A group of neurosurgeons, with support from the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) and organizations like Neurological Society of India, Neurotrauma Society of India, Association of Surgeons of India (ASI) among others have developed, for the first time, traumatic brain injury (TBI) guidelines to improve the management of traumatic brain injury in India.
Framed for the first time since 1944 when British era guidelines were implemented, the guidelines have now been notified by the union health ministry and has been circulated to all the trauma centres and hospitals in the country for its implementation.
The guidelines have four components- awareness and prevention, pre-hospital care, in hospital care and rehabilitation.
Trauma in general and TBI in particular posed a major public health crisis in India and in many developing countries. Some of the initiators of TBI guidelines had helped to establish the TBI Management Guidelines in the US a couple of decades ago and watched their implementation substantially improve TBI care in the USA.
However, due to the lack of infrastructure, it was clear that these guidelines would not be immediately applicable in India. Furthermore, there did not exist a set of India-centric guidelines that could be used for the education and training of trauma care providers in India.
Although trauma is not a 100% preventable problem, it is however a condition where post injury care creates significant social and economic burden on the patient and family.
Many TBI patients experience significant symptoms beyond the normal recovery period, which can include post-traumatic headache, sleep disturbance, disorders of balance, cognitive impairments, fatigue, and mood or affective disorders.
India has few centers of excellence and some institutions where minimum standards are difficult to maintain at the primary care center level.
TBI guidelines aim to be a peer driven living document which will evolve constantly, bringing together multiple stake holders such as Government, policy makers, road safety authorities, police, ambulance services, primary care centers,, and the general public. Fully equipped ambulances actively integrate with properly accredited trauma centers, with proper equipment and trained staff associated with neurorehabilitation centers are a part of these guidelines.
AAPI, Indian and Global experts on Traumatic Brain Injury will leverage each other's support for analyzing various ground realities and start the initial step towards a model emergency medicine system across India.
The purpose of developing these Indian centered guidelines is to improve patient care by creating a framework for health professionals to effectively identify, prevent, and treat TBI.
AAPI, Indian and global experts on Traumatic Brain Injury will leverage each other's support for analyzing various ground realities and start the initial step towards a model emergency medicine system across India.
With high incidence of TBI this potentially translates to a significant number of individuals who may experience associated disability.