Evaluation and Management of Pediatric Head Trauma in the Emergency Department: Current Concepts and State-of-the-Art Research

Head trauma is a leading cause of death and disability in children. Acute management of infants and children with head injury requires particular attention to avoiding systemic hypotension, hyperthermia, and hypoxemia so as to minimize secondary brain injury, the most common cause of poor outcome and death after head trauma. Acute evaluation of the head-injured child requires careful history-taking with a focus on the mechanism and biomechanics of the injury, and a physical examination that includes a complete neurologic examination. Issues in the management of the pediatric patient with head trauma include the need for cranial computed tomography, hospitalization, outpatient follow-up, and consideration of the possibility of child abuse. (C) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.