Managing head injured patients
Abstract
In this article we aim to review the recent literature concerning the management of traumatic brain injury patients, summarize the main findings, and discuss the impact of these findings on clinical practice. Several authors have focused on the development of more reliable and informative tools to predict outcome in traumatic brain injury as well as refining the definition of cerebral ischemia in last year's literature. The validity of the current cerebral perfusion pressure management guidelines has also come under scrutiny. It appears that a one size fits all therapy is not a suitable approach for traumatic brain injury patients. An individualized approach, depending on the integrity of pressure autoregulation mechanisms, would be more advisable. Clinical trials investigating brain protective treatments in head injured patients have been disappointing so far. Increasing the homogeneity of patients entering brain protective studies might be an answer. Finally, the use of hyperoxia as well as factors contributing to secondary brain injury such as the occurrence of hyperthermia, with or without an infectious process, have been assessed in head injury patients. The key term for the management of traumatic brain injury patients in...Continue Reading
References
Citations
Related Feeds
Brain Ischemia
Brain ischemia is a condition in which there is insufficient blood flow to the brain to meet metabolic demand. Discover the latest research on brain ischemia here.
Brain Injury & Trauma
brain injury after impact to the head is due to both immediate mechanical effects and delayed responses of neural tissues.