Pentagon Issues New Policy For Diagnosing, Treating Brain Injuries

The Pentagon has issued a new directive ordering better tracking and treatment of mild traumatic brain injuries in war zones, including a mandatory 24-hour rest period for any soldier exposed to a nearby blast, according to an NPR report.

The new policy, which has been in development for months, also requires soldiers who have suffered three mild traumatic brain injuries, also known as concussions, to have a complete neurological assessment done before returning to the battlefield.

Military medical experts praised the new policy as an encouraging change in the Pentagon’s approach.

The directive places the focus on evaluating all soldiers exposed to a blast or other head trauma, as opposed to relying upon medical staff or soldiers themselves to report symptoms from an injury.

“This relieves the burden of the soldier having to say, ‘I’m hurt,'” said Stephen Xenakis, a retired brigadier general who advises the military on medical issues. “When you do that, it’s like routine maintenance on a vehicle. It’s understood that it’s what you need to do responsibly to maintain optimal performance.”

Under previous policies, medics were supposed to evaluate soldiers after blasts, but there was no mandatory rest period. Medical guidelines did not specify how many concussions triggered the need for a complete evaluation of a soldier’s cognitive functions.

Earlier this month, NPR and ProPublica reported that the military was routinely failing to diagnose soldiers suffering from mild traumatic brain injury, the most common head wound suffered by soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. The investigation also found that soldiers had trouble getting adequate treatment at one of America’s largest military bases, Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.

Official military figures show about 115,000 soldiers have suffered mild traumatic brain injuries since 2002.

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