Symposium on Neurotrauma held at NIMS

Proposal to introduce Free Accident Treatment for the first 48 hours is mooted to the Telangana State Government.  The government nod is awaited. Karnataka has already come with it and became the first Indian state to offer the same: Dr. Chandrasekhar, Former CEO of Arogyasree.

Padma SRI Kakarla Subba Rao and Prof Raja Reddy, both former Directors of NIMS, inaugurated Symposium on Neurotrauma 

By the year 2020, the leading cause of disability, mortality is going to be Neurotrauma, and  the overall burden of trauma will increase exponentially and surpasses all the killer diseases: Trauma Care Experts 

The road traffic accidents are the fifth important cause of deaths globally: Former Director of NIMS Prof Raja Reddy. 

The road traffics accidents rate of 35 per 1000 vehicles in India is one of the highest in the world, Prof Raja Reddy informed. 

Hyderabad police booked 25 lakh cases last year for not wearing the helmet and this year in the last four months, 11 lakh cases are already booked: Anil Kumar, Addl Commissioner of Police, Traffic

Hyderabad, May 09, 2018: By the year 2020, the leading cause of disability, mortality in India is going to be Neurotrauma and  the overall burden of trauma will increase exponentially and surpasses all the killer diseases observed several Neurotrauma Care Specialist who spoke at the Half Day Symposium on Neurotrauma held here in the city at Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences Sciences(NIMS).

A half day Symposium on Neurotrauma was held in Auditorium of Trauma Block at Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences on Saturday morning.  It was jointly organized by Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Department of Neurosurgery, Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad; Emergency Management and Research Institute (GVK-EMRI) and International Trauma Care Society, Hyderabad City Branch.

The speakers who spoke addressed in a multi-pronged approach. That involves multiple stake holders, Neurosurgeons, Intensivists, Emergency Physicians, Orthopedicians and General Surgeons.  It is proposed to have a panel discussion by eminent personalities from different fields of society to give suggestions to reduce the burden of neurotrauma. Five guest lectures and a quiz program for post graduate students held.

The speakers include Dr. Raja Narsinga Rao, GVK-EMRI; Dr. Abhiruchi Patki, Associate Prof NIMS; Dr. Vijayasaradhi, Prof NIMS; Dr. Subodh Raju, Consultant Neurosurgeon  Virinchi Hospitals and Dr. Nitin, Consultant Neurocritical Care, Yashoda Hospitals.

Around 250 delegates are expected to participate in the event.

Delivering Keynote address immediately after it was inaugurated Prof Raja Reddy, former Director of NIMS and one of the twenty Neurotrauma Scientists quoted in Wikipedia said traumatic brain injury alone has become a major public health problem around the world and more so in a developing countries like ours. Worldwide more than 50-60 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBIs)each year, and it is estimated that about half the world’s population will have one or more TBIs over their lifetime.

TBI is the leading cause of mortality in young adults and a major cause of death and disability across all ages in all countries, Prof Raja Reddy informed.

Speaking further he stated that in developed countries elderly people with TBI is increasing, mainly due to falls. Whereas in India, TBI from Road accidents is increasing enormously. The road traffic accidents are the fifth important cause of deaths globally.

Though we have 1% of world vehicular population and account for 6% road accidents in the world, which is very disturbing. The road traffics accidents rate of 35 per 1000 vehicles in India is one of the highest in the world, Prof Raja Reddy informed.

Quoting from a study carried out by Dr. Vijayasaradhi of Prof of Department of Neurosurgery at NIMS Prof said that it had made few shocking revelations that in one week when 29 Patients with trauma were admitted to NIMS, only three reached in less than one hour. And most reached 4-5hours later and some much later. This is a reflection of the pre-hospital care and transport of the injured in the Hyderabad and Secunderabad, he said. The time lag between injury and initiation of treatment is crucial for the outcome of the injury. Not every hospital can handle neurotrauma care patients. Patients must be taken the nearest appropriate hospital and not just the nearest hospital. The city has grown so much, two government hospitals Osmania and Gandhi are not sufficient. Government create city into ten zones for traumatic care and hospitals must be assigned in each area to take care traumatic victims said, Prof Raja Reddy.

Half of all road fatalities can be reduced if a victim gets attention in the first 30 minutes, informed Prof Raja Reddy.

Padmasri Kakarla Subba Rao said Neurotrauma care is a team work. In spite of modern care and developments, the outcome of traumatic care patients has not improved much, he observed. Please come out with solutions at the end of the Symposium he told the 250 plus participants.

