Cranioencephalic trauma in patients treated at “Dr. Carlos Juan Finlay” Central Military Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: traumatic brain injury is one of the major public health problems in contemporary society. Objective: to characterize patients treated with head trauma at Dr. Carlos Juan Finlay Central Military Hospital. Methods: an observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted. The target group consisted of 115 patients with a diagnosis of cranioencephalic trauma; the whole target group was included in the study. Demographic variables were analyzed; type of lesion, initial evaluation according to the Glasgow coma scale, mortality, surgical procedures and complications. A descriptive analysis was performed using absolute and relative percentage frequencies for the qualitative variables, and for the quantitative variables, the arithmetic mean and standard deviation were established. Results: the most representative ages were between 19 and 33 (28 %), with mild trauma predominating (72 %). The mortality rate ranged 14 %; the most frequent lesions were cerebral contusion and chronic subdural hematoma (22 %). The most frequent procedures were trepanation and evacuation (46 %). Respiratory infections predominated as a complication (36 %). Conclusion: young-aged patients and in early third age prevailed. A low mortality rate was obtained. Nearly half of the patients underwent surgery, where trepanation and evacuation were the surgical procedures most applied, as seen in relation to the removal of chronic subdural hematomas. More than half of those studied were free of complications.

Keywords

• traumatismo craneoencefálico
• lesiones encefálicas
• traumatismos craneocerebrales
• craniectomía
• escala de coma de glasgow
• procedimientos quirúrgicos