Electroencephalogram silence ratio for early outcome prognosis in severe head trauma

OBJECTIVE: To introduce the electroencephalogram silence-ratio (ESR) as a variable derived from mathematically processed electroencephalogram for early outcome prognosis in patients with severe head trauma and to comparatively assess sensitivity, specificity and predictive value vs. somatosensory evoked potentials and brainstem auditory evoked potentials. DESIGN: Prospective, interventional study. SETTING: Intensive care unit of a university hospital. PATIENTS: A total of 32 adults with severe acute head trauma (Glasgow Coma Scale score < or = 8). METHODS AND MAIN RESULTS: In all patients, electroencephalographic recording was continuously performed by frontomastoid electrode montage for 24-96 hrs after admission to the ICU. The data were subsequently computed by fast Fourier analysis and the ESR (intervals of suppression as periods >240 msecs during which the electroencephalographic voltage did not exceed 5 microV) was displayed and recorded on a computer for further evaluation. Somatosensory evoked potentials and brainstem auditory evoked potentials were elicited during the first 2 days after admission. Outcome evaluation was performed 6 months after trauma using the Glasgow Outcome Scale and the Rappaport Disability Rating Scale. After careful artifact exclusion, the ESR depicted the highest sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value compared with evoked potentials. Even a highly significant correlation between outcome and ESR was found (p < .0001). CONCLUSION: The ESR is a valuable variable showing a high reliability with respect to outcome prediction in severe head trauma with a higher predictive value than short latency somatosensory evoked potentials. Evidence exists that the ESR provides at least partial information regarding adequate cerebral oxygen delivery.     

Elevated body temperature independently contributes to increased length of stay in neurologic intensive care unit patients

OBJECTIVE: Elevated temperature results in worse outcome in experimental models of cerebral ischemia and brain trauma. In critically ill neurologic and neurosurgical patients, elevated body temperature is common and is associated with neurologic deterioration and poor outcome. We sought to determine whether, after controlling for age, severity of illness, and complications, elevated body temperature remained an important predictor of intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital length of stay, mortality rate, and hospital disposition in a large cohort of patients emergently admitted to a neurologic ICU. DESIGN: Prospectively collected data (demographics, diagnosis, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, Glasgow Coma Scale score, daily maximum temperature, complications, disposition) were retrospectively reviewed. SETTING: A 20-bed neurology/neurosurgery ICU in a tertiary care academic, level I trauma, referral center. SUBJECTS: From 6,759 admissions, those admitted after an elective procedure with length of stay < or = 1 day, those <18 yrs old, and those with incomplete data were excluded, leaving 4,295 patients for this analysis. First, a hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed to determine whether elevated body temperature was an independent predictor of length of stay. Second, a path analysis was performed to define the relationships among elevated body temperature, complications, and length of stay. Finally, a matched, weighted sample was developed to quantify the difference in length of stay. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We measured ICU and hospital length of stay, mortality rate, and discharge disposition. The presence of elevated body temperature was associated with a dose-dependent longer ICU and hospital length of stay, higher mortality rate, and worse hospital disposition. The most important predictor of ICU length of stay was the number of complications (beta =.681) followed by elevated body temperature (beta =.143). In the matched, weighted population, the presence of elevated body temperature was associated with 3.2 additional ICU days and 4.3 additional hospital days. CONCLUSION: In a large cohort of neurologic ICU patients, after we controlled for severity of illness, diagnosis, age, and complications, elevated body temperature was independently associated with a longer ICU and hospital length of stay, higher mortality rate, and worse outcome.     

Outcome after traumatic brain injury improved by an organized secondary insult program and standardized neurointensive care

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate today's refined neurosurgical intensive care of patients with traumatic brain injury after implementation of an organized secondary insult program focused on the importance of avoiding secondary brain damage together with a standardized treatment protocol system. DESIGN: Clinical observational patient study. PATIENTS: A total of 154 patients 16-79 yrs of age with acute head trauma and pathologic computed tomographic findings treated between 1996 and 1997. SETTING: Neurointensive care unit. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Good recovery was obtained in 44% of the patients, moderate disability in 35%, severe disability in 16%, and no patient remained in a vegetative state. Six percent of the patients died, but only two of these patients (1.3%) died as direct result of their head injury. When the results for patients with Glasgow Coma Scale motor scores of >or=4 were compared with the periods 1980-1981 (preneurosurgical intensive care) and 1987-1988 (basic neurosurgical intensive care), mortality had decreased from 40% in the first period to 27% in the second period and to 2.8% in the present series. Favorable outcome in the same group of patients had increased steadily from 40% in the first period, to 68% in the second period, and finally, to 84% in the present series. CONCLUSIONS: The main observation in this hospital series of traumatic brain injury patients was a low rate of death directly caused by head injury and a high rate of favorable outcome. The comparison of patients with Glasgow Coma Scale motor scores of >or=4 with the previously reported results from the same unit indicate that substantial improvement in outcome has been achieved.     

