A USA Today story reports that the Pentagon is about to release a new policy pertaining to identification and treatment of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) in soldiers. Admiral Michael Mullen pushed for the policy change because of increasing concerns that even mild traumatic brain injuries can cause lasting damage including short-term memory loss, headaches and impaired problem solving.
According to the policy, any servicemember who has been caught near a roadside blast will be pulled out of combat for 24 hours for observation and treatment. Symptoms of a mild TBI include headaches, ringing in the ears and double-vision. Soldiers who test positive will be removed from duty until their condition improves.
USA Today reports that “the new policy is a major expansion to battlefield medicine because it treats troops based on what happened to them, not just on visible wounds.” Read the full story.