According to recent research, about 50 percent of patients who end up in the hospital with brain injuries have anemia. The effects of anemia on patients in New Mexico and other states who suffer serious injury to the brain remain unclear. However, researchers have found that being anemic may influence brain injury patients’ outcomes in a negative way.
The red blood cells feature hemoglobin, which is crucial for delivering oxygenated blood. Researchers recently compared the hemoglobin levels in brain injury patients with their outcomes a year after surgery. They found that patients whose hemoglobin levels were lower had poor outcomes, despite the fact that they also had more serious injuries to the head and systemic injuries.
Restoring the hemoglobin level of a patient requires giving the patient a blood transfusion. Unfortunately, blood that has been stored might not perform as well as the patient’s own blood would. In addition, patients might experience viral infections or allergic reactions stemming from such transfusions. Furthermore, a single unit of blood costs between $200 and $300.
In addition to experiencing anemia, people who have suffered a serious injury to the brain may experience side effects, such as memory problems. Sometimes brain injuries are the result of the carelessness of another party, such as another motorist on the road who caused an accident resulting in brain injuries. In these types of cases, the person with the brain injury has the right to file a personal injury claim against the party or parties deemed negligent. Monetary damages may be awarded if liability is established by appropriate proof in a New Mexico civil court.
Source: sciencedaily.com, “Anemia negatively affects recovery from traumatic brain injuries“, May 25, 2016