Trauma and Accidents

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• QWhat is trauma?

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  A Chippenham Hospital - HCA Virginia answered

  Trauma basically refers to any injury.

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• QWho does trauma affect?

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  A Chippenham Hospital - HCA Virginia answered

  Trauma has a far-reaching impact for every aspect of a patient's life. Trauma affects anyone who is traumatized, in addition to their family members.

• QWhat is polytrauma?

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  A Challenge America answered

  Polytrauma describes multiple complex injuries of the brain and body typically caused by explosive blasts from car bombs, shells and flying shrapnel. The condition is commonly characterized by multiple head injuries, vision and hearing loss, nerve damage, multiple bone fractures, unhealed body wounds and infections—either of which can be life threatening. Others injuries may include severed limbs or spinal cord damage with the majority of patients experiencing some amount of traumatic brain injury.

  The complexity and severity of injuries sustained may also lead to emotional or behavioral challenges. In recent years, more soldiers and service men have been diagnosed with polytrauma as modern advancements have allowed victims of multiple blast wounds to be rescued from battle instead of dying in combat. Now, more soldiers and civilians on foreign soil are surviving massive injuries and can receive the medical care they need after returning home.

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• QWhat is a crush injury?

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  A American Red Cross answered

  A crush injury is caused by strong pressure against a body part, often a limb. It may result in serious damage to underlying tissue, causing bruising, bleeding, lacerations, fractures, shock, and internal injuries.

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• QHow is polytrauma treated?

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  A Challenge America answered

  If you require polytrauma care, you'll need more than one doctor working on one condition. A comprehensive system of care is required for soldiers suffering from polytrauma. Based on your specific needs, a team of healthcare professionals will design a regimen of care that heals injuries and minimizes pain but also addresses your psychological and emotional challenges. The cornerstone of this comprehensive approach is rehabilitation. Prosthetic limbs and physical therapy may help you regain mobility while other therapies may help you regain your speech, memory and motor skills.
• QWhere do I find a polytrauma rehabilitation center?

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  A Challenge America answered

  The Department of Veterans Affairs operates four Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers in Richmond, VA; Tampa, FL, Minneapolis, MN and Palo Alto, CA. It also runs 18 Polytrauma Network Sites that provide post-acute rehabilitation. For a complete list of facilities, visit www.va.gov. The VA also plans to add support clinics to provide outpatient care and post-release followup care.
• QWhat are the less obvious signs of polytrauma?

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  A Challenge America answered

  An explosive blast or violent impact or shaking of your head often makes you feel like you’ve got a concussion. This is known as traumatic brain injury. Even if there were no outward physical signs of injury, you probably lost memory and consciousness shortly afterwards but later felt fine. But you may not be out of the woods quite yet. Difficulties with attention, concentration and memory along with headaches or ringing in the ears may signal lingering effects. Look for light-headedness, irritability and impaired decision making, too. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, check with your doctor.
• QHow long will treatment for polytrauma last?

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  A Challenge America answered

  All patients are different, but a polytrauma patient usually stays in a polytrauma rehabilitation center slightly more than a month but others may remain for months and even more than a year. When they return home, continued care from veterans hospitals is required and in some instances, round-the-clock home aides are needed. Usually these services, along with therapists and medical equipment, are paid for by the government in addition to monthly disability. Veterans who do not return home may transition to nursing homes where they can receive the care they need.
• QHow should I take care of myself after a traumatic event?

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  A Pamela Miles , Integrative Medicine, answered

  Self-care is an act of wisdom and strength. As we support our continued well-being, we strengthen our reserves so that we can meet life as it unfolds. Whatever happens or doesn’t happen in the future, it is a priority now to attend to our immediate needs and lay the foundation for long term well-being.
  
  Lewis Mehl-Madrona, M.D., Ph.D., warns against pathologizing the natural course of healing. He says, “A diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is premature in the immediate aftermath of trauma. Whatever you’re feeling--anxiety, irritability, emotional sensitivity, or even nothing--these are all normal responses and part of the natural course of healing.”
  
  Make space in your life for the necessary process of healing to occur. Rather than jumping into hyper activity to escape feeling emotions, support your healing by simplifying life for a while. Of course, acting on the many simple opportunities we have each day to offer kindness to one another is also deeply healing.

  If you have a spiritual healing practice such as Reiki or meditation, this is the time to commit to daily practice, and rely on it to support you from within. Approach your practice gently, and let the experience nourish you. For example, on the mornings you don't feel up to sitting for meditation, lie comfortably on your back in sivasana, palms up a few inches from your sides, and observe your natural breath.

  If intense feelings or reactions do not soften over time, it may be wise to consult a professional skilled in trauma recovery.

• QHow do accidents affect aging?

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  A Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answered

  The injury caused by accidents isn't cumulative but sudden, the kind of "instant aging" all of us hope to avoid. Many accidents, particularly auto accidents, are fatal, and these fatalities can often be avoided. An injury from an accident can trigger a chain reaction. For example, if you get into a car accident and aren't wearing your seat belt, you might very well injure your back. That prevents you from staying active and exercising. When you quit exercising, you gain weight, so your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or "lousy" cholesterol, blood pressure, and stress levels all increase, and your arteries begin to show signs of age. Or, you rupture your bladder in a car accident and need treatment for life. All of a sudden, you are living the life of someone much older. Just because you forgot to buckle your seat belt.