Addressing the gathering Dr. CHANDRASEKHAR, Retired Prof of Anaesthesia and Former CEO of Arogyasri said, that there is a proposal pending with Telangana State Government to make a provision that hospitals treat emergency patients in first 48 hours without demanding payment which will be the responsibility of the state government. Karnataka has made such a provision. Karnataka became the First Indian State To Offer Free Accident Treatment For First 48 Hours.  And I hope that TS Govt will also come out with such a GO soon. I made this proposal to the government while I was CEO of Aarogyasree he informed.

Followed by the inauguration, a panel discussion with the theme “Reducing the Burden of Head Injury” held.

Participating in the discussion Dr. Ramana Rao, CEO, GVK-EMRI said Active Bleeding Control is very important before a patient is shifted to the appropriate hospital for traumatic care. We have introduced this initiative very recently he told the gathering.

The ABC project is a collaboration between 108 GVK EMRI and  PediStars(Pediatric Simulation Training and Research Society of India), Public Health Foundation of India, ILCOR/AHA,  Road Safety Club at Hyderabad; Transport Department, Police Department and International Agencies like the American Heart Association (AHA) and World Point informed DR. GV. Ramana Rao, Director—Emergency Medicine Learning Center (EMLC) and Research participating in the Panel Discussion.

The Active Bleeding Control (ABC) Project for accident victims can be done by controlling bleeding with a simple technique called “Pressure Bandage,” he added.

GVK EMRI has 334 ambulances in the state of Telangana and 11000 across India They transport 1350 emergency patients to various hospitals every day in Hyderabad.  Of which 205 cases are vehicular trauma-related and need to be applied Pressure Bandage technique as they suffer from severe bleeding.  If Pressure Bandage Technique doesn’t work, they can also use another technique called Tourniquet. This has to be done two inches above the pace where bleeding is happening. Either ABC or Tourniquet technique is used to stop the bleeding. And it has to be done till the ambulance arrives.

In India ambulance arrives the accident spot with in 15 to 16 minutes. Reaching earlier than that is not possible due to various reasons. From the past reports, it is found that Police can reach the accident spot within six minutes.  That is why we want to train police.  Nearly 40 per cent of lives can be saved by using these both methods.  Near 5009 Vehicular Trauma-related cases are reported in Telangana every month. These cases need ABC Technique.  Yearly 22000 Road Accident cases are reported in Telangana. In this 7200 people die informed Dr. G. V. Ramana Rao.

Prof. Manas Panigrahi, Chief Neurosurgeon of KIMS participating in the panel discussion, said nobody could avoid accidents.  But, reduce the severity of the accident by traveling slowly.  Accidents at a speed of 60 km or 80kms are okay, but at 120 km speed patients will die immediately.  Authorities must see that the speed limits are restricted.

Anil Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Police—Traffic participating in the panel discussion informed that very soon they are going to introduce Integrated Traffic Management Systems for smooth flow of Ambulances. With this system in place, there will be a single command control in the police control room. So that smooth flow of ambulances can be ensured.  He also opined that Traffic Awareness lessons must be started at school level for better understand.

Eighty-eight people lost lives in road accidents in the city in the last four months of the year 2018.  Out of these 32 are pedestrians, Anil Kumar informed.  We booked 25 lakh cases last year for not wearing helmets.  This year in the last four months, we have booked 11 lakh cases for not wearing helmets, he informed.

Anil Kumar admitted that it is true that a lot of RTC buses are involved in Road Traffic Accidents.  However, he refused to agree that Traffic Police are not lenient in booking cases against government vehicles.

Rama Devi, Trauma Victim, participating in the panel discussion narrated her plight and urged to implement Drunken Driving very strictly.  She also suggested that Government must come out with Traumatic Care Hospitals on the National and State High Ways.  She also suggested that all area hospitals must have trauma care specialist.

Prof. Siva, the Nodal Officer of Telangana State for Trauma Care elaborated on various measures taken care of by the Government and how it is building capacities by setting up trauma care facilities at Adilabad, Nizamabad, Kamareddy, and Mahboobnagar.  These are partially functional now, he informed.

Vijay student participant said don’t drive on the road as if you own the road. The road belongs to pedestrians. He also spoke about an App that when fitted with a camera on ambulances clicks pics of those vehicles which don’t give way to ambulances and notices can be sent to such people to be careful next time and impose a small token fine as Rupee one.

Among other things discussed during the meet include Improving Outcomes in Neurotrauma; Challenges in Transport of Neurotrauma Victims; Critical Care Management of Spine Trauma; Surgical Management of Spine Trauma-when and what; Surgical Management of Brain Trauma and Outcomes and Critical Care Management of Head Injury etc. and others.

Corporate Comm India(CCI Newswire)