MANAGEMENT OF PENETRATING CRANIOCEREBRAL INJURIES

Abstract

A Penetrating head injury, or open head injury, is a head injury in which the Dura mater, the outer layer of the meninges, is breached (Pendlebury, 2007). Head injuries caused by penetrating trauma are serious medical emergencies and may cause permanent disability or death. Penetrating head injuries can be the result of numerous intentional or unintentional events (Vinas and Pilitsis, 2006). It may be caused by high-velocity missiles (e.g., bullets), penetrating objects (e.g., knives, tools), or fragments of bone driven into the brain (Sheperd, 2004). Penetrating craniocerebral injuries are the leading cause of death from head trauma in the civilian population aged 35 to 75 years (Doherty and Rabinowitz, 2004). Men are far more likely to be victims of brain gunshot wounds (GSWs) than are women, with a peak incidence usually in the third and fourth decades. Suicides were most frequent in those 50 to 60 years of age, homicides predominated in the 20- to 30-year age group, and accidents occurred in children and teenagers (Carey, 2004).