KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14 (Bernama) -- 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 Dr Johan Quah Boon Leong, Consultant Neurosurgeon at Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway City (SMC), in Malaysia, the prevalence is also 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 said while road accidents cannot be avoided, precautions like wearing helmets and protective gear, using seatbelts, avoiding risky behaviours such as reckless driving, beating the traffic lights, and ensuring safe environments can reduce the risk of head injuries and make a significant difference.
“In my experience, not wearing a seatbelt and riding a motorcycle without a helmet is the number one cause of TBI. Even a 20-kilometre-per-hour accident on a motorcycle or a car without a seatbelt can result in a severe traumatic head injury. It’s not just about the speed; it’s about the lack of protection,” he said in a statement today.
TBI are classified into two types, namely penetrating (open) TBI where objects like bullets or shrapnel pierce the skull, and non-penetrating (closed) TBI caused by external forces like falls or crashes that moves the brain within the skull.
“TBI can affect anyone, regardless of age. Falls, motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, and impacts from objects are common causes. Data shows TBI is most prevalent among young motorcycle riders and children, who are particularly at risk,” Dr Johan said.
Beyond the immediate physical trauma, he said TBI has extensive long-term consequences. Individuals may experience memory loss, concentration difficulties, personality changes, depression, anxiety, mood swings, chronic headaches, and dizziness.
Severe TBI can lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and post-traumatic dementia (PTD), further impairing cognitive and motor functions. These slowly damage parts of the brain and may impact one’s memory, other thinking skills, behaviour, personality, speech or balance.
Dr Johan said TBI ranges from mild to severe, classified by the Glasgow Coma Scale, which assesses brain injury severity based on a person's ability to follow directions, eye movement, and speech coherence.
“Mild TBI, such as concussion, is treated with symptom monitoring, rest, and pain or anti-nausea medications. Moderate to severe TBI may require immediate surgery, intensive care, and medications to reduce fluid buildup, prevent seizures, and support healing.
“With TBI, outcomes can vary, with some mild injuries leading to worse results than moderate ones due to individual factors. Severe TBIs can cause widespread impairments in movement, vision, coordination, memory, and mood. Immediate medical attention is crucial for accurate diagnosis and management, as even mild or repeated injuries can have long-term effects like early-onset dementia,” Dr Johan explained.
Notably, he said 75 per cent of moderate to severe TBI patients achieve favourable functional outcomes after 12 months of diligent neurological rehabilitation.
However, some individuals may face long-term or permanent effects.
SMC was recently named among Newsweek's top 75 Best Specialised Hospitals in Neurology for the Asia Pacific in 2024, marking its second consecutive win.
-- BERNAMA
