Metabolic changes of plasma norepinephrine levels in acute head injury

The plasma catecholamine levels have been accepted as an index of sympathetic nervous activity in cardiovascular and neurologic disorders. It is known that the plasma norepinephrine (NE) level is thought to reflect the degree of sympathetic nervous activity. NE is the neurotransmitter released from sympathetic nerve endings. In recent years several studies have suggested the role of biogenic amines in brain and spinal cord trauma. Head injury is almost always associated with systemic changes. Patients with head injury often exhibit cardiovascular abnormalities, hypertension, tachycardia, electrocardiographic abnormalities and acute pulmonary edema which are regarded as signs of increased sympathetic nervous system activity. The present study was undertaken to examine whether the measurement of plasma NE levels is valuable to assess and evaluate clinical status of patients with acute head injuries. Sixty patients with acute head injuries admitted to our Department were studied. Fourty seven patients were male and thirteen patients were female, ages ranged from 2 to 70 years. All patients were diagnosed by CT scan within three hours after head injury. Serial blood samples were also obtained during the first 7 days after head injury. The plasma NE was measured by high performance liquid chromatography. The Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) and the Japan Coma Scale (JCS) were recorded at admission for all patients. Clinical outcome was assessed at the time of discharge according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale. The "good" group consisted of patients with good recovery or moderate disability. The "poor" group consisted of patients with severe disability and persistent vegetative state and the "dead" group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Prognosis of brain stem lesion in children with head injury

INTRODUCTION: Traumatic brain stem lesions (tBSL) in children are thought to be a rare phenomenon. This prospective study analyzed the frequency and significance of such lesions on early magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after severe head injury, since CT fails to demonstrate these lesions. METHODS: In 30 consecutive children comatose after head injuries, MRI was performed within 8 days of the injury. RESULTS: The incidence of tBSL was 60%. When the lesion affected the pons or caudal portions of medulla oblongata bilaterally, mortality was 100%. The presence of tBSL significantly correlated with the duration of coma and the categories of outcome, as indicated by the Glasgow Outcome Score. The frequency and the distribution of tBSL in children were similar to adults. CONCLUSION: Magnetic resonance imaging appears to be of high predictive value after severe pediatric head injuries.     

Cerebral blood flow, arteriovenous oxygen difference, and outcome in head injured patients.

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) and other physiological variables were measured repeatedly for up to 10 days after severe head injury in 102 patients, and CBF levels were related to outcome. Twenty five of the patients had a reduced CBF [mean (SD) 0.29 (0.05) ml/g/min]; 47 had a normal CBF, (0.41 (0.10) ml/g/min); and 30 had a raised CBF (0.62 (0.14) ml/g/min). Cerebral arteriovenous oxygen differences were inversely related to CBF and averaged 2.1 (0.7) mumol/ml in the group with reduced CBF, 1.9 (0.5) mumol/ml in the group with normal CBF, and 1.6 (0.4) mumol/ml in the group with raised CBF. Patients with a reduced CBF had a poorer outcome than patients with a normal or raised CBF. Mortality was highest in patients with a reduced CBF, and was 32% at three months after injury, whereas only 21% of the patients with a normal CBF and 20% of the patients with a raised CBF died. There were no differences in the type of injury, initial score on the Glasgow Coma Scale, mean intracranial pressure (ICP), highest ICP, or the amount of medical treatment required to keep the ICP less than 20 mm Hg in each group. Systemic factors did not significantly contribute to the differences in CBF among the three groups. A logistic regression model of the effect of CBF on neurological outcome was developed. When adjusted for variables which were found to be significant confounders, including age, initial Glasgow Coma Score, haemoglobin concentration, cerebral perfusion pressure and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen, a reduced CBF remained significantly associated with an unfavourable neurological outcome.     

The importance of brain stem evoked potentials in the diagnosis of neurosurgical patients]

