A tale of two acute extradural hematomas

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Trauma Care
• Global Health Equity

Background:

• Mortality from traumatic acute extradural hematomas (AEDH) is near zero in Western nations.
• Developing countries face significant challenges in managing AEDH, leading to higher mortality rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the disparity in AEDH outcomes between well-resourced and low-resourced healthcare settings.
• To underscore the critical role of timely neurosurgical intervention in traumatic brain injuries.

Main Methods:

• Case report of two patients with traumatic AEDH managed in a resource-limited private facility during a healthcare strike.
• Delayed diagnosis and treatment due to limited access to neuroimaging and surgical services.

Main Results:

• The first patient, with delayed CT scan and intervention, deteriorated and died.
• The second patient, receiving prompt diagnosis and surgery due to better financial resources, recovered fully.

Conclusions:

• Potentially salvageable AEDH cases continue to be fatal in low-resource healthcare systems.
• Urgent improvements in neurosurgical infrastructure and access are vital in developing countries.