Thursday, March 3, 2011

For brain injuries, a treatment gap

The first two doctors who examined Scott Hamilton 's fractured skull told his wife that he wouldn't make it through the night. A third believed he could save Hamilton's life.
On Oct. 26, 2005, Hamilton was tossed from his Vespa motor scooter on Market Street in San Francisco during his 2-mile ride to work. He was going 25 mph when his tire skidded on a trolley track, and his helmeted head struck the pavement.
Geoffrey Manley, director of brain trauma at the University of California-San Francisco, said keeping Hamilton alive would be just the start of the road to recovery. To increase his chances of returning to a normal life, Hamilton would need the type of intensive rehabilitation care now being provided to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head in Tucson on Jan. 8.

By Steve Sternberg, USA TODAY

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