CHAPTER 113 ■ NEUROTRAUMA JULIE McMANEMY, ANDREW JEA, KATRINA DUCIS GOALS OF EMERGENCY THERAPY Head injury is a common presentation in the pediatric emergency department (ED) The challenge is to distinguish minor head trauma from clinically important traumatic brain injury (ciTBI) Identifying which children necessitate radiographic imaging and immediate recognition of ciTBI should be the goal of the evaluation Management of the head injured child should focus on stabilization, recognition of clinical deterioration, and early consultation of a neurosurgeon to decrease morbidity and mortality KEY POINTS Headache is a common presenting symptom Most head injuries are minor and not necessitate clinical interventions Infants with intracranial injuries may appear to be asymptomatic due to limitations in their neurologic examination The most common cause of mortality from child abuse is head trauma Cervical spine injury in children is rare, but occurs with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in 20% of patients RELATED CHAPTERS