Catastrophic Injury Statistics - UK

CATASTROPHIC INJURY STATISTICS UK CATASTROPHIC INJURIES ARE LIFE CHANGING INJURIES WHICH CAN LEAVE A PERSON SUFFERING FROM PERMANENT DIS ABILITIES. THE PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL AND FINANCIAL STRAINS OF A CATASTROPHIC INJURY CAN BE DEVASTATING. CATASTROPHIC INJURIES CAN BE CAUSED BY A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE RESULTS CAN LAST FOR WEEKS, MONTHS OR IN SOME CASES YEARS. SOME EXAMPLES OF THE MOST COMMON CATASROPHIC INJURIES ARE: BRAIN Loss OF SPINAL INJURY LIMBS INJURY BRAIN INJURY: IN THE UK, EACH YEAR AN ESTIMATED 135,000 PEOPLE ARE ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL ASA CONSEQUENCE OF BRAIN INJURY. IT IS EXTIMATED THAT ACROSS THE UK THERE ARE AROUND 500,000 PEOPLE (AGED 16-74) LIVING WITH LONG TERM DI SABILITIES AS A RESULT OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY. TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY CLASSIFIC ATION PERCENTAGES 85% ARE C LASSIFIED AS MINOR 10% ARE CLASSIFIED AS MODERATE 5% ARE CLASSIFIED AS SEVERE Loss OF LIMBS: COMPLICATIONS CAN ARISE AFTER UNDERGOING AN AMPUTATION, SOME OF THE COMPLICATIONS ARE: • CHEST INFECTIONS • WOUND INFECTIONS • HEARTS ATTACK • DEEP VENOUS THROMBOSIS • STROKE • PHANTOM LIMB PAIN • DEATH • PRESSURE SORES SPINAL INJURY: AFTER SPINAL CORD INJURY, DAMAGED NEURONS ARE UNABLE TO CONDUCT SIGNALS AND THE INJURED PERSON LOSES SENSORY I NFORMATION AND MUSCLE CONTROL, CAUSING PARALYSIS. SE VERING CONTACT BETWEEN THE BRAIN AND OTHER ORGANS HAS FURTHER DEVASTATING AND PERMANENT CONSEQUENCES, SUCH AS LOSS OF BLADDER AND BOWEL CONTROL, LOSS OF SEXUAL FUNCTION, AND LOSS OF THE ABILITY TO CONTROL BODY TEMPERATURE AND BL0OD PRESSURE. !!!!! 24% 28% 9% 16% 4% THERE ARE AN ESTIMATED 40,000 SPINAL CORD INJURED PEOPLE IN THE UK AND IRELAND ALONE. A NEW PERSON IS INJURED EVERY EIG HT HOURS OF THOSE DISCHARGED FROM SPINAL CORD INJURY CENTRES G0 TO NURSING HOMES, HOSPITALS OR OTHER 21% INSTITUTIONALISED SETTINGS RATHER THAN THEIR OWN HOMES 20% OF PEOPLE LEAVE SPINAL CORD INJURY CENTRES CLINICALLY DEPRESSED BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Beardsells Personal Injury SOURCES: HEADWAY.ORG / VASCULAR.CO.NZ / CHRISTOPHERREEVE.ORG / EVERYEIGHTHOURS.COM