The Mortality from Extradural Hæmatoma 1

The mortality in a series of 155 extradural hæmatomas was 20%. The unavoidable mortality due to coexistent severe cerebral damage was only 5.1%. Delayed diagnosis, due to one of several factors, was the commonest cause of the avoidable deaths. A reliance on burr holes as a means of excluding an extradural hæmorrhage, the failure to detect the presence of coexisting space‐occupying lesions, misguided lumbar punctures and postoperative complications contributed in a lesser degree to the high avoidable mortality. This analysis suggests a pattern of treatment for head injuries in general and extradural hæmatomas in particular.