Kuala Lumpur: With the school holidays just around the corner, many families will hit the road for long-awaited trips and quality time together. As road volumes rise, so does the potential for traumatic brain injuries (TBI), a serious yet often overlooked consequence of road accidents, and also a major cause of mortality and disability worldwide.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr Johan Quah Boon Leong, Consultant Neurosurgeon at Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway City (SMC), in Malaysia, highlighted that the prevalence of TBIs is alarmingly high as road accidents surged from around 370,000 in 2021 to 545,585 in 2022 to 598,635 in 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Dr Johan emphasized that while road accidents cannot be completely avoided, taking precautions such as wearing helmets, using seatbelts, and avoiding risky behaviors can significantly reduce the risk of head injuries.
Dr Johan explained that not wearing a seatbelt and riding a motorcycle without a helmet are leading causes of TBI. He noted that even a low-speed accident on a motorcycle or in a car without a seatbelt could result in a severe traumatic head injury. He stressed the importance of protection over speed in preventing such injuries.
TBIs are classified into two types: penetrating (open) TBIs, where objects pierce the skull, and non-penetrating (closed) TBIs, caused by external forces like falls or crashes. Dr Johan highlighted that TBIs can affect anyone, with young motorcycle riders and children being particularly at risk.
Beyond immediate physical trauma, TBIs have extensive long-term consequences, including memory loss, concentration difficulties, personality changes, and mood disorders. Severe TBIs can lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and post-traumatic dementia (PTD), which further impair cognitive and motor functions.
Dr Johan explained that TBIs are classified by the Glasgow Coma Scale, assessing severity based on a person’s ability to follow directions, eye movement, and speech coherence. Treatment varies from rest and medication for mild TBIs to surgery and intensive care for moderate to severe cases. He noted that outcomes can vary significantly, with some mild injuries potentially leading to worse results than moderate ones.
Remarkably, Dr Johan mentioned that 75 percent of moderate to severe TBI patients achieve favorable functional outcomes after a year of neurological rehabilitation, though some may face long-term effects. SMC was recently recognized among Newsweek’s top 75 Best Specialized Hospitals in Neurology for the Asia Pacific in 2024, marking its second consecutive win.