The technique of Brainstem Electric Response Audiometry (BERA) is a non-invasive electrophysiologic method used in comatose patients for localization of areas of neuronal and synaptic dysfunction not evident in clinical evaluation. This test has a diagnostic and prognostic value in detection of abnormalities and evaluation of comatose head-injured patients at a reversible clinical stage. In contrast to most clinical signs, brainstem auditory evoked potentials are independent of levels of consciousness, analgesics, sedatives. This test is aetiologically non-specific and must be carefully integrated into the clinical situation. Generators of brainstem auditory evoked potentials are located in the auditory nerve (waves I and II) and brainstem (waves III-V). Patients in acute posttraumatic coma are assessed by means of Glasgow Coma Score (GCS), which is reliable in forecasting a favourable outcome. Patients with a score 8 points have an unfavourable outcome in 16%. Brainstem auditory evoked potentials are reliable predictors of unfavourable outcome. Subsequent brainstem auditory evoked potential testing provides relevant prognostic information, since improvement of graded brainstem auditory evoked potentials indicates a favourable outcome. Progressive deterioration of brainstem auditory evoked potentials indicates irreversible damage and is associated with unfavourable outcome, whereas singular abnormal evoked potentials may result from reversible neuronal dysfunction. The absence of waves III-V associated with the end EEG activity is the proof of brain death. Serial BERA monitoring has been used to evaluate progressive clinical syndromes, such as "uncal herniation" and evolving brain death. The use of serial BERA recordings appeared to improve the outcome predictions in comparison with single BERA tests. A combination of brainstem auditory evoked potentials, somatosensory and visual evoked potentials (multimodality evoked potentials-MEP) provides more information for management of a patient than a single evoked potential modality. The main goal to use BERA is early detection of secondary deterioration in comatose patients suffering from intracranial lesions. The results of brainstem auditory evoked potentials and clinical examination of patients obtained within the acute phase after head injury may indicate increased intracranial pressure (ICP) and incipient transtentorial herniation but do not always predict outcome (GOS). The outcome can be better evaluated later, 3-6 days after head injury. In summary, BERA is a non-invasive, safe and objective method of evaluating patients after severe head injury and adds valuable information for assessment of their outcome.     

Prognostic factors and outcome of children with severe head injury: an 8-year experience

OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to analyze prognostic factors and their association with outcome among children with severe head injury. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study among children with severe head injury admitted to our Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) from November 1992 to December 2000. The patients were immediately evaluated for the severity of head injury (Glasgow Coma Score, GCS), clinical presentation, cerebral axial tomography, early complications (hypoxia and hypotension), metabolic and hematological alterations and early post-traumatic seizures. Six months after injury we applied the Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS). Correlations with GOS were evaluated using univariate and multivariate logistic models. RESULTS: In all, 122 children with severe head injury were identified. The patients presented the following scores: 18 (14.7.0%) children had a GOS of 1; 2 had a GOS of 2 (1.6%); 27 (22.2%) a GOS of 3 and 75 (61.5%) a GOS of 4 or 5. A low GOS was significantly and independently associated with low GCS, multiple trauma, the presence of hypoxia and hypotension, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), hyperglycemia and early post-traumatic seizures. Hematological alterations (white blood cells) were also associated with a low GOS, though not significantly. CONCLUSION: In addition to GCS, types of trauma and brain lesion, hypoxia and hypotension, hemocoagulative disorders (DIC), hyperglycemia and early post-traumatic seizures are predictors of GOS. A knowledge of these prognostic factors and the correct management of children with severe head injury helps clinicians to improve outcome and to reduce morbidity and mortality.     

Clinical relevance of long-latency SEPs and VEPs during coma and emergence from coma

Follow-up measurements of long-latency visual (VEP) and somatosensory (SEP) evoked potentials were performed on 30 comatose patients. Twenty-seven of the patients had severe head injury, 2 had encephalitis and 1 was in a posthypoxic state. For the SEP study a mechanical vibration stimulus was used, applied 60 times at intervals of 10 sec. The same rate was used for visual stimulation. The late EP components were classified by a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), whereby an SNR of less than 2.6 is characteristic of a questionable or unmeasurable EP and an SNR greater than 2.6 is evidence of a clearly existing EP; the clinical state was scored using the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS); the patient outcome was assessed 6 months after the injury using the Glasgow Outcome Scale. The highest correlation (r = 0.72) was found between the clinical state, represented by the GCS, and the SEP. A similar correlation (r = 0.66) was obtained between the GCS and the vertex VEP. The occipital VEP showed no correlation. Emergence from coma and recovery was accompanied by an increase of the SEP and an increasing spread of the VEP over the whole scalp. Most patients with a clear long-latency SEP in coma had a favourable outcome; a missing or a questionable SEP indicated a poor outcome.     

Evoked potentials for the prediction of vegetative state in the acute stage of coma

For comatose patients in intensive care units, it is important to anticipate their functional outcome as soon and as reliably as possible. Among clinical variables the Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) and the patient's pupil reactivity are the strongest predictive variables. Evoked potentials help to assess objectively brain function. Over the past 20 years, numerous studies have assessed their prognostic utility in terms of awakening from coma. Fewer studies, however, have focused upon the utility of evoked potentials in predicting progression to the vegetative state. In this area evoked potentials appear to have a highly predictive value. In anoxic coma the abolition of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) is related to a poor outcome, defined as death or survival in a vegetative state, with a 100% specificity. Following traumatic brain injury, the predictive value for unfavourable outcome is 98.5% when there are no focal injuries likely to abolish SEP cortical components. In contrast, the presence of event-related evoked potentials, and particularly mismatched negativity (MMN), is a strong predictor of awakening and precludes comatose patients from moving to a permanent vegetative state (PVS).     

