Cranioencephalic trauma in unclear conditions. Presentation of a case

Abstract

Cranioencephalic traumas are the fourth cause of death in our country, and the first one among the population aged less than 41 years, who are two thirds of the deaths taking place in a general hospital. Its global incidence rate is around 200 x 100 000 inhabitants. We present this case taking into consideration the incidence of this trauma in our environment and the high mortality it reaches. It is the case of a male patient aged 43 years who, according to data given by the acting penal instruction, was sent to the Provincial Teaching Clinicosurgical Hospital José Ramón López Tabrane, of Matanzas, on May 16, after falling in his way home and hitting his head against a column located outside of his house. He was unconsciously picked up by the Integrated Service of Medical Emergencies, and brought to our hospital, where he arrived in a deep coma, without reflexes, with 3 points in the Glasgow scale and mechanical ventilation. Entering the hospital he showed a great increase of the epicranial volume extended alongside the sagittal suture, without any other violence sign in the external part of the body. A computerized axial tomography of the simple cranium was carried out, showing multiple lineal fractures of the cranium (bilateral parietal and frontal), diastasis of coronal, sagittal and lambdoidal sutures, subarachnoid space flood, base cisterns flooded of blood, without mass effect or expansive lesion. He was remitted to the Intensive Care Unit, dying on May 22^nd after a cardio pulmonary arrest.