ABSTRACT
The facial soft tissues and underlying facial bony skeleton are, at once, the most important and most vulnerable portion of the human body. Here the personality is perceived and the senses reside but it is also here that accident and assault most frequently occur. The facial skeleton is also largely subcutaneous and readily amenable to direct and indirect repair. Patients with head injuries require continuous assessment and reassessment of their neurological status and this monitoring may be done by the use of a combination of the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), pupillary assessment and extremity weakness. The use of GCS, pupillary assessment and extremity weakness assessment together provides a sensitive and easily understood neurological monitoring system. The proactive and comprehensive systems taught on all advanced trauma life support (ATLS) and trauma skills courses are followed with prompt, appropriate and structured assessment and action with constant reappraisal of the patient's condition.
