Head injuries in a general surgical unit

A five years' experience of the care by general surgeons of patients with severe head injuries in a general surgical unit with inferior facilities was retrospectively reviewed. It was concluded that the mortality compared favourably with that in similar patients managed by neurosurgeons in specialized centres. The still inadequate understanding of primary diffuse brain damage in head injuries is suggested as the cause for this lack of significant improvement in results over the years. Certain guide-lines, however, exist to allow prediction of the eventual outcome in these patients.