Helmets Increases the Risk of TBI among American Soldiers

According to the results of the recent study conducted by the American Institute of Physics, the helmets of the U.S. soldiers’ acts as “focusing mechanisms” during Improvised Explosive Device and therefore increases the risk of traumatic brain injury among military personnel and soldiers serving in the Iraq war field.

According to news reports, the results were based on the study that attempted to implement sensors on the helmet so that the team of medical professionals may receive “information for guiding triage and care immediately following a blast.” However, scientists ended up finding that after an IED explosion “shockwaves from a blast hits a helmeted head, and can penetrate the gap between the helmet and head, travel up inside the helmet, and come down on the side of the head facing away from the explosion.” This means that because of the design of the helmets of the U.S. soldiers, there is high possibility that they might suffer from stronger blasts and thus, increasing the chances of TBI.

According to the researchers, the physics surrounding the new discovery and the redistribution of the blast pressure may not be accurate but id would be helpful in explaining the reason for TBI so prevalent among the U.S. soldiers who are returning from the Iraq. According to a report published in The New England Journal of Medicine, “helmets cannot completely protect the face, head and neck, nor do they prevent the kind of closed brain injuries often produced by blasts.” This result when combined with the results of the study presented at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) may prove enough for implementing new helmets to the U.S. soldiers.

Brain Injuries among U.S. Soldiers

According to the physician statements and various news reports, both traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are signature wounds of the Iraq war among U.S. soldiers. The faulty helmet equipment has turned into a potential risk factor. Due to this, it may become necessary for an American soldier injured in Iraq war to seek legal assistance for the development of a traumatic brain injury lawsuit.

According to an article published in US Today, in February 2008, a mental health check up conducted by the American army reported that about ii percent of 2195 soldiers “showed signs of mild brain injury, but fewer than half were actually identified and evaluated in the field.”

Moreover, an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2005 stated, “TBI appears to account for a larger proportion of casualties than it has in other recent U.S. wars.” Although the researchers and scientists can only predict the reason for this but many have blamed both the new technology of IEDs by insurgents and inadequate protective gear among soldiers.

TBI victims and Care

It is difficult for family and friends to provide sufficient care to a victim returning from the Iraq war because of the extensive damage suffered by traumatic injury victim.  However, recently a bill is being discussed in the US House that may provide financial assistance for Iraq veterans and caretakers who at times, fail to afford in house nurses and have to work full time to care for an injured soldier.

Additionally, the TBI victims can file a litigation that may reward them with some monetary compensation for the treatment and care required by them so that the burden does not fall solely on friends and family.