Trauma: Head and Facial Trauma

Abstract

Head and facial trauma includes a wide variety of heterogeneous injuries that vary according to cause, severity, management, and outcomes. These injuries are classified as head injuries (the scalp, skull, and brain) and facial injuries (to the eyes, bony structures, nose, mouth, teeth, tongue, and glands and the accompanying nerves, muscles, and vasculature). This review covers the epidemiology, anatomy, assessment and stabilization, diagnosis, treatment and disposition, and outcomes for traumatic brain injury (TBI), scalp and cranial vault trauma, ocular trauma, and facial trauma. Figures show computed tomographic scans showing a large left frontal lobe intraparenchymal hemorrhage, a traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage, a subdural hematoma, a right occipital epidural hematoma, and a left orbital floor “blowout” fracture; an illustration of the brain herniation syndromes; the anatomy of the globe; and the Le Fort classification scheme of midface fractures. Tables list the Glasgow Coma Scale, clinical decision aids for computed tomography after mild TBI, the PECARN clinical decision rule for children with mild TBI, the graduated return to play protocol, and anticoagulant and antiplatelet agent reversal. This review contains 8 highly rendered figures, 5 tables, and 75 references.