• B Bissonnette.
• Department of Anaesthesia, Hospital for Sick Children Toronto Ontario, Canada.
• Ann Fr Anesth Reanim. 2000 Apr 1; 19 (4): 270-4.

AbstractTraumatic brain injury (TBI) constitutes a major health and economic problem for developed countries, being one of the main causes of mortality and morbidity in children and young adults. Because of the immense importance and future consequences of TBI, the physician who sees a patient soon after brain injury must have a complete understanding of the pathophysiology and develop a practical knowledge of initial management of such patients. TBI may have intracranial and systemic effects that combine to give overall cerebral ischaemia. Injury to the nervous system is characterised by a stereotypic pattern, irrespective of the primary injury. The primary injury initiates a multitude of inflammatory cascades resulting in secondary brain injury, the effect of which is as important as the primary injury. This period of brain inflammation can last up to three weeks and renders the brain more susceptible to the effects of systemic insults such as hypotension, hypoxia and/or pyrexia. It has been shown in postmortem examination of patients dying from severe TBI that more than 90% had evidence of secondary ischaemic damage. The concept of 'cerebral protection' has been extended to encompass pretreatment of secondary injury. Preventing and treating cerebral ischaemia is the main goal of initial management of head-injured patients. Initial care focuses on achieving oxygenation, airway control and treatment of arterial hypotension.

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