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Abstract

Trauma is the most common cause of death for those under the age of 45. Trauma also results in millions of non-fatal injuries leading to life-long disability. Of all the types of injuries, Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) are the most likely to result in death or permanent disability. About 90% of injury-related deaths occur in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Public health policy and safety prevention measures are necessary in order to address primary injury, which occurs at the time of impact. Secondary brain insults occur following the impact and include amongst other problems, hypoxia, and hypotension, further injury from compression (e.g. expanding hematoma), elevated intracranial pressure, seizures and infection. High quality neurotrauma care is necessary in order to address secondary insults. Such high-quality care relies on a multidisciplinary approach with integrated prehospital, emergency, neurosurgical, intensive care and rehabilitative pathways. Current research efforts utilize a variety of methods, such as randomized trials (decompressive craniectomy in TBI), nonexperimental comparative effectiveness research and large collaborative programs aiming to improve neurotrauma care in LMICs.

Biography

E-mail: helen.fernandes@addenbrookes.nhs.uk