[Craniocerebral trauma in acute surgical management. Primary care in a general community hospital]. 1996

W Friedl, and C Karches
Chirurgische Klinik II, Unfall- und Wiederherstellungschirurgie, Klinikum Aschaffenburg.

Head traumas frequently occur in polytrauma patients but are also found as isolated injuries. In our hospital trauma center without a neurosurgical department, in a 21-month period, 489 patients with head/brain trauma were treated. This represents 6.5% of all patients treated in the trauma and reconstructive surgery clinic. In commotio cerebri (CC = 89.5% of the patients) constant conservative management and an uneventful course were observed; in 69 patients with contusio cerebri, 18 craniotomy operations had to be performed. In contrast, in only two cases was reoperation because of recurrent hematoma necessary. In four cases with complex and/or additional injuries, transfer to a neurosurgical center took place, and in two cases photophone consultation with that center was used. The mortality was 14.5%. The diagnostic and therapeutic regimens for the different types of injury and the requirements for the management of head/brain trauma in trauma centers without neurosurgical departments are presented: emergency service and medical staff, emergency room management, intensive care management, qualified neurological examination, X-ray imaging, including CT scan, OP-room equipment and trained surgeons. If these requirements are not available in a given hospital, early transfer of all patients for whom surgical management could be necessary to a neurosurgical department should be attempted. Only in patients with severe bleeding must immediate craniotomy be performed even in hospitals which do not have all the above mentioned facilities. In patients with intracerebral bleeding, bleeding in the dorsal fossa, injury of brain nerves, carotid artery or sinus cavernosus injuries, frontobasal injuries with liquor fistula or pneumonencephalon, transfer of the patients to specialized neurosurgical centers is indicated. With this selection, we obtained the same results in a trauma center without a neurosurgical department as reported in the literature. This avoids overloading neurosurgical centers with head/brain injury patients.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009104 Multiple Trauma Multiple physical insults or injuries occurring simultaneously. Injuries, Multiple,Trauma, Multiple,Wounds, Multiple,Multiple Injuries,Polytrauma,Injury, Multiple,Multiple Injury,Multiple Traumas,Multiple Wound,Multiple Wounds,Polytraumas,Traumas, Multiple,Wound, Multiple
D010348 Patient Care Team Care of patients by a multidisciplinary team usually organized under the leadership of a physician; each member of the team has specific responsibilities and the whole team contributes to the care of the patient. Health Care Team,Interdisciplinary Health Team,Medical Care Team,Multidisciplinary Care Team,Multidisciplinary Health Team,Healthcare Team,Care Team, Health,Care Team, Medical,Care Team, Multidisciplinary,Care Team, Patient,Care Teams, Health,Care Teams, Patient,Health Care Teams,Health Team, Interdisciplinary,Health Team, Multidisciplinary,Healthcare Teams,Interdisciplinary Health Teams,Medical Care Teams,Multidisciplinary Care Teams,Multidisciplinary Health Teams,Patient Care Teams,Team, Health Care,Team, Healthcare,Team, Interdisciplinary Health,Team, Medical Care,Team, Multidisciplinary Care,Team, Multidisciplinary Health,Team, Patient Care,Teams, Interdisciplinary Health
D011183 Postoperative Complications Pathologic processes that affect patients after a surgical procedure. They may or may not be related to the disease for which the surgery was done, and they may or may not be direct results of the surgery. Complication, Postoperative,Complications, Postoperative,Postoperative Complication
D011859 Radiography Examination of any part of the body for diagnostic purposes by means of X-RAYS or GAMMA RAYS, recording the image on a sensitized surface (such as photographic film). Radiology, Diagnostic X-Ray,Roentgenography,X-Ray, Diagnostic,Diagnostic X-Ray,Diagnostic X-Ray Radiology,X-Ray Radiology, Diagnostic,Diagnostic X Ray,Diagnostic X Ray Radiology,Diagnostic X-Rays,Radiology, Diagnostic X Ray,X Ray Radiology, Diagnostic,X Ray, Diagnostic,X-Rays, Diagnostic
D012086 Reoperation A repeat operation for the same condition in the same patient due to disease progression or recurrence, or as followup to failed previous surgery. Revision, Joint,Revision, Surgical,Surgery, Repeat,Surgical Revision,Repeat Surgery,Revision Surgery,Joint Revision,Revision Surgeries,Surgery, Revision
D001924 Brain Concussion A nonspecific term used to describe transient alterations or loss of consciousness following closed head injuries. The duration of UNCONSCIOUSNESS generally lasts a few seconds, but may persist for several hours. Concussions may be classified as mild, intermediate, and severe. Prolonged periods of unconsciousness (often defined as greater than 6 hours in duration) may be referred to as post-traumatic coma (COMA, POST-HEAD INJURY). (From Rowland, Merritt's Textbook of Neurology, 9th ed, p418) Cerebral Concussion,Commotio Cerebri,Concussion, Intermediate,Concussion, Mild,Concussion, Severe,Mild Traumatic Brain Injury,Brain Concussions,Cerebral Concussions,Concussion, Brain,Concussion, Cerebral,Intermediate Concussion,Intermediate Concussions,Mild Concussion,Mild Concussions,Severe Concussion,Severe Concussions
D001930 Brain Injuries Acute and chronic (see also BRAIN INJURIES, CHRONIC) injuries to the brain, including the cerebral hemispheres, CEREBELLUM, and BRAIN STEM. Clinical manifestations depend on the nature of injury. Diffuse trauma to the brain is frequently associated with DIFFUSE AXONAL INJURY or COMA, POST-TRAUMATIC. Localized injuries may be associated with NEUROBEHAVIORAL MANIFESTATIONS; HEMIPARESIS, or other focal neurologic deficits. Brain Lacerations,Acute Brain Injuries,Brain Injuries, Acute,Brain Injuries, Focal,Focal Brain Injuries,Injuries, Acute Brain,Injuries, Brain,Acute Brain Injury,Brain Injury,Brain Injury, Acute,Brain Injury, Focal,Brain Laceration,Focal Brain Injury,Injuries, Focal Brain,Injury, Acute Brain,Injury, Brain,Injury, Focal Brain,Laceration, Brain,Lacerations, Brain
D003399 Craniotomy Surgical incision into the cranium. Craniectomy,Craniectomies,Craniotomies
D005858 Germany A country in central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark. The capital is Berlin.
D006764 Hospitals, Community Institutions with permanent facilities and organized medical staff which provide the full range of hospital services primarily to a neighborhood area. Community Hospital,Community Hospitals,Hospital, Community

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