Most<unk> es are of a benign nature and require no treatment beyond analgesics such as acetaminophen. Non-steroidal painkillers such as ibuprofen are avoided since they could make any potential bleeding worse. Due to the<unk> gh risk of even minor brain injuries, close monitoring for potential complications such as intracranial bleeding. If the brain has been severely damaged by trauma, a neurosurgical evaluation may be useful. Treatments may involve controlling elevated intracranial pressure. This can include sedation, paralytics, cerebrospinal fluid diversion. Second-line alternatives include decompressive craniectomy (Jagannathan et al. found a net 65% favorable outcomes rate in pediatric patients), barbiturate coma, hypertonic saline, and hypothermia. Although all of these methods have potential benefits, there has been no randomized study that has shown unequivocal benefit. Clinicians will often consult clinical decision support rules such as the Canadian CT Head Rule or the New Orleans/Charity<unk> /Trauma Rule to decide if the patient needs further imaging studies or observation only. Rules like these are usually studied in depth by multiple research groups with large patient cohorts to ensure accuracy given the risk of adverse events in this area. There is a subspecialty certification available for brain injury medicine that signifies expertise in the treatment of brain injury.
Head injury
Opioid overdose
Barotrauma
Trauma
Acquired brain injury
Traumatic brain injury
Closed-head injury
Brain damage