title: Management of the patient with head injury during transport.
abstract: The most important principles of initial management of the head-injured patient are rapid transport to an institution capable of providing the sophisticated evaluation, neurosurgical services, and monitoring necessary to improve outcome because definitive management of the head-injured patient is not possible in the field. The emphasis of care during stabilization and transport should be on the prevention of secondary central nervous system injury, primarily by prompt stabilization of the airway and assurance of proper ventilation and oxygenation, and by control of bleeding and provision of adequate circulation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Critical Care Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City.
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Vernon
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Woodward
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Skjonsberg
mesh_terms: D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D011559:Pseudotumor Cerebri / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D016896:Treatment Outcome