Traumatic brain injury: improving functional recovery.

Most physical injuries in this country are the result of motorized vehicle accidents. Head trauma accounts for one fourth of all trauma deaths, and the cost to treat patients with head trauma is $83 billion. The author discusses injury patterns, methods of resuscitating patients with head injuries, surgical management and monitoring, and the clinical course and prospects for rehabilitation. An interdisciplinary approach to the management of such patients is encouraged, and the medical and surgical interventions undertaken at one institution are reviewed.