Smart Phone App Helps to Diagnose Concussions

Summertime is great fun, but for many parents it means an increased risk of injury as their children head out doors to play, ride their bikes and engage in organized sports activities. Most injuries are minor, leaving kids with cuts and bruises, but summer can mean a higher risk for severe head injuries or concussions.

What is a concussion? A concussion is any type of traumatic injury to the head which can be caused by a blow to the head or a fall. Although there may be other signs of injury, children may have a brain injury and display no visible evidence. How do parents know if their childs head injury is serious, especially if there is no physical evidence of injury?

Fox News reports there is a new tool in the campaign to diagnose concussions your Smartphone. According to Fox News, Jason Mihalik, a doctor at the University of North Carolina, has partnered with other head-trauma experts and researchers (Justin Smith of Psychological Assessment Resources Inc.) and the Children's National Medical Center to create a new Smart Phone application that can help parents determine if their child has suffered a concussion.

How does the application work? According to Smith it is the first application that allows users to answer several questions to determine if their child has suffered a concussion. The app will also email the information to a doctor. The information that the app uses to make the determination is based on information that has been gathered by the Centers for Disease Control.

Bill Griffin of the National Athletic Trainers' Association thinks the application is especially useful because, "The documentation (of immediate symptoms) is very important, from, 'How did they get hurt?' to the mechanism of injury through those initial signs and symptoms, to 'How did they progress over time?. One of the major benefits of the app is it allows parents, coaches and trainers to evaluate, not only the initial head injury, but also how the head injury changes over time.

Although the new app can provide general information for parents, experts warn that if the parent has concerns they should definitely seek immediate medical help.

Diagnosing a Concussion

Severe head trauma can be life-threatening. You should seek immediate medical attention for yourself or your child if any of the following occurs after a concussion (regardless of what the Smart Phone app suggests):

Loss of memory or amnesia
Dizziness or nausea
Loss of consciousness
Vomiting
Confusion that does not go away
Extreme drowsiness, weakness, or inability to walk
Severe headaches
Repetitive talking
Fuzzy or blurred vision
Balance problems
Sensitivity to light

Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

Many concussions and head injuries are caused by the negligence of another person. If your child has been injured by another persons negligence, you may be able to file a personal injury claim and win compensation for your losses.

Personal injury claims can only be won by proving certain elements of your personal injury claim. First you must prove the defendant owed you a duty of care and through their negligent actions they breached that duty. Next you must prove that their negligence was the proximate cause of your injuries and that you suffered some type of loss.

There is a statute of limitations for filing all personal injury claims, and these limits may vary by state. Contact a personal injury lawyer for more information if you have suffered a concussion and get the compensation you deserve for your losses.