Popis: |
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the oldest and commonest causes of medical distress in humans. However, despite much research effort, the prognosis for severe TBI patients remains poor. Worldwide, TBI is recognized as the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in young adults. TBI is a major worldwide health and socioeconomic problem. The most important factor in the prognosis of TBI patients is the severity of the "primary" brain injury. Additional delayed "secondary" brain damage continues from the time of traumatic impact in TBI patients, and the two combine to determine outcome. This chapter discusses the incidence of TBI, trends in morbidity and mortality, shifts in causes of TBI, its economic burden on society, and the pathophysiology of primary and secondary brain injuries. The authors discuss indications for surgical and intensive care treatment for intracranial hypertension and mass lesion management in TBI patients. |