Posted: | February 6, 2014 03:57 PM |
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From: | Representative Richard R. Stevenson and Rep. Tim Briggs |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Resolution Proclaiming March 2014 as Brain Injury Awareness Month |
We will soon be introducing a resolution to increase the awareness and to support and assist Pennsylvanians suffering from brain injuries. An Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is any brain injury that occurs after birth. Generally speaking, ABIs are thought of according to their cause as either traumatic or non-traumatic. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) occurs when the brain is injured by any traumatic action, such as an auto accident, fall, striking by or against any object, or an assault. Non-traumatic Brain Injuries often occur from events such as cerebral vascular accidents (CVA), anoxia, ingestion of toxic substances, brain tumors, etc. In studying emergency department visits, hospitalization, and death data, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that at least 1.4 million TBIs occur in the United States each year. Of these, 50,000 result in death, 235,000 require hospitalization, and 1,111,000 have emergency room visits. There are countless more who receive other medical care, or no care. Of these, approximately 28% are from falls, 20% from motor vehicle accidents, 19% from being struck by or against an object, 13% “other”, and 11% from assaults. |
Introduced as HR689