Spectrum of traumatic brain injury from mild to severe.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) involves significant damage of the brain parenchyma, and is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality after trauma. It is thus essential for all physicians involved in acute care medicine and surgery to have a thorough understanding of TBI. Management of the patient with TBI is a rapidly advancing field, characterized by an improved understanding of intracranial pathophysiology and decreasing overall mortality largely because of improved neurocritical and surgical care. This article summarizes the classification system, management approaches, and recent controversies in the care of mild, moderate, and severe TBI.