Residents in Connecticut might find a study about the rate of individuals who are re-hospitalized after suffering a traumatic brain injury to be of interest. According to researchers, 20 percent of TBI patients are re-admitted to the hospital.
During the study, researchers analyzed 655 TBI patients from four inpatient rehabilitation facilities. Their analysis included information from the patients’ medical records about their injuries and recoveries. After one year had passed since inpatient rehabilitation discharge, the patients and their significant others were interviewed. The interviews occurred again after two and three years had passed.
The researchers found that there were nonelective and elective motivations for re-hospitalization between one and three years after injury. Nonelective reasons included seizures, mental disorders, infections and nervous system disorders. Elective reasons included reconstructive surgery, joint and bone surgery, and general health maintenance.
The study determined that of the 20 percent of patients re-hospitalized, about 50 percent were due to elective reasons. Following one year of discharge from inpatient rehabilitation, however, the number of patients re-hospitalized for nonelective reasons increased. The most common motivations for re-hospitalization overall were reconstructive surgery, infection and general health maintenance.
TBI is an injury that does not always show signs of complications right away. Sometimes conditions development over time such as cognitive problems or mental disabilities. A person could suffer TBI from a slip and fall or from a truck accident.
When a truck accident is the cause, the injured person might be able to receive restitution by filing a personal injury lawsuit against the truck driver. Any awarded compensation might pay for the individual’s hospital bills and lost income. If the individual is unsure how to file a lawsuit or how much restitution to seek, he or she could talk to a lawyer first.
Source: Brain Injury Association of America, “Rehospitalization Rates: 20% for Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries”, December 02, 2014
