This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Complications

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Most patients make a rapid and complete recovery from a compound, depressed fracture of the skull. Possible complications may include:

  • infection:
    • usually meningitis
    • 11-15% of patients with an acute CSF leak will become infected
    • a persistent CSF leak give an 85% chance of infection by 10 years
    • commonest pathogen is Streptococcus pneumoniae

  • epilepsy:
    • occurs in 24% of cases
    • more common when the dura is torn, when focal signs are present, or when post traumatic amnesia exceeds 24 hours
    • the incidence is not altered by removal of bone fragments

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

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.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.