Neurological evaluation of the head injury patient.

Neurological evaluation of the head-injured patient should be rapid and as straightforward as possible. It should be performed in a manner consistent with all other evaluations of patients with similar injuries, so that complete, pertinent information can be obtained prospectively and retrospectively. The data should be recorded in a manner that ensures maximum accuracy and reliability of the initial and subsequent observations--a necessary feature if changes in the patient's status are to be recognized by the various treating personnel. The preceding sections give the essential elements of the evaluation and a brief discussion of the anatomical basis for the tests. With care and practice, all physicians can master the neurological evaluation of the patient with craniocerebral trauma so that appropriate diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic conclusions are reached.