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Acute Head Injury: Preoperative Management
Acute Head Injury: Preoperative Management
Most patients with head trauma are young and many have associated injuries.
Specific lesions include skull fractures, subdural and epidural haematomas, brain concussions
and contusions, penetrating head injuries, and traumatic vascular occlusions and dissections.
The significance of head is dependent not only on the extent of irreversible neuronal damage at
the time of injury but also on the occurrence of any secondary insults.
The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score generally correlates well with severity of injury and
outcome.
Operative treatment is usually elected for depressed skull fractures, evacuation of epidural,
subdural, and some intracerebral hematomas, and debridement of penetrating injuries.
Preoperative Management
It should actually begin in the emergency department.