title: Traumatic brain injury: review of current management strategies.
abstract: Head injury is a common condition with a high morbidity and mortality. Serious intracranial haematomas require early recognition and evacuation to maximise chances of independent outcomes. Recent organisational changes have promoted the development of trauma units and major trauma centres where patients can go through triage and be managed in an appropriate environment, and the development of management pathways in intensive treatment units has resulted in improvements in the outcome of traumatic brain injuries. Evidence for the treatment of cerebral perfusion pressure, and management of hyperventilation, osmotherapy, tracheostomy, and leakage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has accumulated during the last decade and is important in the management of patients in all clinical settings. Since head injury is commonly associated with maxillofacial injuries, this review will be relevant to all who deal with this aspect of trauma.
authors.affiliation: Derriford Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Derriford Road, Plymouth PL6 8DH, United Kingdom. drtintin@gmail.com
authors.forename: Kevin King-Tin
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Whitfield
mesh_terms: D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery*; D020202:Cerebral Hemorrhage, Traumatic / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D003422:Critical Care; D019091:Critical Pathways; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D020833:Diffuse Axonal Injury / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D006985:Hyperventilation / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D019586:Intracranial Hypertension / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D007427:Intracranial Pressure; D011379:Prognosis; D061665:Time-to-Treatment