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Decompressive Craniectomy in Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

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Abstract

After the initial traumatic event, the greatest clinical challenge is to limit secondary injury to the brain (Hutchinson et al. 2015). The complex, dynamic changes that occur in the brain’s physiology and chemistry can lead to rapidly evolving brain swelling and poor outcome (Berger et al. 1985; Juul et al. 2000; Marshall et al. 1979; Pople et al. 1995). The evolution of multimodality monitoring parameters and intensive care management has allowed for an improvement in understanding of the optimal physiological targets for children after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Nevertheless, the optimal strategies of both medical and surgical intervention remain widely debated (Figaji et al. 2003).

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Young, A.M.H., Hutchinson, P.J.A. (2017). Decompressive Craniectomy in Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury. In: Di Rocco, C., Pang, D., Rutka, J. (eds) Textbook of Pediatric Neurosurgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31512-6_149-1

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