From announcement:

Hello everyone

Just a reminder that the monthly OHNA (Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association) meeting is Tuesday, July 27th, at 7 PM at the WBCH.

Dr. Merchant will be visiting to give a presentation on his traumatic brain injury study (see below for the details).

Thanks
Jennifer Hancock
President (Interim), OHNA

VCU Department of Emergency Medicine Public Disclosure

Progesterone for the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury

Learn about a traumatic brain injury study that may affect you or someone you know

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is sudden damage to the brain caused by an outside force to the head – such as a car crash, a fall, or from something hitting the head. Did you know that every 15 seconds someone in the US suffers a major TBI, and every 5 minutes someone is forever disabled as a result of TBI? Are you aware that TBI is the leading cause of death and disability in children and adults under 45 years of age?

TBI can affect a person’s ability to think and remember things. It can also cause problems with balance and coordination. TBI can prevent a person from returning to work or functioning independently. TBI can cause permanent brain damage or even death.

ProTECT III is a research study designed to see if progesterone, a hormone normally found in our bodies, can reduce the amount of brain damage caused from a TBI. Previous studies suggest that progesterone, given immediately after a TBI, may help treat brain injuries by reducing brain swelling and damage.

There is no specific drug treatment for traumatic brain injury. The reason for doing this study is to find out if progesterone is safe and if it works better than standard medical care alone in reducing the brain damage caused from a TBI. If progesterone helps brain injury patients get better, it will mean a big improvement in TBI treatment!

Normally, researchers get permission (consent) before a person can be included in a study. A person with a traumatic brain injury will not be able to give consent at the time of injury. Since TBI must be treated quickly, there might not be enough time to locate and talk to the person’s legal guardian about the study, so it’s possible that a person might be enrolled in the study without his/her legal guardian’s consent. This is called “Exception from Informed Consent” (EFIC). Once the legal guardian is located, they will be asked to give their permission for you to continue in the study.

The purpose of this handout is to notify our community about this trial, to provide contact information and resources where you can learn more, including an option to decline participation.

Local ProTECT III Contact Information
Phone: 804-828-1456
E-mail: protect@vcu.edu
www.protectiii.com