This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the contemporary management of all aspects of traumatic brain injury (TBI), combining the findings of several recent randomised controlled trials investigating the role of hypothermia, erythropoietin, intracranial pressure monitoring and decompressive craniectomy in the management of TBI.

The book is divided into four sections: the first section covers the epidemiology of TBI, the changing global patterns of presentation, and the basic pathophysiology and classification, while the second discusses contemporary management of TBI, from pre-hospital care, emergency assessment, and medical and surgical management to rehabilitation and social reintegration. The third section then examines the evidence gained from recent clinical trials that have investigated the efficacy of management strategies involving intracranial pressure monitoring, multimodal monitoring, hypothermia, erythropoietin, thromboembolic prophylaxis and decompressive craniectomy. Lastly, the fourth section explores the ethical issues, both at the societal level and on an individual basis.

Written by a broad range of experts, this book provides a valuable reference resource for neurosurgeons, intensivists, clinicians with ethical experience and pure bioethicists in their daily work.

I Scientific background

1 Epidemiology of traumatic brain injury (Including prevention strategies
2 Pathophysiology of traumatic brain injury
3 "Mechanics of brain tissue damage following trauma"
4 Neuroprotection in traumatic brain injury
II Current clinical Practice
5 Prehospital and emergency department management
6 Monitoring the injured brain
7 Contemporary Medical management of traumatic brain injury: High income countries
8 Contemporary Surgical  management of traumatic brain injury: High income countries
9 Contemporary management of traumatic brain injury: Low and middle income countries
10 Military management of traumatic brain injury
11 Rehabilitation and social reintegration following traumatic brain injury
III Evidence
12 Predicting outcome following traumatic brain injury
13 Biomarkers in traumatic brain injury
14 Erythropoietin in the management of traumatic brain injury: Current evidence
15 Progesterone in the management of traumatic brain injury: Current evidence
16 Amantadine in the management of traumatic brain injury for Traumatic brain injury
17 Hypothermia in the management of traumatic brain injury: Current evidence
18 Decompressive craniectomy in the management of traumatic brain injury: Current evidence
19 Cranioplasty following traumatic brain injury
20 Thromboembolic prophylaxis
21 Comparative effectiveness research
22 Brain Death: Current evidence and guidelines.- 23 Introduction to ethical concepts
24 Ethical issues when making clinical decisions in paediatrics patients
25 Long term outcome following traumatic brain injury: ethical issues
26 Withholding and withdrawing care
27 Prolonged disorders of consciousness.