secondary injury
Quick Summary
Secondary injury refers to the ongoing cellular damage that occurs after the initial traumatic brain injury (TBI). This damage is not caused by the direct force of the impact but by a complex series of biochemical reactions and molecular changes that are set in motion by the primary injury. These events can lead to brain swelling (edema), inflammation, and a self-perpetuating cycle of cell death that extends the damage over days or even weeks.
Key components of the secondary injury cascade include lack of oxygen (anoxia), low blood oxygen (hypoxemia), low blood pressure (hypotension), anemia, bleeding in the brain (hemorrhage), and increased pressure within the skull (intracranial pressure). This increased pressure can compress brain tissue, leading to further damage and potentially herniation of brain structures. The process can involve both necrosis (unprogrammed cell death) and apoptosis (programmed cell death).1
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
- traumatic brain injury
Those secondary injury events include a complex set of biochemical reactions and molecular changes that extend cellular damage, brain edema (swelling), and inflammation in a self-perpetuating cycle that rapidly increases the extent of the brain damage.
Read MoreThose secondary injury events include a complex set of biochemical reactions and molecular changes that extend cellular damage, brain edema (swelling), and inflammation in a self-perpetuating cycle that rapidly increases the extent of the brain damage.
Read More - traumatic brain injurySecondary injury
The initial trauma to the brain that kills or damages nerve cells is only the first step in a drawn-out and complex cascade of events that cause further cell death. Immediately after a traumatic brain injury, cells at or close to the site…
Read MoreThe initial trauma to the brain that kills or damages nerve cells is only the first step in a drawn-out and complex cascade of events that cause further cell death. Immediately after a traumatic brain injury, cells at or close to the site…
Read More