FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month, we will engage in an Army-wide effort to continue our intensive campaign to educate Soldiers and families about the diagnosis, treatment, and care programs related to brain injury, specifically mild Trauma Brain Injuries, or concussions.
The Department of Defense focuses on prevention, diagnoses, and proper treatment of concussions, especially those related to combat.
The Atlanta Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that on average 1.7 million Americans suffer mTBIs annually; causes include a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating injury that disrupts the function of the brain. Injury severity ranges from "mild" (concussion) to "severe" (an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury). If treated properly, concussions do not cause long-term physical or mental effects.
Education is the key to identifying and treating concussions. I encourage you all to identify the signs and symptoms of potential brain injuries employing the mnemonic HEADS:
Headaches or vomiting
Ears ringing
Amnesia, altered consciousness, or loss of consciousness
Double vision, and or dizziness
Something is wrong, not quite right
Concussions caused significant injuries in past wars and recent battles; therefore, the Army follows an event-driven protocol to systematically identify, treat, and protect Soldiers with potential brain injuries. In addition, U.S. Central Command implemented a theater policy mandating medical examinations for all Soldiers involved in concussion-related events, such as blast exposures, vehicle accidents and rollovers, and direct blows to the head.
During the examinations, clinicians adhere to an algorithm to assess the injury, provide treatment guidance, refer to specialty care, and monitor recovery. To document and track these events, the DoD implemented a theater tracking system requiring deployed units to report all significant actions. This information is collected from the battlefield, compiled into the Warrior's record and stored in a centralized database and reporting system designed to:
Identify Soldiers exposed to the concussion-related events
Provide situational awareness to medical providers of an individual's history of risk exposures
Provide visibility to leaders on units' exposure to events
Provide documentation to support Line of Duty investigations for the Army Reserves and National Guard Soldiers
Provide information to the medical community to better understand blast and traumatic events
Collectively, we must commit to studying and improving our knowledge of brain injuries. We must dedicate efforts to prevention measures, injury identification, and effective treatment. This starts at home, on sports fields, and in proper management of falls, bike accidents and martial arts events. And it extends to battlefields wherever our Warriors face the dangers of blast injuries.