Ayrton Senna’s fatal accident at a Formula 1 race twenty years ago is still fresh in the minds of many. But with advanced diagnostics and MRI, head blows need not always turn out to be fatal.

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Ayrton Senna’s Death Throws Light on
Head Trauma
Ayrton Senna’s fatal accident at a Formula 1 race twenty
years ago is still fresh in the minds of many. But with
advanced diagnostics and MRI, head blows need not
always turn out to be fatal.
The death of one of Brazil’s most famous athletes, triple
Formula One (F1) World
Champion Ayrton Senna, on
May 1, 1994 in a high speed
crash at the San Marino Grand
Prix F1 race in Imola, Italy
due to a head injury had sent
shockwaves throughout the sports world and in his home
country. Even now, 20 years on from his death, the ripples
continue to be generated.
The Man
Senna was, and still is, considered one of the greatest
racing drivers ever and was known for his intense
aggression behind the wheel of some of the world’s fastest
machines. Whenever he competed, he competed to win and
nothing less.
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But it wasn’t only his natural racing talent that endeared
him even to people around the world who did not follow
the sport. It was his charisma and, some say, the Latin
charm that set him apart from the other F1 and auto racing
drivers of the time. His philanthropical activities back in his
native Brazil, his overall warm and friendly character, and
his love for the Bible gave him an almost saint-like allure
though his rivals on the track, primarily Frenchman and
quadruple F1 World Champion Alain Prost, were on the
receiving end of some nasty, dangerous and condemnable
moves in his quest to win at all costs.
Mechanical Debris Delivered the Fatal Blow
The accident that killed Senna need not have been fatal had
the pieces of his Williams FW16 Renault’s right front
suspension, which disintegrated on a high speed impact
with the barriers, missed his helmet by a few inches. The
safety features of the cockpit had prevented any injuries or
broken bones affecting his body. But since, in Formula 1
racing cars as in American IndyCars, the driver’s head is
exposed and protected only by the crash helmet, it was up
to this protective gear to protect his head and brain from the
impact of flying debris.
Crash Helmet Could Not Protect
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The helmet failed this time,
and a suspension part is
suspected to have penetrated
the crash helmet. Another
piece of the suspension
evidently hit him through the
visor in the region
immediately above the right eye. It cracked the visor and
mangled that frontal area of the helmet where the visor
overlaps the structure. One of these impacts was fatal and
caused a significant amount of blood loss. It is also
sometimes suggested that on impact with the barriers the
right front tire had shot up into the air, moved back and hit
his helmet, pushing Senna’s head firmly into the car’s
cockpit headrest at the back which could have caused
possibly fatal skull fractures. In any case, Ayrton Senna
died of head trauma.
Senna Could Not be Saved
Though doctors and paramedics tried their best to
resuscitate him on the track and at the hospital, to which he
was airlifted, he was pronounced dead. In fact he was
nearly dead at the scene of the accident, but his heart
eventually stopped beating at the hospital. Brain scans at
the hospital revealed massive brain damage, conforming
what paramedics had realized while attending to him at the
scene.
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While helmet technology has advanced since and exotic
materials such as carbon fiber have made helmets much
stronger but lighter, it just goes to show that the helmet
cannot always prevent death though it could prevent serious
injury in some circumstances and most surely in minor
accidents.
Accidents Involving
Head Blows Not
Always Deadly
While Senna was beyond
the point of recovery,
another Brazilian F1 racer Felipe Massa wasn’t, when a
mechanical part of the car ahead penetrated his helmet
damaging his eye and causing serious injuries to his brain
during the Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying session in
2009. Prompt diagnoses through procedures including MRI
scans had ensured that the damage to the brain and the eye
were accurately diagnosed and treatment provided. In less
than five months Massa was back in the cockpit of the
Ferrari.
How Advanced MRI Scan Helps
The MRI scan is quite a lifesaver in that it could help
identify the level of damage to the brain and guide the
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doctors on the appropriate treatment. Advanced MRI
scanners can examine the brain’s anatomy and its ability to
perform important functions. Their superior image quality
ensures detection of issues with the brain including:
• Fluid within the brain or surrounding it
• Bleeding
• Blood clots
• Tumors
• Seizures
• Stroke
• Blurred vision
• Aneurysms
• Lesions
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Meningitis
• Issues with the nerves connecting the brain to the eyes
and ears
An advanced multi-specialty healthcare center is equipped
with superior MRI & diagnostics services. With reliable
equipment such as open MRI, people with head injuries can
be provided with prompt and accurate treatment. It does
help save lives.
Posted by HealthQuest
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