Symptoms & Causes of Subdural Hematoma Injuries at Work

Work-related subdural hematoma injuries may leave an injured worker permanently disabled.

What is a Subdural Hematoma Injury?

A subdural hematoma injury is when blood accumulates along the tissue layer surrounding the brain. The outermost tissue layer around the brain is called the dura. Subdural hematoma injuries result in bleeding between the dura and arachnoid, which is the next layer of tissue. The bleeding associated with subdural hematoma happens outside the brain and just inside the skull. However, the increased accumulation of blood also increases the pressure on the brain. The risk of losing consciousness or death increases when the pressure reaches a certain level. A worker who sustains a subdural hematoma while performing work-related duties may be covered under the workers’ compensation system.

Head Injuries Resulting in Subdural Hematoma

Subdural hematomas normally result from head injuries. These injuries may happen after an attack, fall, or automobile accident. When it comes to work-related subdural hematoma injuries, it may result from falling, getting struck in the head, or getting hit by an object. It can also be caused by an automobile accident. The characteristics of subdural hematoma injuries point to particular kinds of jobs where there is an increased danger of suffering from this work-related injury. These jobs include the following:

• construction work
• transportation work
• farming
• forest management
• fisheries
• work requiring the use of machines or motor vehicles
• law enforcement and security work
• firemen and emergency personnel

Symptoms of Subdural Hematoma

There are a number of indicators of subdural hematoma injuries. These indicators include the following:

• disorientation or exhaustion
• stroke
• speech impairment
• jumbled speech
• vision problems
• unnecessary drowsiness
• unconsciousness
• coma
• balance or walking issues
• queasiness and throwing up
• lack of sensation
• behavior changes
• vertigo

Treatment for Subdural Hematomas

Medical treatment for subdural hematoma injuries is dependent on the severity or seriousness of the injury. The treatment may involve simple remedies such as monitoring the injured employee and serious cases may require major brain surgery. A subdural hematoma injury is diagnosed by the amount of accumulated blood, location, kind of injury incurred, and how fast treatment was given. An injured employee may have to go through rehabilitation before returning to work. However, it may take months or years before the injured employee is able to fully recover from the injuries. Work-related subdural hematoma injuries may also cause partial or total permanent disability.

Work Related Injuries

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