Secondary complications
Secondary complications of head injury may occur at any time after the initial lesion. They are preventable and the preclusion of such problems is the aim of head injury management. Complications include:
- intracranial haematoma - 16% extradural, 22% pure subdural, 54% mixed intracerebral and subdural, 8% mixed extradural and intradural
- cerebral swelling - associated with vasodilatation and cerebral oedema; may occur without intracranial haematoma
- raised intracranial pressure causing cerebral herniation
- cerebral ischaemia - results from hypoxia or from impaired perfusion due to raised intracranial pressure and hypotension. Note that autoregulation is often impaired in head injury.
- infection resulting in cerebral abscess and meningitis
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