Adolescent Head and Neck Trauma.

Head injuries in adolescents, which often result from motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, falls, burns, or trauma due to violence, may range from mild to severe to fatal. One of the most useful initial scoring systems is the Glasgow Coma Scale. Proper care of the injured adolescent begins at the scene of the incident, with an emphasis on management of the airways, breathing, and circulation (the ABCs) and prevention of secondary injury, which may result from hypoxia, hypercarbia, rapid swings in blood pressure, hypovolemia, seizures, and poor or improper immobilization. Monitoring and management of intracranial pressure become a priority on arrival at the emergency department. Imaging techniques, such as CT scan, may be necessary. Injuries to the neck (cervical spine), which may result in quadriplegia, should be suspected in the presence of neurologic deficits.