Penetrating head injury: a prospective study of outcomes

The purpose of our study was to describe the outcomes of persons with penetrating brain injury resulting from a gunshot wound to the head. It is a prospective study of 442 patients admitted with gunshot wounds to the head over a 7 year period to our University Trauma Center Emergency Department, an urban trauma center and an inpatient rehabilitation hospital with a specialized brain injury unit. Measures and factors described include initial Glasgow Coma Scale score, Revised Trauma Score, the Disability Rating Scale, Functional Independence Measure, levels of cognitive functioning, patient demographics, length of stay, hospital charges, and discharge disposition. Initially 36% of patients expired in or were dead upon arrival to the Emergency Department; 64% of patients survived to be admitted for inpatient care. Of those admitted, 41% expired within the first 48 h of admission. Fifty-two percent of those admitted had severe injuries, 7% moderate injuries, and 42% had mild head injuries. Sixty-two percent of the survivors were discharged from acute care to private residences. The remaining 38% were discharged to programs providing varying levels of care depending upon their level of functioning and care needs. Patients sustaining severe injuries following gunshot wound(s) to the head have high early mortality. Survivors able to participate in an inpatient rehabilitation program have good potential for functional improvement.     

Children's adaptive behavioural competence after head injury

Abstract

Eighty-six children were evaluated in a cross-sectional study 1 to 3 years after hospitalization for closed head injury in order to ascertain the effects of head injury severity, age, and chronicity of injury on the development of adaptive behavioural competence as measured by the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales. Twenty-three subjects had sustained moderate to severe injuries and 63 had sustained mild injuries, based on neurosurgical criteria including the Glasgow Coma Score, CT scans, and other medical variables. It was hypothesised that severity of head injury would adversely affect overall adaptive competence. It was also predicted that social competence would be less well developed in children with moderate to severe injury than in those with mild injury. Study findings provided partial support for these hypotheses. An unavoidable confounding of age and gender resulted in the decision to examine the data by gender to determine whether the data could be analysed without regard for this factor. An unexpected gender effect was observed. Severity of injury did adversely influence the adaptive competence of boys, especially in the area of social competency, but hypotheses were not upheld for girls. Discussion focuses on issues related to gender and adaptive outcome, parent report of adaptive functioning in light of gender and cultural factors, the relationship of neuropsychological functioning and adaptive competence, and the nature of social deficits following pediatric traumatic brain injury.     

Sensorimotor central conduction time in comatose patients.

Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) following magnetic stimulation were recorded in 22 patients comatose as a result of head injury (13 cases), stroke (7 cases) or anoxia (2 cases). Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) from median nerve were recorded as well in 19 cases in the same session. Thirteen patients died or remained vegetative (59.1%), 3 were severely disabled (13.6%) and 6 showed a good recovery (27.3%). MEPs were significantly related to the outcome; they appeared to be a more accurate prognostic indicator than the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). However, 1 out of 6 patients with bilaterally absent MEPs (16.7%) showed a good recovery. SEPs were significantly related to the outcome as well, but the combined use of SEP and MEP improved the outcome prediction, decreasing the rate of false negatives. Two patients had normal sensorimotor function, 13 a combined sensorimotor dysfunction, while 4 had a pure motor dysfunction. Our results suggest that SEPs and MEPs may improve the assessment of sensorimotor dysfunction in comatose patients. A significant relationship between MEPs and outcome appears to exist, but the assessment of MEP reliability requires further study.     

Prognostic implications of hyperglycaemia in paediatric head injury

Fifty children with head injury were evaluated in an attempt to estabilish a correlation between post-traumatic hyperglycaemia and long-term outcome. In all the patients, the blood glucose level was measured on admission and on the days following the trauma (threshold of normal value set at 150 mg/dl). Hyperglycaemia was seen more frequently in children with severe head injury than in those with mild and moderate head injury. It was present in 87.5% of the patients with a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) ≤8 (the average blood glucose level on admission was 237.8±92 mg/dl), in 60% of the patients with a GCS of 9–12 (178±78.7 mg/dl) and only in 25% of those with a GCS of 13–15 (131.5±39 mg/dl). A close correlation was also seen between the outcome and the blood glucose level. In fact, the blood glucose on admission was higher in the patients with a poor outcome, i.e. in those having a Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS) of 2 or 3 and in those who died (GOS 1), than in the patients with a good outcome (GOS of 4 or 5). Finally, hyperglycaemia persisted beyond the first 24 h after trauma in all the children who died or who survived with a poor outcome. Hyperglycaemia, and especially its persistence over time, appears to be an important negative prognostic factor in children with head injury. Received: 14 May 1998     

