ABSTRACT
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) may be managed clinically in the university or community
setting. Traditional reviews regarding clinical management of TBI are often presented
from a university viewpoint with the role of neurosurgery and surgery residents and
attending staff well defined in the setting of a large, regional hospital. In contrast,
community trauma centers are usually smaller and lack neurosurgery and surgical resident
staff. In the community, an emergency department physician and/or a trauma surgeon
first assesses acute trauma injury. Neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, and critical
care physicians are all utilized on a consultation basis. The overall general guidelines
for clinical management of TBI are similar to those used in a university setting.
However, the pathways to the end result differ, and this article details these pathways.
KEYWORDS
Brain injury - critical care - intracranial pressure - trauma
