Acute management of military-related injury

Since the dawn of armed conflict head trauma has remained one of the most challenging afflictions for surgeons and medical personnel to treat. Interventions for head trauma from antiquity through the American Civil War were met with dismal outcomes. In the 20th century, despite greater lethality of weapons, progressive advances in management led to improved outcomes for head injured patients. A triage system consisting of appropriate levels of care from the front lines, through combat support hospitals to reconstructive and rehabilitative hospitals, has also contributed to the improved outcomes of head injured patients. This chapter examines the progressive improvement in management strategies during major conflicts, the mechanisms causing head trauma during conflict, and the current medical and surgical therapies recommended in the care of head-injured patients during armed conflict.