title: Penetrating nontorso trauma: the head and the neck.
abstract: Acute penetrating injuries to the head and neck cause considerable anxiety for most clinicians owing to concern for airway control and neurologic injury and to limited clinician experience in most centres. This article discusses an organized approach to the evaluation and initial treatment of penetrating injuries to the head and neck based on regional anatomy and clinical examination. The approach is particularly helpful in the context of ongoing hemorrhage and/or airway compromise.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Surgery, University of Calgary, and the Foothills Medical Centre, Calgary, Alta.
authors.forename: Chad G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Ball
mesh_terms: D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D020197:Head Injuries, Penetrating / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy