No Routine Postoperative Head CT following Elective Craniotomy--A Paradigm Shift?

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Patient management following elective cranial surgery often includes routine postoperative computed tomography (CT). We analyzed whether a regime of early extubation and close neurological monitoring without routine CT is safe, and compared the rate of postoperative emergency neurosurgical intervention with published data.

Methods

Four hundred ninety-two patients were prospectively analyzed; 360 had supra- and 132 had infratentorial lesions. Extubation within one hour after skin closure was aimed for in all cases. CT was performed within 48 hours only in cases of unexpected neurological findings.

Results

Four-hundred sixty-nine of the 492 patients (95.3%) were extubated within one hour, 20 (4.1%) within 3 hours, and three (0.6%) within 3 to 10 hours. Emer

SUBMITTER: Schar RT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4831779 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature