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Head Injury Center - Alpharetta, GA

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Alpharetta, Georgia

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Head Injury

Head injury introduction

Head injuries are one of the most common causes of death and disability in the United States. Every year, almost a quarter million people are hospitalized because of traumatic injuries to the brain, and 50,000 people die. As well, 80-90,000 people sustain long-term or lifelong disabilities because of a brain injury each year. Children are not excluded, with more than 2,500 deaths and almost a half million emergency department visits per year for head injuries.

Blows to the head most often cause brain injury, it is important to remember that the face and jaw are located in the front of the head. Brain injury may also be associated with injuries to these structures. It is also important to note that a head injury does not always mean that there is also a brain injury.

The brain is a rather soft, pliable material almost jelly-like in feel, and is surrounded by a thin layer of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The brain is surrounded by thin layers of tissue called the meninges; 1) the pia mater, 2) the arachnoid mater, and 3) the dura mater. The CSF is present in the space beneath the arachnoid layer called the subarachnoid space.

The dura mater is very thick and has septae, or partitions, that help support the brain in the skull. The septae attach to the inner lining of the bones of the skull. The dura mater also helps support the large veins that return blood from the brain to the heart.

The spaces between the meninges are usually very small but they can fill with blood when trauma occurs, and this build-up of blood can potentially press into the brain tissue and cause damage.

The skull protects the brain from trauma but it does not absorb any of the impact from a blow. Direct blows may cause fractures of the skull; there can be a contusion or bruising and bleeding to the brain tissue directly beneath the injury site. However, the brain can bounce aro...

Recommended Reading Related to Head Injury

Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) »

What is Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)?

Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a bleeding condition in which the blood doesn't clot as it should. This is due to a low number of blood cell fragments called platelets (PLATE-lets).

Platelets also are called thrombocytes (THROM-bo-sites). They're made in your bone marrow along with other kinds of blood cells. Platelets stick together (clot) to seal small cuts or breaks on blood vessel walls and stop bleeding.

"Idiopathic" (id-ee-o-PATH-ick) means that the cause of the condition isn't known. "Thrombocytopenic" (throm-bo-cy-toe-PEE-nick) means there's a lower than normal number of platelets in the blood. "Purpura" (PURR-purr-ah) refers to purple bruises caused by bleeding under the skin.

Overview of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)

People who have ITP often have purple bruises that appear on the skin or on the mucous membranes (for example, in the mouth)....

Emergency Contact for Alpharetta

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Alpharetta Hospitals *

North Fulton Regional Hospital
3000 Hospital Blvd
Roswell, GA 30076
(770)751-2500

Emory Johns Creek Hospital
6325 W Johns Crossing
Duluth, GA 30097
(678)474-7000

Gwinnett Medical Center Duluth
3620 Howell Ferry Rd
Duluth, GA 30096
(678)312-6805

Glancy Rehabilitation Center
3215 McClure Bridge Rd
Duluth, GA 30096
(678)312-6000

Peachford Behavioral Health System of Atlanta
2151 Peachford Rd
Atlanta, GA 30338
(770)455-3200

Northside Hospital Forsyth
1200 Northside Forsyth Dr
Cumming, GA 30041
(770)844-4000

Saint Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta
5665 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30342
(404)851-7001

Children's Healthcare at Scottish Rite
1001 Johnson Ferry Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30342
(404)785-5252

Northside Hospital
1000 Johnson Ferry Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30342
(404)851-8000

Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital
2540 Windy Hill Rd
Marietta, GA 30067
(770)644-1000

Northside Hospital Cherokee
201 Hospital Rd
Canton, GA 30114
(770)720-5100

Wellstar Kennestone Hospital
677 Church St
Marietta, GA 30060
(770)793-5000

Gwinnett Medical Center
1000 Medical Center Blvd
Lawrenceville, GA 30045
(678)442-4321

Atlanta VA Medical Center
1670 Clairmont Rd
Decatur, GA 30033
(404)321-6111

Wesley Woods Geriatric Hospital
1821 Clifton Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
(404)728-6200

Devereux Georgia Treatment Network
1291 Stanley Rd NW
Kennesaw, GA 30152
(770)427-0147

Children's Healthcare at Egleston
1405 Clifton Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30322
(404)785-6000

DeKalb Medical Center
2701 N Decatur Rd
Decatur, GA 30033
(404)501-1000

Emory University Hospital
1364 Clifton Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30322
(404)712-2000

Emory Adventist Hospital
3949 S Cobb Dr SE
Smyrna, GA 30080
(770)434-0710

Ridgeview Institute
3995 S Cobb Dr SE
Smyrna, GA 30080
(770)434-4567

SummitRidge Center for Psychiatry & Addiction Medicine
250 Scenic Hwy
Lawrenceville, GA 30045
(678)442-5800

Piedmont Hospital
1968 Peachtree Rd NW
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404)605-5000

Shepherd Center
2020 Peachtree Rd NW
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404)352-2020

Hillside Hospital
690 Courtenay Dr NE
Atlanta, GA 30306
(404)875-4551

DeKalb Medical
450 N Candler St
Decatur, GA 30030
(404)501-6700

Laurel Heights Hospital
934 Briarcliff Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30306
(404)888-7860

Emory Eastside Medical Center
1700 Medical Way
Snellville, GA 30078
(770)979-0200

Kindred Hospital Atlanta
705 Juniper St NE
Atlanta, GA 30308
(404)873-2871

Emory University Hospital Midtown
550 Peachtree St NE
Atlanta, GA 30308
(404)686-4411

Select Specialty Hospital Atlanta
550 Peachtree St NE
Atlanta, GA 30327
(404)686-2270

Atlanta Medical Center
303 Parkway Dr NE
Atlanta, GA 30312
(404)265-4000

Grady Health System
80 Jesse Hill Jr Dr SE
Atlanta, GA 30303
(404)616-4307

Wellstar Cobb Hospital
3950 Austell Rd
Austell, GA 30106
(770)732-4000

Georgia Regional Hospital at Atlanta
3073 Panthersville Rd
Decatur, GA 30034
(404)243-2100

DeKalb Medical Center at Hillandale
2801 DeKalb Medical Pkwy
Lithonia, GA 30058
(404)501-8000

Piedmont Mountainside Hospital
1266 Hwy 515 S
Jasper, GA 30143
(706)692-2441

Regency Hospital of South Atlanta
1170 Cleveland Ave
East Point, GA 30344
(404)466-6250

South Fulton Medical Center
1170 Cleveland Ave
East Point, GA 30344
(404)466-1170

Cartersville Medical Center
960 Joe Frank Harris Pkwy
Cartersville, GA 30120
(770)382-1530

Northeast Georgia Medical Center
743 Spring St NE
Gainesville, GA 30501
(770)535-3553

Rockdale Medical Center
1412 Milstead Ave NE
Conyers, GA 30012
(770)918-3000

Northeast Georgia Medical Center Lanier Park Campus
675 White Sulphur Rd
Gainesville, GA 30501
(678)343-4000

Anchor Hospital
5454 Yorktowne Dr
Atlanta, GA 30349
(770)991-6044

Wellstar Paulding Hospital
600 W Memorial Dr
Dallas, GA 30132
(770)445-4411

Barrow Regional Medical Center
316 N Broad St
Winder, GA 30680
(770)867-3400

Wellstar Douglas Hospital
8954 Hospital Dr
Douglasville, GA 30134
(770)949-1500

Southern Regional Medical Center
11 Upper Riverdale Rd SW
Riverdale, GA 30274
(770)991-8000

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