Head injury treatment strategy: Present condition and future prospects

Abstract

Due to the rapid aging of the Japanese populace, the age structure and the disease profile of head injury patients have changed greatly. With the revised “Guidelines for the Management of Severe Head Injury” third edition from 2013, the contents were amended to reflect these societal changes. Accordingly, a new chapter, detailing recent progress in imaging diagnosis and an addendum covering sports-related head injury, traumatic cognitive impairment and traumatic low cerebrospinal fluid pressure syndrome were added. There is very little evidence-based treatment for severe head injury, due to the complicated heterogeneous pathophysiology of the disease. Based on this recognition, neurological evaluation, imaging diagnosis, intracranial pressure, ICP and cerebral perfusion pressure, CPP monitoring and other intensive neuro-monitoring methods are very important to formulate a comprehensive strategy.