Behavior of cranioencephalic trauma at “Abel Santamaria Cuadrado” General Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: cranioencephalic trauma constitutes a global health problem, and it is characterized by cerebral alterations after a traumatic injury to the skull. Objective: to characterize patients with cranioencephalic trauma attended at Abel Santamaria Cuadrado General Teaching Hospital in Pinar del Río, from January to December 2016. Methods: descriptive, cross-sectional and observational study that was carried out at Hospital at Abel Santamaria Cuadrado General Teaching Hospital, Pinar del Río, in 2016. A sample of 125 patients with clinical-imaging diagnosis of cranioencephalic trauma from a target group of 178 patients was probabilistically chosen at random. Clinical histories were analyzed to collect the information that gave rise to the variables studied. Medical ethics principles were met. Results: male patients predominated (79,2 %), with a mean age of 57,1 ± 19,1 years. Alterations in the level of consciousness were the main clinical manifestations upon admission (46,4 %), with brain contusion (31,2 %) and skull fracture (31,2 %) being the main imaging findings; 39,2 % of the patients underwent surgery, where the 27,2 % of them presented complications, cerebral edema (41,18 %) was the main problem. On discharge, patients with no functional disability predominated (70,48 %). Conclusions: male patients, in their fifth decade of life, are prone to suffer a cranioencephalic trauma, presenting alterations in the level of consciousness upon admission, generally with the presence of encephalic contusion and cranial fracture when imaging tests were performed. Surgical treatment was required in most patients, where edema appears as a common complication.

Keywords

• traumatismos craneocerebrales
• lesiones traumáticas del encéfalo
• traumatismos del sistema nervioso
• lesiones encefálicas
• procedimientos quirúrgicos
• urgencias neuroquirúrgicas