Head trauma

Abstract

No definitive, clinically proven drug therapy currently exists for reversal or amelioration of the injurious cellular events initiated by head trauma. The patient's physiologic status should therefore be monitored and managed as best as possible bearing in mind all the factors that can aggravate intracranial abnormalities. All treatment options have positive and negative aspects that should be considered and balanced on an individual patient basis. A major concern in the management of head-injured patients is the avoidance or treatment of intracranial hypertension. This may be achieved largely through medical means and accurate efforts can only be made if intracranial pressure and the variables that influence it are monitored directly. A definite place exists for surgery in the management of head-injured patients, though such a decision is best guided by objective evaluation of the intracranial vault.