ABSTRACT
Trauma has been claimed to be the main cause of death and disability world-wide. Studies in north east England in the late 1980s showed that traumatic brain injury (TBI) accounted for 15 per cent of deaths in children aged 1-15 years [1]. Better pre-hospital (20 per cent) or early inpatient (42 per cent) care could have avoided a high proportion of these fatalities [1]. Airway management, recognition of intracranial haemorrhage and lack of efficient transfers between hospitals were the main deficiencies.
