Head
It is estimated that
approximately 1.4 million
people with head injuries
visit accident and emergency
departments up and down
the country every year. Of
those, about 200,000 are
admitted for treatment. The
brain injury charity, Headway,
has reported that about 10%
of head injuries are classified
as “moderate” and about 5%
as “severe”. Head injury is the
most common cause of death
or major disability in people
under the age of 40.
cases
It has long been recognised that the
early recognition of signs of a significant
head injury and prompt treatment can
make a major difference in terms of
avoiding long-term injury altogether or
significantly reducing its impact. In some
cases, it can be the difference between
life and death. Leaving aside the
immense human toll of these injuries, the
failure to pick up a brain injury at an early
stage has huge financial implications,
given the resources required to support
someone who has suffered a brain
injury. Often, brain injury sufferers will
have normal life expectancies, but a
requirement for round-the-clock care and
the impact on the public purse is huge
and cumulative over time. It is therefore
unsurprising that consideration of how
best to organise the treatment of head
injuries and improve outcomes is a major
preoccupation for public health officials.
Earlier this month, the National Institute
for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
published its updated guidance on the
treatment of head injuries. The changes
to the existing guidance emphasise
the importance of early investigation
and detection followed by prompt
treatment. The new guidance states
that ambulance crews should deliver
patients to a hospital with resuscitation
facilities where staff can investigate
and effectively treat head injuries. The
guidance requires that patients showing
signs of a serious or potentially lifethreatening injury such as seizures,
suspected skull fracture, repeated
vomiting or loss of consciousness
should be given a CT scan within one
hour. Other patients should have a CT
scan within four to eight hours. The new
guidance also stresses the importance
of educating patients about the signs
and symptoms of head injury at the time
of discharge. Specifically, the guidance
requires doctors and nurses to give
discharged patients and their families
and carers verbal and printed advice
which is age-appropriate.
The Mayo Wynne Baxter Clinical
Negligence Team has been involved in
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several claims relating to the failure to
recognise the early si