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CC BY 4.0 · J Neuroanaesth Crit Care
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1774302
Case Report

Anesthesia Management of a Patient with Penetrating Brain Injury with a Knife into the Occipital Region

Shruti S. Patil 
1   Department of Anaesthesiology, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, Sion, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
,
Kavin K Devani
2   Department of Neurosurgery, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, Sion, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
,
Swapnil D Lemle
1   Department of Anaesthesiology, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, Sion, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
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Abstract

Penetrating brain injuries are rare events in modern times. In this article we present the case of an adolescent with a knife, lodged in the occipital region needing surgical care. The patient was conscious, cooperative, and vitally stable with a Glasgow coma scale (GCS) of 15/15 with no lateralizing signs. Computed tomography (CT) scan of the brain demonstrated the knife blade in the suboccipital bone with suspicious injury to the right transverse sinus. General anesthesia was provided and airway secured in a lateral position using a video laryngoscope. Surgery was performed in the prone position using the Mayfield head holder. All measures to prevent secondary brain injury were taken. The patient remained vitally stable during surgery and could be extubated after surgery. Planning and preparation are vital for the smooth conduct of the case.

Keywords

brain injury - penetrating - video laryngoscope - Glasgow coma scale - knife


Publication History

Article published online:
28 February 2024

© 2024. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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