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Treatment

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

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Seek expert advice.

The aim of treating a depressed, compound skull fracture is to prevent infection by:

  • wound debridement - remove hair, necrotic scalp, dirt
  • elevation of bone fragments and removal of necrotic brain if necessary
  • prophylactic broad spectrum antibiotics should not be given
  • prophylactic anticonvulsants - e.g. phenytoin

Ideally, all steps are to be done within 6 hours or at most, 12 hours.

A dural substitute - e.g. fascia lata from the thigh - may be necessary if part of the dura has been lost. This stops the dura from sticking to the skin and reduces the risk of tearing blood vessels if later cranioplasty needs to be done.

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The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

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