Articles: brain-injuries.
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The value of CT was assessed in 24 patients who died of cerebral gunshot injuries and in two patients with more recent injuries in order to reconstruct the mode of injury and for adding forensic information. The post-mortem and intravital appearances described and are compared with ultrasound rotation compound scans of the isolated brains. ⋯ Ultrasound produced images with an accuracy between CT and photographs of the brain specimen. Both methods are regarded as valuable additions to the pathological and forensic information concerning gunshot injuries.
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Forty-six children with significant head trauma who remained in coma more than 24 hours were the subjects of this long-term outcome study. Twelve (38%) died. The average length of coma in the 34 survivors was 15.5 days. ⋯ Children less than 2 years of age had a worse outcome. Despite severe injury and prolonged coma after head trauma, most children do well. Intensive medical and surgical care increases the rate of survival and does not result in a large number of severely disabled survivors.
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Brain-type creatine kinase (CK) isoenzyme (CK-BB) was found in the ventricular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the serum in a series of 35 patients within 13 hours following severe head injury. There was a good correlation between total CK and CK-BB activities in CSF only. The values found in the CSF appear to be a quantitative index of brain dysfunction at admission, and did not correlate with intracranial pressure activity. High levels of CK-BB in the CSF correlated with a poor outcome, and thus offer a reliable criterion for the assessment of the severity of head injury.