TBI ERABI

Question 1

Define ABI (acquired brain injury)

Answer 1

Damage to the brain that occurs after birth and is not related to congenital disorders, developmental disabilities, or processes that progressively damage the brain.
Umbrella term that encompasses traumatic and non-traumatic etiologies.
Typically involves a wide range of impairments affecting physical, neurocognitive and/or psychological functioning.

Question 2

Examples of TBI

Answer 2

Motor vehicle accidents, falls, assaults, gunshot wounds, and sport injuries

Question 3

Non traumatic causes of ABI

Answer 3

Diffuse brain lesions, anoxia, tumours, aneurysm, vascular malformations, and infections of the brain (Toronto Acquired Brain Injury Network, 2005).
Although one can argue that stroke is an ABI, it is usually not included because of its focal nature; ABIs tend to be more diffuse.

Question 4

How is ABI severity defined?

Question 5

Define post traumatic amnesia (PTA)

Answer 5

PTA is formally defined as the period following emergence from coma in which the patient may appear confused, disoriented, or agitated (Campbell, 2000).