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Starship Paediatric Neurosurgery
Public Service, Neurosurgery, Paediatrics
Extradural Haematoma
An extradural haematoma (EDH) is usually an injury to the brain that occurs following a blow to the head. This can be due to falls, road traffic accidents or blunt trauma.
Bleeding occurs into the space between the membranes that cover the brain. If the bleed is large, this is a surgical emergency and the child needs to go to theatre to have the clot removed and to ensure that the bleeding has stopped. A large clot can put pressure on the surrounding brain tissue. For smaller bleeds where there does not appear to be any pressure from the clot, the child will be observed for a few days and the body will reabsorb the blood over a few weeks.