Intracranial pressure monitoring for guiding high coronary craniotomy for clearance of bilateral frontal contusions in 79 cases

Objective To improve treatment success rate and prognosis for patients with bifrontal contusions by intracranial pressure monitoring.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 79 cases of bifrontal contusions admitted between October 2004 and April 2012.The patients were divided into intracranial pressure monitoring group (n =40) and group without intracranial pressure monitoring (n =39),according to the treatments.Significance of high coronary craniotomy timing,surgical strategy and intracranial pressure monitoring in the diagnosis,treatment and prognosis was analyzed.Results The intracranial pressure monitoring group showed a significantly shorter period concerning osmotic dehydration [(14.24 ± 7.93) days vs (21.61 ± 11.97)days,P＜0.01],ICU stay [(14.38 ±7.56)days vs (24.71-± 17.94)days,P＜0.01] and total hospital stay [(17.20 ±8.09)days vs (33.92 ± 21.70)days,P＜0.01] as well as a better GOS [(4.15 ± 1.22) points vs (3.69 ± 1.56) points,P ＜ 0.05],as compared with group without intracranial pressure monitoring.Conclusions Craniotomy,especially decompressive craniectomy,is one of the most important treatment means to control cranial pressure and ensure cerebral perfusion pressure in patients with bifrontal contusions (in particular the moderate and severe ones).Besides,intracranial pressure monitoring is conducive to selection of surgery timing and is instructive to combined treatment,such as osmotherapy,intracranial pressure controlling and assurance of cerebral perfusion pressure. Key words: Craniocerebral trauma; Frontal lobe; Contusions; Intracranial pressure