title: Head trauma due to earthquake October, 2005 - experience of 300 cases at the Combined Military Hospital Rawalpindi.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the spectrum and management of head injuries among earthquake victims.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted at Surgical Ward II, Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, from October 2005 to December 2006.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred consecutive cases of head injury, secondary to earthquake were included in the study. Plain X-rays of skulls were undertaken in clinically stable patients with head injuries. Cases with altered level of consciousness and compound depressed fractures were advised CT scan of head. Pus swabs were taken from open wounds. Proformas were maintained for every patient. Head injury was classified as mild, moderate and severe, and each patient was treated accordingly.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and twenty three (41%) patients were children under 10 years of age. Adults below 55 years were 69 (23%) and above 55 years were 108 (36%). Mean age was 32.2 years (SD + 6.7). Female to male ratio was 1.1:1. One hundred and sixty five (55%) cases were of mild head injury, 103 (34.3%) patients had moderate head injury and 32 (10.7%) patients had severe head injury. Majority (48.7%) of patients was managed conservatively. Minor surgeries were done in 17% of patients and major surgeries were done in 34.3% of patients. Glasgow Outcome Scale assessment was made at the end of 6 months and 1 year. Mortality increased from 3.3% to 7% in one year time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients at the extremes of age are more vulnerable to trauma and should be given timely attention in disaster management plans. General and trauma surgeons should be well-versed with the techniques and indications of burr hole evacuation of life threatening intracranial haematomas in situations, where early evacuation is unattainable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. bhattysh@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Sabir Hussain
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Bhatti
authors.forename: Ishfaq
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Nazeer Ahmed
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Qureshi
authors.forename: Maqsood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akram
authors.forename: Junaid
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Khan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003399:Craniotomy; D004190:Disasters / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D023261:Glasgow Outcome Scale; D006306:Health Surveys; D006772:Hospitals, Military / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011859:Radiography; D012307:Risk Factors