Airway management in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Traumatic brain injury has become the leading cause of morbidity and mortality all over the world. Early establishment and maintenance of airway is critical as mortality increases in patients who suffer hypoxia. This review discusses the prehospital and intraoperative management of airway in these patients. The current practices and controversies regarding the use of tracheal tubes versus other means of maintaining the airway in prehospital management, indications of tracheal intubation, choice of anaesthetic drugs for induction, hemodynamic response to laryngoscopy and intubation, role of tracheostomy, as well as principles of extubation are discussed.