Contribution of non-neurologic disturbances in acute physiology to the prediction of intensive care outcome after head injury or non-traumatic intracranial haemorrhage

Objective To study the additional contribution of non-neurologic disturbances in acute physiology and chronic health to the prediction of intensive care outcome in patients with head injury or non-traumatic intracranial haemorrhage.Design A nationwide study in Finland with prospectively collected data on all adult patients admitted to intensive care after head trauma or non-traumatic intracranial haemorrhage during a 14-month period. Two-thirds of the patients were randomly selected to derive predictive models, and the remaining one third constituted the validation sample.Setting A total of 25 medical and surgical ICUs in Finland (13 in tertiary referral centers).Patients 901 consecutive adult patients with head injury or non-traumatic intracranial haemorrhage.Measurements and results Variables of the APACHE II including Glasgow Coma Score were collected at the time of ICU admission. Two predictive models were created to explain hospital mortality. The addition of variables describing acute physiology to a predictive model consisting of Glasgow Coma Score, age, diagnosis of head injury and the type of ICU admission did not increase its performance in discriminating between survivors and non-survivors, but the calibration accuracy of the predictive model especially at the high ranges of risk was improved.Conclusions The non-neurologic disturbances in acute physiology have prognostic significance in the prediction of intensive care outcome in patients with head injury or non-traumatic intracerebral haemorrhage. The created predictive model may supplement clinical judgement of this patients group.This study was supported, in part, by a grant from the Academy of Finland, the Finnish Medical Foundation, the North Savo Ragional Fund of the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Helena Vuorenmies Foundation, Kuopio, Finland, and the Paulo Foundation Helsinki, Finland     

Early recovery after closed traumatic head injury: somatosensory evoked potentials and clinical findings

OBJECTIVE: To determine the ability of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) compared with clinical findings to monitor and predict recovery in patients suffering from closed head injury with predominantly diffuse axonal injury (DAI). DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Neurologic intensive care unit (ICU) of a university hospital. PATIENTS: Serial SEP recordings were obtained from 31 consecutive patients with closed head injury. The first SEP was recorded within 48 hrs after trauma, followed by recordings after another 2 days, after which the time interval for each consecutive recording was doubled. Clinical examinations were performed every 6 hrs during the ICU stay and daily after transfer to a general neurologic ward. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Twenty-three of 31 patients demonstrated pathologic SEP findings at initial examination. Of these patients, 11 recovered clinically, two remained vegetative, and ten died. In all 11 patients with clinical recovery, SEP also recovered. In 8 of 31 patients, initial SEPs were normal and remained normal until discharge, all eight had a good outcome. Initial SEP findings were related with outcome at 6 months (p = .02), and follow-up studies increased the predictive value of SEP studies (p = .009). Other factors related to outcome included age, severity of DAI, and length of ICU/hospital stay. In the 11 patients with SEP and clinical recovery, early (day 2) and late (>or=2 months) recovery was documented. Early and reliable SEP indicators of improvement included N20-P25-Amplitudes (mean recovery, 8.5 days) and central conduction time (9.6 days). Pupillary light reaction (6.4 days), Babinski reflex (12.4 days), and Glasgow Coma Score (9.6 days) were the most valuable clinical findings. Recovery of the Glasgow Coma Score frequently coincided with reduction of sedatives. In most patients, recovery was detected with SEP before clinical recovery (7/11 patients, time difference 1 wk). CONCLUSIONS: Initial SEP findings correlate with long-term outcome in patients with closed head injury with DAI. Initial bilaterally absent cortical responses in the SEP reliably predicted death, whereas completely normal SEP findings predicted good long-term outcome. Early recovery after DAI can be detected with serial SEP recordings despite sedative medications. Electrophysiologic recovery frequently precedes clinical recovery.     

