Clinical Profile and Management of Patients of Head Injury at a Tertiary Care Hospital – A Prospective Study

Abstract

Head injury is one of the commonest emergencies in surgical practice. It is one of the most common cause of death and disability among the young population between the age of 15 to 25 years. This is a cross-sectional study among 100 patients with head injury at a medical college and tertiary care hospital. Aims and Objectives: To study the clinical profile and outcome of patients with head including the role of the Glasgow Coma Scale in their prognosis. To study the CT scan findings of the brain and the clinical outcome. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective observational study conducted at a Medical college and tertiary care hospital. 100 patients with head injury were enrolled in this study. Duration of the study was between December 2009 to November 2011. Conclusion: The commonest cause of head injury is road traffic accidents. Head injury is common in the young age of group of 21-30 years. Male: Female ratio of the head injury is 3:1 Almost one third of the patients had history of alcohol ingestion prior to the head injury. The commonest lesion in head injury is subdural hematoma. It is also the most lethal. Most of the head injuries were of mild type and only 5% patients required surgery. Only 10% of the patients had poor clinical outcome. Glasgow Coma Scale is very helpful in predicting the severity and clinical outcome of head injury patients..