@article{ref1,
title="Pediatric traumatic brain injuries treated with decompressive craniectomy",
journal="Surgical neurology international",
year="2013",
author="Patel, Neil and West, Michael and Wurster, Joanie and Tillman, Cassie",
volume="4",
number="",
pages="128-128",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs in an estimated 80% of all pediatric trauma patients and is the leading cause of death and disability in the pediatric population. Decompressive craniectomy is a procedure used to decrease intracranial pressure by allowing the brain room to swell and therefore increase cerebral perfusion to the brain. METHODS: This is a retrospective study done at St. Mary's Medical Center/Palm Beach Children's Hospital encompassing a 3 year 7 month period. All the pediatric patients who sustained a TBI and who were treated with a decompressive craniectomy were included. The patients' outcomes were monitored and scored according to the Rancho Los Amigos Score at the time of discharge from the hospital and 6 months postdischarge. RESULTS: A total of 379 pediatric patients with a diagnosis of TBI were admitted during this time. All these patients were treated according to the severity of their injury. A total of 49 pediatric patients required neurosurgical intervention and 7 of these patients met the criteria for a decompressive craniectomy. All seven patients returned home with favorable outcomes. CONCLUSION: This study supports the current literature that decompressive craniectomy is no longer an intervention used as a last resort but an effective first line treatment to be considered.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2229-5097",
doi="10.4103/2152-7806.119055",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/2152-7806.119055"
}