神经外科ICU患者谵妄风险预测模型的构建与验证

目的 构建并验证神经外科ICU患者谵妄风险预测模型,探讨其在神经外科ICU患者谵妄风险预测中的应用价值。方法 选取2018年11月—2019年5月入住南京市某三级甲等医院神经外科ICU的665例患者作为建模组,将谵妄组（n=229）和非谵妄组（n=436）各项危险因素进行对比,采用Logistic回归构建模型,应用受试者操作特征曲线下面积检验模型区分度,利用Hosmer-Lemeshow拟合优度检验评价模型校准度。于2019年6—9月选取285例神经外科ICU患者对模型进行验证。结果 最终进入模型的预测因子为性别（OR=2.075）、年龄（OR=1.047）、C反应蛋白浓度（OR=3.551）、身体约束（OR=1.011）、使用镇静药物（OR=9.768）、使用利尿或脱水类药物（OR=3.123）和格拉斯哥昏迷评分（OR=0.616）。Hosmer-Lemeshow拟合优度检验P=0.398,受试者操作特征曲线下面积为0.919,约登指数为0.705,灵敏度为0.847,特异度为0.858。模型验证结果：灵敏度65.5%、特异度96.5%、预测准确率87.4%。结论 本模型在预测神经外科ICU患者谵妄发生风险中具有较好的效能,可为医护人员早期采取预防性管理措施提供参考。     

Measurements of cortical cellular pH by intracranial tonometer in severe head injury

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cortical cellular damage in acute severe head injury, we measured the cortical cellular pH by using an intracranial tonometer made in our institution. DESIGN: Prospective, 3.5-yr data collection. SETTING: University hospital trauma intensive care unit. PATIENTS: Severely head-injured patients (n = 29) with Glasgow Coma Scale score <8. INTERVENTION: Routine emergency neurologic procedure. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We made 98 measurements of cortical cellular pH by intracranial tonometer in 29 severely head-injured patients in the acute phase. Each patient's intracranial pressure was recorded, and in 16 patients, the saturation of jugular venous oxygen was monitored. The outcome at 6 months after injury was significantly better in patients having a cortical cellular pH of >7.2 than those with <7.2. The cerebral perfusion pressure and cortical cellular pH correlated significantly (p < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests the usefulness of measurement of cortical cellular pH by intracranial tonometer for evaluating the severity of focal anaerobic cerebral metabolism and predicting patient prognosis.     

The association between field Glasgow Coma Scale score and outcome in patients undergoing paramedic rapid sequence intubation

Early intubation is standard for treating severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Aeromedical crews and select paramedic agencies use rapid sequence intubation (RSI) to facilitate intubation after TBI, with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score commonly used as a screening tool. To explore the association between paramedic GCS and outcome in patients with TBI undergoing prehospital RSI, paramedics prospectively enrolled adult major trauma victims with GCS 3–8 and clinical suspicion for head trauma to undergo succinylcholine-assisted intubation as part of the San Diego Paramedic RSI Trial. The following data were abstracted from paramedic debriefing interviews and the county trauma registry: demographics, mechanism, vital signs including GCS score, clinical evidence of aspiration before RSI, arrival laboratory values, hospital course, and outcome. Paramedic GCS calculations were confirmed during debriefing interviews. Patients were stratified by GCS score, with chi-square and receiver-operator-curve (ROC) analysis used to explore the relationship between GCS and hypoxia, head injury severity, aspiration, intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay, and outcome. Cohort analysis was used to explore potential reasons for early extubation and discharge from the ICU in some patients. A total of 412 patients were included in this analysis. A total of 81 patients (20%) were extubated and discharged from the ICU in 48 h or less; these patients had higher pre-RSI oxygen saturation (SaO₂) values and higher arrival serum ethanol levels. Paramedic and physician GCS calculations had high agreement (kappa = 0.995). A statistically significant relationship was observed between GCS score and Head Abbreviated Injury Score (AIS), survival, and pre-RSI SaO₂ values. However, ROC analysis revealed a limited ability of GCS to predict the presence of severe TBI, injury severity, desaturation, aspiration, ICU length of stay, or ultimate survival. In conclusion, paramedics seem to accurately calculate GCS values before prehospital RSI. Although a relationship between paramedic GCS and outcome exists, the ability to predict the severity of injury, airway-related complications, ICU length of stay, and overall survival is limited using this single variable. Other factors should be considered to screen TBI patients for prehospital RSI.     

Acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE II) and Glasgow coma scores as predictors of outcome from intensive care after cardiac arrest

OBJECTIVES: a) To examine the accuracy of the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) and the Glasgow Coma Scores as predictors of the outcome of patients following resuscitation from cardiac arrest; b) to study the impact of the components of APACHE II on the prediction. DESIGN: A nationwide study in Finland with prospectively collected data on all patients admitted to intensive care after cardiac arrest during a 14-month period. Two thirds of the cardiac arrest patients included in the study were randomly selected to derive predictive models, and the remaining one third constituted the validation sample. SETTING: A total of 25 medical and surgical ICUs in Finland (13 in tertiary referral centers). PATIENTS: Six-hundred nineteen consecutive cardiac arrest patients. Fifteen patients less than 16 yrs were excluded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Variables included in the APACHE II or Glasgow Coma Scores were collected at the time of ICU admission and then three times after admission, at 24-hr intervals. ICU- and hospital-mortality rates and a 6-month mortality rate after ICU admission were studied. RESULTS: Of 604 study patients, 370 (61.3%) patients died in the hospital. The most accurate prediction of hospital outcome was based on data collected after the first day of ICU care, not on the admission values. Twenty-one (21.9%) of 96 patients with a low APACHE II score (less than or equal to 9) died compared with 66 (84.6%) of 78 patients with a high APACHE II score (greater than or equal to 25) (p less than .001). Of 160 patients with a normal Glasgow Coma Score (14 to 15), 45 (28.1%) died, whereas there were 114 (81.4%) nonsurvivors among 140 patients with a low Glasgow Coma Score of 3 (p less than .001). The performance of predictive models, including age, the Chronic Health Evaluation, and either the Acute Physiology Score (Acute Physiology Score model) or the Glasgow Coma Score (Glasgow Coma Score model) were compared with the prediction according to the APACHE II in the validation sample. When using 80% probability of death as a decision rule, the Acute Physiology Score model determined 35 of 153 patients to have high risk of death, 29 of whom died (the positive predictive value being 82.9%). The Glasgow Coma Score model predicted 34 patients to die, 26 of whom died (positive predictive value 76.5%), and the APACHE II score predicted seven deaths, five of whom actually died (positive predictive value 71.4%). CONCLUSIONS: The APACHE II scoring system cannot be recommended as a prognostic tool to support clinical judgement in cardiac arrest patients, but by modifying it, a more accurate prediction of poor outcome could be achieved. The Glasgow Coma Score explained to a great extent the predictive power of the APACHE II.     

Failure of the Miller Criteria to Predict Significant Intracranial Injury in Patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale Score of 14 after Minor Head Trauma

Objective: To determine the utility of the Miller criteria (presence of headache, nausea, vomiting, and signs of depressed skull fracture) for predicting the need for CT in patients with minor head trauma and a Glasgow Coma Scale score (GCS) of 14.
Methods: The study was a prospective, consecutive series of all patients undergoing head CT scans with a GCS of 14 following head trauma. A data sheet was completed for all patients prior to obtaining a head CT scan.
Results: 264 patients were entered into the study and 35 patients were found to have traumatic abnormalities on head CT scan. The use of the Miller criteria to select those patients who would require head CT scan would have resulted in missing 17 of the 35 abnormal scans, including 2 patients who required neurosurgical intervention. These 2 patients were markedly intoxicated upon presentation.
Conclusion: The use of the Miller criteria as the only criteria for screening patients with a GCS of 14 after minor head trauma who require a head CT scan is not recommended. While the authors have identified ethanol intoxication as one confounding factor, further refinement of this risk-stratification tool is required.     

Barbiturate coma for intracranial hypertension: clinical observations

PURPOSE: To determine the neurologic outcome of patients with intracranial hypertension treated with barbiturate-induced coma. Materials and Methods: The records of 49 patients who were admitted to a 31-bed medicosurgical intensive care unit over a 5-year period in whom a barbiturate coma was induced to control intracranial hypertension were analyzed retrospectively. Analysis included assessment of the response to barbiturate coma and evaluation of the long-term neurologic outcome according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). RESULTS: Intracranial hypertension was caused by head trauma in 28 patients and subarachnoid hemorrhage in 21 patients. Eight of the head trauma patients and 5 of the patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage survived their hospital stay. The survivors were younger than the nonsurvivors, and had a good neurologic status after 1 year (except for 2 patients who died 1 and 3 months after discharge, respectively). There was no significant difference in the Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) on admission between the survivors and the nonsurvivors. The long-term outcome at 1 year was markedly better in the patients who had experienced a subarachnoid hemorrhage than in the trauma patients.     

