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Atlanto-Occipital Dissociation With Catastrophic Neurological Injury: Ethical Challenges in the Intensive Care
Rita Almeida1, Nuno Gatta2, José Manuel Pereira2
1Intensive Care Department, Unidade Local de Saúde de Viseu Dão-Lafões, Viseu, PRT.
Cureus
|January 14, 2026
Summary
Atlanto-occipital dissociation (AOD) is a rare, severe injury. Early diagnosis and ethical decisions are crucial for managing patients with AOD and associated critical care challenges.
Area of Science:
- Trauma Surgery
- Critical Care Medicine
- Neurology
Background:
- Atlanto-occipital dissociation (AOD) is a rare, severe cervical spine injury often resulting from high-energy trauma.
- Historically, AOD has a high mortality rate, with many patients not surviving to hospital admission.
- Recent improvements in prehospital care have increased survival rates, enabling diagnosis but highlighting poor prognoses.
Keywords:
atlanto-occipital dissociationcervical traumacritical careethical considerationtraumatic brain injuryMore Related Videos
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