Critical score of Glasgow Coma Scale for pediatric traumatic brain injury

The aim of this study is to determine the predictive critical value of the Glasgow Coma Scale for use as a determinant of outcome for children with traumatic brain injuries. A total of 309 children, aged 2-10 years, were enrolled in this study. Each subject underwent the following assessments: Glasgow Coma Scale; clinical data; brain computed tomography; and Glasgow Outcome Scale assessments. The receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that a critical point of the Glasgow Coma Scale set at 5 was most strongly correlated with outcome of pediatric traumatic brain injury. Subarachnoid hemorrhage with brain swelling and edema, subdural, intracerebral hemorrhage, and basal ganglion lesions were associated with severe injury and poor outcome (P < 0.05). However, cortical lesions did not affect injury severity and outcome. In injuries associated with traumatic brain injuries, only chest trauma had a tendency to be associated with poor outcome (P < 0.05). Of the factors analyzed, the score of the Glasgow Coma Scale was the most effective predictor for outcome in pediatric traumatic brain injury. Furthermore, the predictive critical score of the Glasgow Coma Scale should be set at 5 for pediatric traumatic brain injury. The computed tomographic findings also were important in determining injury severity and predicting outcome.     

Outcome and prognostic factors of traumatic brain injury: a prospective evaluation in a Jakarta University hospital

The aim of the study was to report management and outcome of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a Jakarta University hospital, and to determine prognostic factors. All consecutive patients with an Abbreviated Injury Score (AIS) head of ? 4 or an AIS head score of ? 3 combined with an AIS score of ? 2 in any other body region were analyzed on patient characteristics and outcome. Prognostic factors evaluated were Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, pupil reactions and probability of survival based on the Trauma and Injury Severity Score (TRISS) method. A total of 49 patients were included; overall mortality was 37%. The GCS and abnormal pupil reactions were associated with mortality with an odds ratio of 0.78 and 6.90, respectively. Thus, TBI has a poor prognosis in the population under study. The TRISS has limitations in evaluating trauma care for this selected group of patients. GCS and pupil reactions are valuable and simple for usage as prognostic factors.     

P300 auditory event-related potentials in nontraumatic coma. Association with Glasgow Coma Score and awakening.

Auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) were performed in 20 patients with nontraumatic coma to determine the presence of a P300 ERP in coma and its association with the Glasgow Coma Score and awakening (Glasgow Outcome Score, > or = 3). A standard "oddball" paradigm was used: frequent tone, 1 kHz; rare tone, 2 kHz and 4 Hz; probability, 20%. The Glasgow Coma Score was determined concurrently with the P300 ERP. Thirty percent (6/20) of the comatose patients had a P300 ERP. The mean Glasgow Coma Score was significantly higher for those with a P300 ERP. Eighty-three percent (5/6) of those with a P300 ERP awoke. Presence of a P300 ERP was associated significantly with awakening, but absence of a P300 ERP did not preclude it.     

Clinical outcome after head injury in children

For at least 1 year we have done a follow-up on 178 children under the age of 18 years with head injuries treated between 1981 and 1987. The Brussel Coma Scale and the Glasgow Outcome Score were used to determine neurological deficits and patient outcome. In children with coma, there was good recovery or moderate disability in 71.4%, severe disability in 6.1%, and death in 22.5%. When all head injuries were taken into consideration, a satisfactory outcome was found in 84.3%, severe disability in 3.3%, and death in 12.4%. The outcome mainly depended on the initial coma grade, but the duration of coma or advanced age were also negative factors for outcome. In 14.8%, intracranial mass lesions showed no significant correlation with outcome. In contrast to adults, diffuse brain swelling had a satisfactory outcome in 85.1%.Presented at the 11th Meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Neurosurgery, Naples 1988     

Sequential changes in acute phase reactant proteins and complement activation in patients with acute head injuries

