Prehospital management of patients with isolated head injury with impending cerebral edema leading to intussusception

Abstract

Craniocerebral injuries are one of the causes of mortality in the population around the world. It is estimated that the frequency of their occurrence in highly developed countries is in the range of 200 per 100 000 people per year. According to the Brain Trauma Foundation, approximately 1.5 million of craniocerebral injuries are reported in the US annually. These injuries occur as a result of a direct impact and indirectly as a result of violent accelerating or braking forces acting on the brain. These forces are referred to as deceleration and acceleration. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is difficult to determine with certainty, but 400 per 100 000 patients per year (range of 88 – 1967) have been reported, or ap¬proximately 1.4 million patients per year in the UK. TBI is the leading cause of death among adults under the age of 45 and in children (1-15 years old). Most TBIs are classified as mild, and about 8-10% are classified as moderate or severe.