Complications of Traumatic Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury is a life-altering event. A TBI can affect nearly every aspect of one's life.

There are many complications that come with a brain injury. Intracranial hemorrhage (extradural, subdural or intracerebral hemorrhage is one of those complications. Brain swelling (cerebral oedema) is a common and frequently fatal complication of head injury which may develop within minutes or hours of injury.

Sometimes, health complications occur in the period immediately following a brain injury. These complications are not types of TBI, but are distinct medical problems that arise as a result of the injury. Although complications are rare, the risk increases with the severity of the trauma. Complications of TBI include immediate seizures, post traumatic ventricular enlargement, cerebrospinal fluid leaks, infections, vascular injuries.

About 25 percent of patients with brain contusions or hematomas and about 50 percent of patients with penetrating head injuries will develop complications such as: immediate seizures, seizures that occur within the first 24 hours of the injury. These immediate seizures increase the risk of early seizures - defined as seizures occurring within 1 week after injury - but do not seem to be linked to the development of traumatic epilepsy (recurrent seizures occurring more than 1 week after the initial trauma).

See also:

Traumatic Brain Injury
Causes
Clinical Trials
Coma
Prevention
Rehabilitation
Symptoms

CDC - TBI Outcomes and Consequences