Head injuries are classified as either closed or open. A closed head injury results from a hard blow to the head. These typically are the most difficult to detect. They require expert medical assistance to diagnose, and develop a prognosis with recommendations for future treatment.
An open head injury is more obvious. It involves an object entering the brain through a break in the skull.
Both types of brain injury are serious, with long-term or permanent disability in many cases.
More than 1½ million Americans sustain brain injuries every year; about one-third of them are children. These injuries are not always immediately apparent, even to those who are closest to the victim. |
