New National Recommendations Boost Care For Traumatic Brain Injury Patients

Traumatic encephalon injury, aliases TBI, affects millions of Americans each year, often resulting successful semipermanent wellness challenges. New nationalist recommendations are now paving nan measurement for much effective short- and semipermanent attraction for patients pinch TBI.

Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez, MD, a physiatrist pinch UT Health San Antonio, nan world wellness halfway of The University of Texas astatine San Antonio, and professor and chair of nan Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation astatine UT San Antonio's Long School of Medicine, served connected nan National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine moving group that wrote nan updated guidelines for diagnosing, monitoring and rehabilitation of individuals pinch traumatic encephalon injury.

This is nan astir broad update successful much than a decade and provides caller strategies for diligent follow-up attraction beyond nan acute phase, particularly for individuals who did not require hospitalization.

The updated guidelines were published successful September successful some the Annals of Family Medicine and the Journal of Neurotrauma.

"Updating nan objective believe guidelines for outpatient traumatic encephalon wounded attraction was basal to reside nan wide variability and gaps successful follow-up attraction that patients often experience. Less than half of patients person immoderate shape of follow-up," Verduzco-Gutierrez said.

The Clinical Practice Guideline Working Group reviewed nan latest grounds connected encephalon wounded attraction to found standards that hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and outpatient clinics tin use crossed nan country.

The caller guidelines telephone for system follow-up, early referral to rehabilitation, and attraction to cognitive, mood, and functional changes that whitethorn create aft TBI. The recommendations see approaches that superior attraction providers tin usage to admit erstwhile patients whitethorn request further support aliases referral to a specialist.

Verduzco-Gutierrez said 1 of nan astir important updates is nan telephone for wellness professionals to surface each TBI patients for health-related societal needs specified arsenic food, housing, proscription and financial insecurity. These factors tin straight effect whether patients are capable to be follow-up visits, entree medications, aliases proceed rehabilitation.

"If we don't place and reside these barriers, moreover nan champion aesculapian scheme tin autumn short," she said.

The guidelines are intended to amended TBI outpatient attraction for individuals pinch immoderate level of severity and from immoderate cause, whether aliases not hospitalization was required. They besides see circumstantial considerations for older adults, athletes, subject work members and survivors of friendly partner violence.

"These caller guidelines connection practical, evidence-informed strategies that empower superior attraction providers to present much consistent, equitable and effective care. This will yet amended outcomes for millions of individuals surviving pinch TBI," Verduzco-Gutierrez said.

Sources:

Journal reference:

Silverberg, N. D., et al. (2025). Action Collaborative connected Traumatic Brain Injury Care: Adapted Clinical Practice Guideline. Journal of Neurotrauma. Doi: 10.1177/08977151251378894. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1177/08977151251378894.