Just One More Gift To Our Troops

[the eternal]

1 in 5 returning troops may have brain injury

Many do not know symptoms can be treated, U.S. Army officials said

The Associated Press

updated 8:13 p.m. ET, Thurs., Jan. 17, 2008

WASHINGTON - As many as 20 percent of U.S. combat troops who fought in Iraq or Afghanistan leave with signs they may have had a concussion, and some do not realize they need treatment, Army officials said Thursday.

Concussion is a common term for mild traumatic brain injury, or TBI. While the Army has a handle on treating more severe brain injuries, it is "challenged to understand, diagnose and treat military personnel who suffer with mild TBI," said Brig. Gen. Donald Bradshaw, chairman of a task force on traumatic brain injury created by the Army surgeon general.

The task force, which completed its work in May, released its findings on Thursday.

It estimated that from 10 percent to 20 percent of soldiers and Marines from tactical units leaving Iraq and Afghanistan are affected by mild traumatic brain injury. The most common cause was blast from an explosion.

The symptoms can include headaches, dizziness, nausea, light sensitivity, sleep problems, memory problems, confusion and irritability. With treatment, more than 80 of patients recover completely, the task force said.

Less than half who suffered from a mild traumatic brain injury in combat have persistent symptoms associated with it, said Col. Robert Labutta, a neurosurgeon with the Army surgeon general's office.

In some cases, however, symptoms from the injury such as irritability affect a soldier's interaction with his or her family and fellow soldiers, said Col. Jonathan Jaffin, deputy commander of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command.

"By identifying them, giving them a diagnosis, so they don't think they're just going crazy ... we think that helps them deal with it," Jaffin said.

Thousands of troops have been treated for traumatic brain injury, and it is commonly called the signature wound of the war. Reports that troops were not properly treated or diagnosed for the injury led to some improvements in care.

Today, all troops brought to military treatment facilities from a war zone are screened for traumatic brain injury, Bradshaw said. But troops lacking more outward signs such as bleeding following a blast or other incident might not realize they experienced a concussion, Bradshaw said.

One of the challenges in treating a mild traumatic injury is that it can have some of the same symptoms as post-traumatic stress disorder, such as difficulty sleeping.

Labutta said more research and tracking is needed to determine if a mild traumatic brain injury can put someone at greater risk for Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

The task force praised work done at Fort Carson, Colo., where soldiers going back to war are screened for brain injury. Surveys there found that about 17 percent of the soldiers returning to war could have a traumatic brain injury.

The task force identified problems associated with the treatment of troops with traumatic brain injuries, such as inconsistent treatment and documentation at some facilities, but it said some of its recommendations have already been implemented.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22711522/wid/11915773/

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

This is one of those unforeseen consequences of effective armor and body armor. Our boys and girls survive many things that would have killed them in prior engagements. Which is great, but we are just now starting to realize there is a trade off. Sure, the blast that could have ripped them to pieces was shrugged off... but it still tossed them around in the Humvee... bounced their brain around in their skulls...

Concussive force is more deadly than shrapnel. Even with a frag grenade... the frags are thier to finish you off after the concussive force breaks a shit load of bones and turns internals to mush.

[odims_sphere]

This is one of those unforeseen consequences of effective armor and body armor. Our boys and girls survive many things that would have killed them in prior engagements. Which is great, but we are just now starting to realize there is a trade off. Sure, the blast that could have ripped them to pieces was shrugged off... but it still tossed them around in the Humvee... bounced their brain around in their skulls...

Concussive force is more deadly than shrapnel. Even with a frag grenade... the frags are thier to finish you off after the concussive force breaks a shit load of bones and turns internals to mush.

Precisely. Our first fatal casualty was a soldier in an uparmored humvee that was hit by an IED. He didn't have a single scratch on his body but the shock from the blast bounced everything around inside him. He was dead shortly after getting to the hospital.

[ttogreh]

Well, this begs the question, how can concussive force be defended against? I am no physicist, but I am sure there is some research being done to mitigate the shockwave of an "average" explosion in Iraq, if there is even such a thing.

Traumatic Brain Injury... Ugh...

Hmm... if I remember correctly, water is an incompressible medium. Armor piercing rounds turn into tiny harmless pellets when they hit water, right? Could an up-armored humvee be surrounded by large tanks of water? Would that somehow disperse the shockwave around the vehicle, rather than through it?

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

Water is heavy and a perfect medium for sound waves (read shock waves). hence dynomite being a perfect "bait" for fishing.

The best way to mitigate a shock wave is mass and immobility. Standing behind a well built sturdy wall will protect your from a shock wave... as it will pass around it.

so, if we could somehow see a blast coming... then have the uparmor humvee seal itself tight while somehow gripping the ground really well so it cant move at all... the blast wave would pass right over it...

but even a small opening would act like high pressure washer to anything inside....

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

Buffalos and Cougars.

Vehichles designed to withstand an explosion's concussive forces.. v-shaped bottem, heavy armor, almost no holes in them... and enough mass to withstand a major explosion. An IED that will shred an uparmor Humvee can barely be felt in a Cougar.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

Buffalo

Cougar

Cobra, what we really need.

[know_buddy_kares]

thankfully... I have hit my head extremely hard well more than enough times to kill any brain activity... and if there was any left... i sure as fuck fried the remaining with drugs and alcohol... so when I go to Iraq i should have nothing to worry about...

what keeps me ticking as far as brain stuff is concerned is the cigarettes and alcohol...

[Msterbeau]

This happens in modern motorsports as well. The cars are far more protective but they don't always do a good job of managing the deceleration forces well. Thus, the drivers brain bounces around in his skull even though external injuries are almost nil. Particularly true in NASCAR where the roll cage/frame is very rigid. Open wheel cars tend to shed stuff by design in order to help reduce the severity of the impact. In the old days, drivers were killed outright or burned.

[CandyQuackenbush]

This is one of those unforeseen consequences of effective armor and body armor. Our boys and girls survive many things that would have killed them in prior engagements. Which is great, but we are just now starting to realize there is a trade off. Sure, the blast that could have ripped them to pieces was shrugged off... but it still tossed them around in the Humvee... bounced their brain around in their skulls...

Concussive force is more deadly than shrapnel. Even with a frag grenade... the frags are thier to finish you off after the concussive force breaks a shit load of bones and turns internals to mush.

Yep, when I got blown up in this pass July, I smacked my head into the "soft side" of my m920 Semi truck. *while I had the advanced kelvar system helmet on* After the blast, we kept on moving down the road. Then I looked at Lawson and said "Hey, what are we doing?"

She laughed and said "Knight, your silly, we are on our way back from Balad."

I looked at her and laughed it off....

But I seriously didn't remember.

Now the VA says that I'm fine and healthy. If I'm so fine and healthy, why do I have such a horrible studder? Why did I forget the way to not only my friend Lilac Wine's house, but also how to get to other places that I've been going to for well over 3 years?

[jadnifer]

We certainly do need to come up with better ways to protect our troops.

BTW: What is an IED?

[CandyQuackenbush]

We certainly do need to come up with better ways to protect our troops.

BTW: What is an IED?

Improvise Explosive Device.

AKA: Roadside Bombs.

Just like a VBIED is Vehicle Borne Improvise Explosive Device.

[jadnifer]

Thanks for the info. I feel smart now.

[CandyQuackenbush]

Thanks for the info. I feel smart now.

:-D