Final answer:
Severe TBI often necessitates management of secondary injuries like hypoxia, swelling, and intracranial pressure, with long-term treatments addressing any permanent damage such as personality changes and memory issues.
Step-by-step explanation:
In severe cases of traumatic brain injury (TBI), it is necessary to address both the initial damage and the subsequent secondary injury. The secondary damage is often due to excitotoxicity, where deregulation of glutamate leads to an influx of calcium into neurons, causing cell death. As of now, pharmacological interventions to halt this excitotoxic cascade have shown promise in animal studies but have not been effective in human clinical trials. In these severe TBI cases, medical interventions often focus on managing blood flow alterations, hypoxia, swelling, and intracranial pressure to mitigate further damage. Additionally, because of the permanent brain damage TBI can cause, including personality changes and memory problems, long-term treatments such as medications, counseling, and various therapies are essential in aiding individuals with TBI in recovering or coping with disabilities.