In this article, the authors are engaged with the epidemiology, mortality and morbidity of craniocerebral injuries. They stress the prevention of secondary insult affecting the brain as the correct way of improving the outcome in patients undergoing serious craniocerebral injury. They describe priorities in treatment of traumatised patients, basic examinations before induction to general anaesthesia and the specific monitoring necessary during general anaesthesia in this sort of patients. The authors emphasise cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) as the main pathophysiologic parameter; the knowledge of factors changing CPP is considered basic in choice of adequate anaesthesiologic management.

        Key words: craniocerebral injury – primary insult – secondary insult – cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) – cerebral blood flow (CBF) – general anaesthesia – TIVA.