In TBI management, preserving oxygenation is a core part of which concept?

• A. Primary brain protection.
• B. Secondary injury prevention.
• C. Tertiary prevention.
• D. Diagnostic imaging.

Answer: (B)

Preserving oxygenation is about preventing secondary brain injury after the initial trauma. The brain depends on constant oxygen delivery; after TBI, processes such as edema, inflammation, and impaired autoregulation can make tissue vulnerable to even brief lapses in oxygen. Keeping oxygenation adequate helps maintain cellular energy, reduces the risk of further neuronal death, and limits the expansion of injury that occurs days after the initial impact. This is distinct from primary brain protection, which focuses on limiting damage at the moment of injury, tertiary prevention which relates to rehabilitation and long-term recovery, and diagnostic imaging which is about assessment rather than preventing injury.