Patient/caregiver was educated on complications of head injury as follows:
- Altered level of consciousness: Brain damage from the injury can result in altered consciousness and pose problems with orientation to time, place, and person. Individuals can also present with loss of consciousness (LOC) and issues with the consciousness could resolve in due course of time or continue for prolonged periods of time, depending on the severity of impact.
- Dysphagia: Injury to the brain from head injury can affect portions of brain controlling the act of swallowing. This can result in increased risk for episodes of choking and aspiration of food particles into the lungs.
- Aspiration pneumonia: Poor control of swallowing from brain injury can lead to aspiration of food particles into the respiratory tract and lungs. This can increase the risk for presentation with aspiration pneumonia.
- Malnutrition and dehydration: Fear of choking and aspiration can motivate the individuals to reduce intake, thereby inviting serious risk for malnutrition, dehydration, and associated problems.
