Biomaterial Database

Medical problems encountered during rehabilitation of patients with head injury. 1985

Z Kalisky, and D P Morrison, and C A Meyers, and A Von Laufen

In the past few years patients having severe head trauma have survived in growing numbers, and it is likely that they will be more frequently seen on rehabilitation units. They display, in addition to direct structural damage, medical and neurologic problems which may be encountered during their rehabilitative phase. The purpose of this study will be to identify those medical and neurologic problems of consequence and describe their frequency of occurrence within a population of head injured patients. A consecutive series of 180 patients with head trauma undergoing rehabilitation were therefore reviewed, and the type and frequency of medical problems were noted. Neurologic, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, respiratory, cardiovascular, skin, musculoskeletal, and endocrinologic problems were encountered most frequently. Of these, ventricular dilatation, posttraumatic seizures, abnormal liver function tests, hypertension, thrombophlebitis, respiratory infections, periarticular heterotopic ossification, and pituitary-hypothalamic dysfunction are discussed in terms of their morbidity, clinical significance, and therapeutic approach. In many instances, these problems were not identified in the acute care hospital. Awareness of these potential conditions during the rehabilitation period can result in early detection and treatment.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D006973	Hypertension	Persistently high systemic arterial BLOOD PRESSURE. Based on multiple readings (BLOOD PRESSURE DETERMINATION), hypertension is currently defined as when SYSTOLIC PRESSURE is consistently greater than 140 mm Hg or when DIASTOLIC PRESSURE is consistently 90 mm Hg or more.	Blood Pressure, High,Blood Pressures, High,High Blood Pressure,High Blood Pressures
D007596	Joints	Also known as articulations, these are points of connection between the ends of certain separate bones, or where the borders of other bones are juxtaposed.	Joint
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D009999	Ossification, Heterotopic	The development of bony substance in normally soft structures.	Ossification, Pathologic,Ectopic Ossification,Heterotopic Ossification,Ossification, Ectopic,Ossification, Pathological,Pathologic Ossification,Pathological Ossification
D012140	Respiratory Tract Diseases	Diseases involving the RESPIRATORY SYSTEM.	Respiratory Diseases,Respiratory System Diseases,Disease, Respiratory System,Disease, Respiratory Tract,Respiratory System Disease,Respiratory Tract Disease
D002552	Cerebral Ventricles	Four CSF-filled (see CEREBROSPINAL FLUID) cavities within the cerebral hemispheres (LATERAL VENTRICLES), in the midline (THIRD VENTRICLE) and within the PONS and MEDULLA OBLONGATA (FOURTH VENTRICLE).	Foramen of Monro,Cerebral Ventricular System,Cerebral Ventricle,Cerebral Ventricular Systems,Monro Foramen,System, Cerebral Ventricular,Systems, Cerebral Ventricular,Ventricle, Cerebral,Ventricles, Cerebral,Ventricular System, Cerebral,Ventricular Systems, Cerebral
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D004108	Dilatation, Pathologic	The condition of an anatomical structure's being dilated beyond normal dimensions.	Ectasia,Dilatation, Pathological,Dilatations, Pathologic,Dilatations, Pathological,Pathologic Dilatation,Pathologic Dilatations,Pathological Dilatation,Pathological Dilatations
D004834	Epilepsy, Post-Traumatic	Recurrent seizures causally related to CRANIOCEREBRAL TRAUMA. Seizure onset may be immediate but is typically delayed for several days after the injury and may not occur for up to two years. The majority of seizures have a focal onset that correlates clinically with the site of brain injury. Cerebral cortex injuries caused by a penetrating foreign object (CRANIOCEREBRAL TRAUMA, PENETRATING) are more likely than closed head injuries (HEAD INJURIES, CLOSED) to be associated with epilepsy. Concussive convulsions are nonepileptic phenomena that occur immediately after head injury and are characterized by tonic and clonic movements. (From Rev Neurol 1998 Feb;26(150):256-261; Sports Med 1998 Feb;25(2):131-6)	Concussive Convulsion,Epilepsy, Traumatic,Impact Seizure,Seizure Disorder, Post-Traumatic,Early Post-Traumatic Seizures,Late Post-Traumatic Seizures,Post-Traumatic Seizure Disorder,Concussive Convulsions,Convulsion, Concussive,Convulsions, Concussive,Disorder, Post-Traumatic Seizure,Disorders, Post-Traumatic Seizure,Early Post Traumatic Seizures,Early Post-Traumatic Seizure,Epilepsies, Post-Traumatic,Epilepsies, Traumatic,Epilepsy, Post Traumatic,Impact Seizures,Late Post Traumatic Seizures,Late Post-Traumatic Seizure,Post Traumatic Seizure Disorder,Post-Traumatic Epilepsies,Post-Traumatic Epilepsy,Post-Traumatic Seizure Disorders,Post-Traumatic Seizure, Early,Post-Traumatic Seizure, Late,Post-Traumatic Seizures, Early,Post-Traumatic Seizures, Late,Seizure Disorder, Post Traumatic,Seizure Disorders, Post-Traumatic,Seizure, Early Post-Traumatic,Seizure, Late Post-Traumatic,Seizures, Early Post-Traumatic,Seizures, Late Post-Traumatic,Traumatic Epilepsies,Traumatic Epilepsy