Fort Huachuca, Arizona - Traumatic brain injury, TBI, has been called the "signature wound" of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Injuries the Service members receive downrange can originate from improvised explosive devices, IEDs, rocket-propelled grenades, mortars, gun blasts, accidents and equipment failure. Many military personnel have experienced multiple deployments due to the length of war, translating into multiple exposures to potential TBI events.
More than 80 percent of TBIs occur in garrison. Common causes of a TBI can include a blow to the head during sports and recreational activities, combatives and other military training, vehicle accidents and falls. Throughout the DOD, 313,816 Service members have been diagnosed with a TBI, within garrison and the deployed setting from 2000 -- 2014, 3rd quarter. Of these, 83 percent have been classified as a Mild TBI, also known as a concussion. The majority of these Service members are expected to have a full recovery within a few days up to three months.
Fort Huachuca is home to a Level 4 TBI Program, providing outpatient care to Service members with mild traumatic brain injuries occurring while deployed and in garrison. RWBAHC TBI team members consist of Dr. Richard LaMacchia, treating neuropsychologist, Tracey-Jean Santoro, psychology technician, and Philip Sloss, registered nurse case manager.
The mission of the TBI team is to assess and evaluate physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioral symptoms to optimize care, improve outcomes, and reduce disability using a patient-centered approach to promote recovery. Service members can self-refer or be referred by another Health Care provider to the TBI Program. An accurate history is then obtained by detailing the injury event(s), and reviewing the Service member's medical history.
Although a few of these Service members may be referred immediately following a potentially concussive event, most present to the Raymond W. Bliss Army Health Center TBI Program after continuing to experience symptoms possibly related to a traumatic brain injury that occurred in the past.
Typical symptoms include headaches, short-term memory problems, irritability, difficulty sleeping, balance, vision, hearing and cognitive problems. Service members may also have post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, which has many overlapping symptoms with TBI. This often requires both conditions to be addressed simultaneously.
The TBI team develops an individual plan of care for each Service member that ensures he or she will receive the highest quality care in a timely and efficient manner. The plan of care developed is unique to each individual, and the process of achieving goals set forth in the plan of care may take a few months or a longer period of time.
Typical treatment goals include reduction of headache frequency and intensity, improved onset and length of sleep, improved short-term memory and cognitive functioning, improved balance, vision, hearing, and reduction of PTSD symptoms. The TBI team works with a variety of disciplines both within RWBAHC as well as in the community setting, including Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Optometry, Behavioral Health, Neurology and Sleep labs.
The TBI team is available Monday -- Friday, 7:30 a.m. -- 4:30 p.m. For more information about the TBI program, call 520.533.5756.
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