New Research at Medical University of South Carolina Assists Families and Physicians in Making Important Health Decisions
In Charleston, South Carolina, recent research carried out at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) aims to assist families and medical professionals in making life or death choices. The study pertains to patients who’ve received moderate or severe traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and are on life support. Dr. Julio Chalela, a neurointensivist and vascular neurologist, has stated that the research could challenge the traditional approach to dealing with such instances and could shift the typical time frame for discussions about life support.
Understanding Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, are injuries that impair the brain’s functioning and can be caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head. They range from mild to severe, with the latter often leading to a coma and the patient needing a breathing tube.
In Charleston, common causes of TBIs include falls, as well as accidents involving motor vehicles, boats, and even golf carts.
Treatment for TBIs at MUSC Health
At MUSC Health, Dr. Chalela and his team treat a variety of TBI cases. For mild TBIs, patients may need rest and over-the-counter pain relief. However, in moderate and severe TBI cases, particularly emergencies, treatment may involve relieving pressure in the skull, removing blood clots, fixing fractures, monitoring oxygen levels, and administering medication. In extremely severe situations, the patient may need life support.
These severe cases usually require a delicate and essential discussion about whether to remove life support. The conversation depends on numerous factors including the patient’s medical prognosis, the family’s wishes, and what the patient would have ideally wanted.
Impact of the New Research
The new research on TBIs and life support may potentially add weight to these deliberations. The study from Mass General Brigham posits that patients with severe TBIs who had their life support withdrawn may have had the chance to survive and regain independence if they had stayed on life support.
According to the researchers, the premature withdrawal of life support often stems from the assumption that TBI patients may not have a good prognosis. This research proposes that more time is given before making the decision to withdraw life support, therefore possibly changing the traditional time frame for these discussions.
Dr. Chalela has urged caution in interpreting the study’s results, as the ideal study would have paired cases where care was withdrawn with those where it wasn’t and tracked them going forward. However, he affirmed that the research does add to the growing body of information about TBIs.
Dr. Chalela underscored the need for prudence when withdrawing care and highlighted the significant unpredictability involved in determining the prognosis of patients with TBIs. That said, the new research offers substantial insights to inform these tough conversations, potentially impacting the future approach to health care decision-making in traumatic brain injury cases.
