A stay in an intensive care unit is not a fate wished upon anyone. People admitted to intensive care are already suffering from a severe health condition, and unfortunately, many people have come out worse than they went in. A recent study found that even after three months had passed, 40 percent of patients involved in the study had lingering, long-term brain damage after leaving an intensive care unit.
The Law Offices of J.G Winter have had extensive experience handling personal injury claims involving brain damage. Attorney Jeremy Winter personally understands the hardships individuals suffering from brain damage — and their families — face in the aftermath of an accident. He has suffered from loss at an early age and is driven to provide competent and fierce representation to those who are experiencing similar hardships. If you have a loved one in intensive care, you may be concerned about whether they’re at risk of sustaining brain damage or other injuries while receiving care. Your concerns are valid, and you may read on to learn more.
What Makes Patients in the ICU At Risk for Brain Injuries?
A patient admitted into the ICU is critically ill, meaning their immune system has already taken an enormous blow trying to fight off whatever injury, illness, or disease has invaded their body. Some risk factors that leave patients in the intensive care unit vulnerable are:
- Patients are often heavily sedated
- Patients may be ventilated
- Patients are likely immobilized
- Patients may be subject to anxiety or stress
- Drug-resistant bacteria
- Weakened immune systems
- Patients may undergo more complicated medical treatment
Being subjected to any of the above risk factors can leave ICU patients vulnerable to developing long-term brain damage. However, periods of elongated sedation may be the most problematic. Long-term sedation can be unpredictable from patient to patient, causing sometimes devastating results, including brain damage.
Common Brain Injury or Damage Caused By ICU Stays
Unfortunately, a stay in an intensive care unit has been linked to many patients leaving with long-term brain damage. Some common brain injuries or damage that patients have suffered after an ICU stay are:
- Delirium: This type of acute brain injury can be pre-existing but made worse in the intensive care unit. If a patient’s delirium worsens, this can be a vicious cycle for the brain that can leave long-lasting effects.
- Septic Shock: Delirium is also linked to septic shock or sepsis. Septic shock has a mortality rate as high as 50 percent.
- Brain Defects Similar to Alzheimer’s: This can be extremely frightening to patients as the symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s or any disease that mimics it involve life-altering deterioration of one’s memory capabilities.
- Brownouts: A period of time when a patient may find it challenging to understand what is being said or follow simple instructions.
If you or a loved one has suffered from long-term brain damage following a stay at intensive care, you may be entitled to compensation for those damages. An experienced Sacramento traumatic brain injury attorney is vital as you build your injury claim.
Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help You
A stay in intensive care signals you have already suffered from a severe health problem. If you or a loved one left the intensive care unit with more damage, specifically brain damage, your attorney will need to factor these costs into their estimate for the value of your case. Brain injuries may leave patients with long-lasting symptoms and sometimes require significant changes to your everyday life. These additional medical expenses and pain and suffering must be accounted for when pursuing a personal injury claim.
Attorney Jeremy G. Winter is an experienced personal injury lawyer who tirelessly pursues fair compensation for people in Folsom, California, suffering from brain damage. To schedule a free case evaluation, fill out our contact form or call (844) 734-2626.
