Question of the Day

Use hypertonic saline or mannitol to treat a patient with head trauma. These are both hyperosmotic solutions that “pull” fluid out of the brain by causing an osmotic gradient between the blood and brain tissue.

Note: if there is intracranial hemorrhage, there is a risk that mannitol will leak into it, making the bleeding worse. Use with care in these cases. 

Phenobarbital may be used in cases with seizure activity, but is not the first thing to reach for.