Deviation from standards of treatment of head injury may seriously affect the outcomes. The guidelines are designed to describe practice parameters that focus on preventing or minimizing brain swelling that takes place in the first days following a severe injury of the brain, to prevent the irreparable, permanent damage which results from this swelling and to create a physiologic milieu which maximizes recovery of the brain. Although the 1991 survey found that 79 percent of trauma centers give patients steroids, no evidence proves that steroids help patients and in some cases they may be harmful. Alerting to the potentially adverse consequences of precautionary use of hyperventilation over an extended period of time. This practice has been routine in many hospitals and many patients are hyperventilated according to the survey.
Children are especially prone to being overly ventilated.
They are useful in pinpointing areas where current knowledge is not adequate. The guidelines were written primarily for professional medical personnel and physicians, principally specialists including neurosurgeons, trauma surgeons, emergency room doctors and critical care physicians who treat acute head injury. The guidelines have been distributed to more than 4,000 neurosurgeons in North America. Clifton is also noted for his clinical expertise in epilepsy surgery.