Successful Decompressive Craniectomy in a Child with Severe Head Trauma

Abstract

In developed countries, trauma is the most common cause of mortality and morbidity in children. Severe traumatic brain injury is the most important cause of death in these patients. The main goal of treatment is to provide airway, respiratory and circulatory support and to prevent increased intracranial pressure. An 8-year-old girl with a severe traumatic brain injury due to traffic accident was admitted. The patient had a Glasgow Coma scale score of 8. She was intubated and provided respiratory and hemodynamic support. Cranial tomography showed bilateral diffuse frontal hemorrhagic contusion areas, traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage, a slim subdural hemorrhage, basal cistern effacement, and severe brain edema with a midline shift to the left of 1 cm. Mannitol, 3% sodium chloride and phenytoin were given to the patient. At the 4th hour of the follow-up in pediatric intensive care, decompressive craniectomy was performed because the patient developed clinical herniation findings. The patient was extubated on the 3rd day and discharged on the 13th day. She did not have any neurological sequelae at 6 months of follow-up. Decompressive craniectomy should be considered without delay in children with severe head trauma with neurological deterioration or intracranial pressure elevation refractory to medical treatment and in those with herniation.

Keywords

• Child
• traumatic brain injury
• elevated intracranial pressure
• decompressive craniectomy