Managing Traumatic Brain Injury: Translating Military Guidelines to the Wilderness

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common injury on the battlefield. Much of what medics do to manage these injuries on the battlefield can be translated to other austere environments, such as wilderness or disaster settings. The recognition and diagnosis of TBI can be difficult even in the hospital, but basic understanding of how to define a TBI and prevent secondary injuries can be accomplished with relatively few resources and little training. This article outlines what a TBI is and how to manage it in the field.

Keywords: concussion; head trauma; intracranial pressure; prehospital; traumatic brain injury; wilderness.