Application of technology in the treatment of traumatic brain injury

The goal of care of the traumatic brain-injured patient is to prevent secondary injury. Technology gives the caregivers information as to the cause and severity of injury and can guide appropriate management of the patient. Use of multimodality monitoring increases the complexity of care but may allow for better targeted therapy. This article will discuss the current state of technology, the physiology and pathophysiology that it assesses, the normal and abnormal values obtained, and how care will be impacted.