The role of immunological mechanisms in head injury is not clearly defined. In this study we investigated the immunological function in patients with acute head injuries. Serum acute phase reactant proteins (APRP), complement activation and immunoglobulines as immunological parameters were studied. APRP are produced in the liver and increase in cancer patients as well as those with acute and chronic inflammations, trauma and autoimmune diseases. APRP are known to be one of the immunosuppressive factors in the serum. Forty patients with acute head injuries were studied. Thirty-four patients were male and six patients were female, ages ranged from 12 to 81 years. Serial blood samples were obtained during the first seven days of trauma. The Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) were recorded at the time of admission for all patients. Clinical outcome was assessed at the time of discharge according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale. The "good" group consisted of patients with good recovery or moderate disability. The "bad" group consisted of patients with severe disability, persistent vegetative state and death. The concentrations of immunoglobulines (IgG, IgM, IgA) were within normal range and humoral immunity was not affected. Complement activation at the time of admission was closely related to GCS (p less than 0.01), but the levels of C4, C3, and C3 activator except for these of CH50 were within normal range.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Brain tissue oxygenation changes in children during the first 24 h following head injury

Aim  The aim of this study is to assess the changes of brain tissue oxygen levels in children during the first 24 h following head injury and its correlation with changes of intracranial pressure and clinical outcome. Method  Invasive monitoring of partial brain tissue oxygen tension (PbtO₂) using the Licox (Integra Neurosciences, Plainsboro, NJ, USA) oxygen probe was performed in children with severe head injury requiring ventilation, during the years 2002–2005. The study focused in the recordings of the first 24 h following injury. Results  There were four patients (three males, one female) with an age range of 2–12 years. All injuries were due to motor vehicle accidents. The Glasgow Coma Score ranged from 5 to 9. All patients had diffuse axonal injuries on Computed Tomography scan. One patient underwent a bilateral decompressive craniectomy. The total duration of monitoring was 567.84 h. During the first 24 h, the mean PbtO₂ was 4.2 mmHg, 12.7 mmHg, 21.8 mmHg, and 25.1 mmHg in each patient. Fifteen episodes of ICP > 20 mmHg were seen in the first 24 h of monitoring. Nine of these episodes were accompanied by a reduction in PbtO₂ levels. The Glasgow Outcome Score at 1 year was good recovery (GOS 3) in three patients and severe disability in one patient. There were no complications from the monitoring. Conclusions  In children with head injury, rise in ICP may be accompanied by fall in PbtO₂. However, low brain oxygen levels during the first 24 h following head injury may not correlate necessarily with poor outcome.     

The prognostic value of the brain sodium-potassium ATPase enzyme concentration in head injury

Sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) enzyme was determined in the brain tissue of 11 patients with head injury and 6 control patients. Patients with head injury included in this study were selected from two categories: (a) patients in deep coma due to severe head injury [Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)<8; 6 cases]; (b) patients with depressed skull fractures with dural tears who were conscious and able to give an adequate verbal response (GCS>10; 5 cases). The level of the enzyme was significantly reduced in comatose patients with severe head injury as compared to the controls (P<0.001) or to conscious patients with depressed fractures (P<0.001). In the group of conscious patients with depressed fractures, the enzyme level was no different from that of the controls (P = 0.4215). All comatose patients with severely reduced enzyme levels subsequently died, whereas those with depressed fractures with normal enzyme levels survived. The relationship between a low enzyme level and brain edema in severe head injury is discussed.     

Evaluation of nimodipine in the treatment of severe diffuse head injury: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial

AIMS: The aim of this study was to establish whether nimodipine given orally soon after severe diffuse head injury for a period of three weeks improved outcome. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The present report analyzes the results of a prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of nimodipine in 97 severe head injury patients (GCS Score < or =8) treated at the Department of Neurosurgery, NIMHANS, between January 1995 and June 1996. The patients were randomly assigned to two groups which were matched for age, sex, mode of injury, time interval from injury to admission, neurological status and CT scan findings. One group was given nimodipine 30 mg Q6H and the other group was given a placebo. The outcome of these patients at 6 months was evaluated using the Glasgow Outcome Score by and a psychologist. RESULTS: Results showed no significant difference in the functional and psychological outcome between the two groups, even in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage. No adverse drug events were recorded. CONCLUSION: Oral nimodipine given for three weeks does not improve outcome in patients with severe diffuse head injury.     

头颅外伤血糖水平与病情和预后的关系

为明确头颅外伤与高血糖间的关系，研究５７例头颅外伤患者入院时及外伤１５ｄ时的血糖水平。结果显示：①头颅外伤后，６５％的患者血糖水平高于正常，仅３５％的患者血糖水平在正常范围。②入院时高血糖与头颅外伤程度密切相关，ＧＣＳ记分高者，血糖水平接近正常；ＧＣＳ记分低者，血糖水平高。③入院时的血糖水平可能是反映预后的一个重要指标。