Uma Thomas accident: The seriousness of her DAI injury

Thrikkakara MLA Uma Thomas, who fell from a 15-foot-high makeshift stage on Sunday while attending a dance programme at Kochi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, is currently in stable condition. The politician, who is under critical care, sustained serious injuries on her head, spine, face, ribs and lungs and is on ventilator support. One of the major injuries she sustained is a grade 2 Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) to the head. According to Johns Hopkins University, the tearing of the brain's long connecting nerve fibres happens when the brain is injured as it shifts and rotates the bony skull. It causes coma and injury to different parts of the brain. The Medical News Today says that there are no lab tests to diagnose the condition. However, health experts diagnose it based on a person's symptoms, nature of trauma and various imaging studies. 

What happens when someone is affected by DAI
Depending on the severity of DAI, these are a few ways in which a patient gets affected:
1) Loss of consciousness
2) Cognitive impairment
3) Difficulty in physical coordination
4) Changes in behaviour and emotions
5) Prolonged unconsciousness
6) Coma
7) Long-term neurological deficits

Common causes of DAI
1)High-speed vehicle accidents
2) Falls from significant heights
3) Sports injuries
4) Military blasts
5) Heavy machinery accidents
6) Shaken baby syndrome

DAI recovery
Though full recovery of the condition can take a few months to years, depending on the injury, some patients have regained their normal health with proper care and rehabilitation. The treatment of the condition focuses on stabilising the patient and managing their symptoms through emergency care, medical management, neuroimaging, rehabilitation and long-term care.