Traumatic Injuries 

Every clinician should learn how to initially assess and manage a head injury. The Glasgow Coma Score forms a key part of the assessment and can allow for ongoing monitoring of a patient’s clinical condition.

Traumatic head injuries, such as diffuse axonal injury, extradural haematomas, and subdural haematomas, should ideally be managed in a specialist neurosurgical centre, due to the need for close monitoring and high likelihood for intervention. They are not uncommon presentations, especially within trauma calls, therefore knowing the basic steps in their management is key for every surgical trainee.