Promising strategies to minimize secondary brain injury after head trauma.

OBJECTIVE: To review novel therapeutic approaches in the treatment of severe traumatic brain injury.

DESIGN: Eighty-three studies were reviewed specific to the treatment of traumatic brain injury, in either experimental models or in patients.

CONCLUSION: Four therapeutic strategies appear to be the most promising approaches currently in clinical trials for severe traumatic brain injury: a) the novel pharmacologic agent dexanabinol; b) hypertonic saline; c) mild hypothermia; and d) decompressive craniectomy. Each of these therapies share the common feature of targeting multiple mechanisms, suggesting this may be an important factor to the development of a successful approach to severe traumatic brain injury.