Neurosurgical intervention is greatly facilitated by obtaining the recommended supplies and equipment. The risk of neurosurgical intervention is higher when proper equipment is not available. Every effort should be made to obtain the necessary supplies and equipment if neurosurgical procedures are within the scope of a surgical team’s mission. If only a Gigli saw and Hudson brace are available to an inexperienced provider, the risk of neurosurgical intervention may outweigh the benefit, and medical management may be preferred.
Recommended resources necessary to support non-neurosurgeons who may have to perform cranial procedures in an austere environment should include all of the following:
NOTE: Non-invasive measures of intracranial injury are an emerging technology that may be utilized to improve localization of injury or superficial hematoma.
Non-invasive Measurement Resources
1. Quantitative pupillometry: This is a small hand-held device that initiates a miotic pupillary response, records the speed of the response, and supplies a normative pupillary index (NPI).1
2. A handheld infrared scanner is another emerging technology for non-invasive brain imaging that may be considered to localize superficial intracranial hematomas.2
References