Thinking about being involved in a motor vehicle accident is scary enough, but when you think about the potential injuries you could suffer, it probably heightens your fear. One injury that many people, including you, may fear the most is a traumatic brain injury.
Suffering from this type of injury could potentially change your life forever. Even if the lasting effects are not seriously debilitating, they could require you to make adjustments to your life that require follow-up care from doctors, physical therapists and more.
Researchers continue to search for treatments that will minimize the effects of a TBI. For instance, a simple and cost-effective injection may arrest the progression of the damage, which would give you a better chance at recovery. In one study involving 12,000 people across the globe suffering from traumatic brain injuries, researchers gave some participants a medication called tranexamic acid, referred to as TXA, while others received a placebo in order to determine its effects on TBI.
The results were promising. Given intravenously, the medication reduced the risk of death from mild to moderate TBIs by around 20%. Better yet, patients suffered no disability increase or harmful side effects. However, one must administer the medication within the first three hours of the injury in order to achieve its maximum efficacy. The medical industry already uses TXA to help with clotting in abdominal and chest injuries.
Even though TXA keeps bleeding on the brain from getting any worse, it does not repair or reverse any damage already done. Moreover, outside of the three-hour window, the efficacy of the drug drops by 10% for every 20 minutes that pass without the administration of the treatment. Even with these issues, TXA could help save numerous lives for those who receive it as a TBI treatment within the first three hours of injury.
Even if the damage to your brain stops by using TXA, you could still end up with lifelong issues as a result. If it turns out that another driver caused the accident in which you were injured, you may have the opportunity to pursue compensation for your medical costs, lost income and other damages associated with the crash.
In order to do so, you may need to file a personal injury claim. To increase your chances of receiving the maximum amount of compensation to which you have the right, you could discuss your situation with an experienced attorney who could advocate on your behalf with insurance companies and in court if necessary.
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