive force. Though | | | | undiagnosed TBI can be devastating. Those |
| military service does exposed personnel to | | | | servicemen and women with an undiagnosed |
| the risk of a penetrative brain injury, such | | | | brain injury can lose all-too-important |
| as caused by a bullet or shrapnel, an even | | | | treatment time, which can prolong recovery |
| greater risk exists for a TBI caused by a | | | | time and possibly cause serious personal |
| concussive blast wave as a result of an | | | | complications and setbacks. Because side |
| explosive. The high occurrence of explosions | | | | effects of a traumatic brain injury include |
| due to improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in | | | | behavioral and emotional problems, especially |
| combat theaters such as Iraq and Afghanistan | | | | depression, TBIs can hold discharged soldiers |
| means American troops in the field are at a | | | | back from reintegrating into civilian society |
| high risk of incurring a TBI. | | | | or even from continued success in the armed |
| | | | services. |
| Afghanistan, Iraq Conflicts a Major Risk | | | | |
| Factor for Traumatic Brain Injury | | | | A 1996 medical study showed that a |
| | | | behavior-related discharge from the military |
| We now know those who have served in | | | | was 1.8 times more likely for a TBI patient |
| Afghanistan or Iraq are at a much higher risk | | | | than for a soldier without a TBI. |
| of TBI than combat veterans from previous | | | | Difficulties with memory, motor skills and |
| wars. In the Vietnam War, 14 to 18 percent of | | | | the senses, more common side effects of brain |
| all veterans had a brain injury. Today, the | | | | damage, can also affect veterans' ability to |
| Walter Reed Army Medical Center says 31 | | | | get a job, care for a family or perform other |
| percent of those admitted between January | | | | life functions. And without a diagnosis, |
| 2003 and May 2005 had some kind of brain | | | | military TBI patients may be liable for tens |
| injury. A 2005 study in the New England | | | | of thousands of dollars' worth of medical |
| Journal of Medicine attributed these higher | | | | bills, on top of lost wages. |
| numbers in part to advancements in munitions, | | | | |
| especially improvised explosive devices, and | | | | Proper helmets and body armor, particularly |
| in part to improvements in body armor, which | | | | the newest Kevlar armor, remain the best way |
| protects soldiers from what would previously | | | | to prevent a traumatic brain injury among |
| have been a fatal penetrative wound, but not | | | | those who serve in the military. It is also |
| from a nonfatal blast injury. | | | | important to have rapid diagnosis and quickly |
| | | | implemented treatment of a TBI to prevent |
| Misdiagnosed/Undiagnosed Traumatic Brain | | | | secondary injuries due to the chemical and |
| Injury in Soldiers | | | | physical changes to the brain that can |
| | | | accompany a TBI, swelling for example. It can |
| Because the symptoms of a traumatic brain | | | | also minimize the cost, both personal and |
| injury often do not appear until weeks after | | | | financial, of the injury to the soldier and |
| the injury is sustained, it is not uncommon | | | | his or her loved ones. If you believe that |
| for a TBI to go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. | | | | you or one of your loved ones might have an |
| This is especially true when the symptoms of | | | | undiagnosed service-related TBI, an |
| a TBI are subtle, such as a personality | | | | experienced brain injury attorney can help |
| change or emotional problems, which are easy | | | | you get the help and compensation you |
| for strangers to miss. There does exist some | | | | deserve. |