[Can mortality in severe traumatic brain damage be generally reduced?].

A total of 272 cases with fatal traumatic brain injuries were retrospectively analysed. 68% of the cases were outside of any form of therapy. Only the third of these fatal cases are ever seen by a neurosurgeon. In 12% of these fatal cases the outcome might have been improved by an optimum diagnosis and therapy. Prevention of these severe head injuries seems to be the only potential therapy.