Experts on both sides all agree, at the end of life, he will suffer a fatal respiratory infection but dont agree how that should be managed A severely brain-injured young man is at the centre of an important High Court dispute between doctors and his parents over whether he should be resuscitated if his condition deteriorates. The parents are opposing the HSEs application for orders giving doctors discretion not to administer various treatments, including CPR, if his condition deteriorates further. The president of the High Court, Mr Justice Peter Kelly, who described the case as of major importance, may visit the man in hospital. Because the man is a ward of court, the judge must decide whether the orders sought are in his best interests. The parents are in court for the case, which opened on Tuesday. A senior doctor involved in the mans care said she discussed his situation on many occasions over years with his parents, in line with Medical Council guidelines. Those discussions were often difficult, and the parents did not agree the man was minimally conscious or did not communicate. Because she considered the discussions had reached an impasse, she recommended an application be made last … Continue reading →

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The long-term healthcare costs for patients suffering from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) with evidence of motor impairment are significantly higher than those of the general population, according to new research presented by SanBio, Inc., a scientific leader in regenerative medicine for neurological disorders. The findings from the study Economic Burden of Illness for Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury Resulting in Chronic Motor Impairment, were presented at the World Congress of Brain Injury in New Orleans on Friday, March 31. Costs of TBI patients were highest during the acute phase of the injury. However, even in the second year post injury, TBI patients with evidence of motor impairment incurred excess costs of nearly $27,000 per patient. These costs appeared to stabilize at a rate of approximately four times higher than those of the control group costs. Higher costs of TBI patients were associated with elevated use of all medical resources analyzed, including inpatient and outpatient services, emergency department visits, and physical therapy and rehabilitation services, as well as prescription drug use. Patients with traumatic brain injuries incurred significantly greater costs than the control group across the board for medical services, said Dr. Damien Bates, Chief Medical Officer … Continue reading →

A Castleman Creek Elementary School student airlifted to the hospital after falling and hitting his head. Stephen Adams, KCEN 8:39 AM. CDT April 04, 2017 HEWITT - A Castleman Creek Elementary School student was airlifted to the hospital after a head injury Monday afternoon. The 8-year-old boy tripped and fell, hitting his head on something inside the school, a source confirmed, adding the incident, which was caught on school surveillance camera, was a complete accident. The fall happened early in the school day, and the boy was evaluated at the time of the fall. But, he did not begin showing symptoms of a serious head injury until around lunchtime, at which point an ambulance was called to the school. A medical helicopter was later dispatched and airlifted the boy to a local hospital. The helicopter left the school just before 1:30 p.m. "It's scary how something so simple could have a severe consequence," said Midway ISDSpokesperson Traci Marlin, who expressed her sympathies for the family. Principal Mandy Johnson sent the following email to parents just before 2:00 p.m.: "Early this afternoon, we called for an ambulance for a student suffering symptoms from a head injury. The student was then care-flighted … Continue reading →