What are the possible consequences for a person after a concussion of the brain

1 Clinical picture of the disease

Closed craniocerebral trauma( TBI) is divided into three categories:

• concussion of the brain( SGM);
• brain contusion without compression;
• brain contusion with compression.

Thus, concussion of the brain is the easiest degree of CCT.Despite this fact, this trauma is rather difficult to diagnose objectively, which greatly affects the correctness of making forensic medical examinations. Equal to the symptoms, duration and severity of the disease, the condition of the victim by different experts can be regarded as a concussion of the brain, and as a bruise of the brain. It all depends on how they themselves assess this trauma.

Concussion is caused by a dull head trauma and represents a set of functional changes in the brain that are not irreversible. Although it is believed that with this form of TBI does not remain harmful effects to the body, the symptoms of the disease may not disappear, but only for a time to subside, become implicit. Gradually the body ceases to compensate for these changes, and they again manifest themselves with renewed vigor.

Often this phenomenon is interpreted by experts as an independent pathology, which is not a consequence of concussion. Studies using an electron microscope showed that even after 3-5 months after the injury, irreversible changes are observed in some regions of the brain. Thus, in determining the severity of the harm to health, it should be borne in mind that sometimes minor manifestations of the symptoms of SGM do not correspond to the severity of posttraumatic changes.

2 How the examination is carried out

When carrying out forensic medical examination, it is necessary to take into account that it is very problematic to state the facts of loss of consciousness and vomiting. These signs are proven only when they are seen by medical personnel or witnesses, and these facts are recorded in the medical records. A much more significant symptom is traumatic amnesia.

When a forensic medical examination is carried out, the commission gets acquainted with the investigator's decision and other preliminary data, and then studies the case materials and medical documents, such as a case history, an outpatient card, etc. If the victim is present at the examination, his survey is performed, the timing of the onset of clinical symptoms is analyzed.

Further forensic medical examination: neurological, radiology, forensic psychiatric, ophthalmologic( if this is necessary to obtain additional information and depending on the symptoms of the disease and how it proceeded).In the expert documents are introduced signs that reflect the type of damage( abrasions, bruises, etc.).

At the end of all these preliminary stages, the analysis of the information is made, on the basis of which the conclusions of the forensic commission are formulated. In reaching conclusions about the severity of the injury received, the following is taken into account:

• how the injury was obtained, and under what external circumstances;
• location of visible head injuries, their number, area occupied, etc.;
• how long each of the main symptoms occurred, and in what sequence they occurred;
• results of laboratory studies, X-ray images and other analyzes;
• information about what the patient was sick and what could have been his injuries at the time he received a concussion;
• how the symptoms of the disease manifested after the victim was treated;
• duration of inpatient and out-patient treatment;
• character and duration of treatment;
• percentage of disability.

The main features of the decision on the severity of the harm to human health are recognized: the threat to life, at the time when the injury was received, as well as the length of the period of incapacity for work and whether the work capacity was completely lost.

3 Harm to health in this trauma

The severity of the harm to health is extremely accurately described in the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. There are only three: light, medium and heavy. The main criterion in determining how much harm has been caused to human health is the extent to which injuries were life-threatening. For all types of craniocerebral injuries, the types of heavy damage to health are divided into 2 groups: CCT, dangerous for the life of the victim( for example, traumas that break the integrity of the cranium) and are not harmful to life, but cause serious harm to health( paralysis, the onset of mental illness).

The average severity of harm to health happens when a health disorder occurs for a long time, and this period will be more than 21 days. In these cases, there may be a persistent loss of performance by less than 30%, which was caused by residual factors of CCT.

The main criteria for establishing the imposition of light damage to health include a violation of health for a short period and loss of performance, which is not significant. The forced disability of the victim should not exceed 21 days, and the loss of working capacity should not exceed 5%.When deciding on the mild degree of harm to health, the basic indicator is the short duration of the temporary disability of the victim( usually less than 21 days).It follows from the normative medical acts that the probable limits of the duration of the disability of health in SGB are from 20 to 22 days, but, nevertheless, it should be taken into account that sometimes with a concussion of the brain there is also a longer duration of health disorder caused by the development of various pathologies caused by cranio-brain injury.

From all of the above, it can be concluded that when a person is diagnosed with a "brain concussion", a forensic medical examination usually establishes that the injured person is harmed to health in an easy degree. At the same time, there are more complicated cases when the suffered head trauma caused the appearance of various complications that affected the duration of treatment and the state of human health. With this option, the examination can establish that the victim was inflicted with an injury of moderate severity.