After a blow to the head in a car crash, fall or other accident, many people seek medical attention at a Rhode Island hospital, and with good reason. According to MedicineNet.com, serious brain lesions are most often caused by this type of trauma.

Damage to cells and tissue could occur from the initial injury, but it often gets worse as swelling and bleeding spreads under the skull and puts pressure on the brain. Even though a person who suffers a traumatic brain injury may not display any symptoms right after the event, the progression of the damage could lead to permanent changes in function.

Per the Journal of Acute Disease, researchers recently conducted a study to develop better treatment protocol for patients with TBIs. Information was collected from 107 cases of TBI ranging from mild to severe that were assessed with a CT scan within four hours of the incident that caused them. This type of imaging technology accurately reveals lesions such as hemorrhages and other evidence of bleeding inside the skull.

Doctors noted bleeding, clots and/or bruising in various areas of the brain in all the images taken. The patients also displayed other symptoms that indicated a need for a follow-up CT scan, including a worsening of neurological status after the first scan, failure to improve after the injury or a condition that was worse than the original scan indicated it should be.

The second scan was performed 12 hours after the first, and these revealed that 40 percent of the lesions had either been reabsorbed into the system or were stable. However, nearly 60 percent of the lesions had grown worse. Surgery was necessary for 45 of the 107 patients. Doctors concluded that the second scan may be vital for patients displaying worsening symptoms in the 12 hours following the initial scan.