At some point in their careers the force of circumstances summons most physicians to the role of a casualty surgeon. Most often, however, trauma in general, cerebrospinal injury in particular, is within the province of the emergency room surgeon. Ultimately the neurosurgeon is called to preside over the management of brain injuries. For these three general groups of physicians whose intensity of interest in the central nervous system varies, this book provides valuable insights into the understanding and management of head injury.
In his own broad experience the author has observed that in the vast majority of head injuries a pattern is discernible, the components of which are recognizable and usually predictable. Elements of the pattern consist in general of three factors: characteristics of the injury itself (nature, severity, site), the evolving pathological substrate, and the progressive clinical course (vital and neurological signs). With knowledge of the pattern, information concerning