Predisposing factors,clinical assessment,management and outcomes of agitation in the trauma intensive care unit

BACKGROUND: Agitation occurs frequently among critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). We aimed to evaluate the frequency, predisposing factors and outcomes of agitation in trauma ICU.METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted to include patients who were admitted to the trauma ICU between April 2014 and March 2015. Data included patient's demographics, initial vitals, associated injuries, Ramsey Sedation Scale, Glasgow Coma Scale, head injury lesions, use of sedatives and analgesics, head interventions, ventilator days, and ICU length of stay. Patients were divided into two groups based on the agitation status.RESULTS: A total of 102 intubated patients were enrolled; of which 46 (45%) experienced agitation. Patients in the agitation group were 7 years younger, had significantly lower GCS and sustained higher frequency of head injuries (P<0.05). Patients who developed agitation were more likely to be prescribed propofol alone or in combination with midazolam and to have frequent ICP catheter insertion, longer ventilatory days and higher incidence of pneumonia (P<0.05). On multivariate analysis, use of propofol alone (OR=4.97; 95% CI=1.35-18.27), subarachnoid hemorrhage (OR=5.11; 95% CI=1.38-18.91) and ICP catheter insertion for severe head injury (OR=4.23; 95% CI=1.16-15.35) were independent predictors for agitation (P<0.01).CONCLUSION: Agitation is a frequent problem in trauma ICU and is mainly related to the type of sedation and poor outcomes in terms of prolonged mechanical ventilation and development of nosocomial pneumonia. Therefore, understanding the main predictors of agitation facilitates early risk-stratification and development of better therapeutic strategies in trauma patients.     

Specialist neurocritical care and outcome from head injury

OBJECTIVES: To document the effect of neurocritical care, delivered by specialist staff and based on protocol-driven therapy aimed at intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) targets, on outcome in acute head injury. DESIGN: Retrospective record review to compare presentation, therapy and outcome in patients with head injury referred to a regional neurosurgical centre, before and after establishment of protocol-driven therapy. SETTING: Neurosciences Critical Care Unit (NCCU). PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and eighty-five patients aged 18-65 years with at least one reactive pupil, referred with a diagnosis of head injury, requiring tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. INTERVENTIONS: Measurement of Glasgow Outcome Scale 6 months after injury. RESULTS: Patients from the two epochs were well matched for admission Glasgow Coma Scale and extracranial injuries. When all referred patients were considered, institution of protocol-driven therapy was not associated with a statistically significant increase in favourable outcomes (56.0% vs. 66.4%). However, we observed a significant increase in favourable outcomes in the severely head injured patients studied (40.4% vs. 59.6%). The proportion of favourable outcomes was also high (66.6%) in those presenting with evidence of raised ICP in the absence of a mass lesion and (60.0%) in those that required complex interventions to optimise ICP/CPP. CONCLUSIONS: Specialist neurocritical care with protocol-driven therapy is associated with a significant improvement in outcome for all patients with severe head injury. Such management may also benefit patients requiring no surgical therapy, some of whom may need complex therapeutic interventions. We found it impossible to predict need for such interventions from clinical features at presentation. These data suggest that specialist critical care with ICP/CPP guided therapy may benefit patients with severe head injury.     

Outcome prediction in terms of functional disability and mortality at 1 year among ICU-admitted severe stroke patients: a prospective epidemiological study in the south of the European Union (Evascan Project,Andalusia, Spain)

OBJECTIVES: To analyse 1-year mortality and functional disability outcomes and resource use in critical stroke patients admitted to ICU. DESIGN AND SETTING: Multi-centre, prospective, observational study in 28 Spanish hospitals. PATIENTS. Patients admitted for acute stroke from March-August 1999. INTERVENTION: Collection of data on: severity by Apache III and Glasgow Coma Score; neurological lesion, hospital and 1-year mortality; functional disability at 1 year by Barthel Index and Glasgow Outcome Scale; ICU length of stay, life support techniques, and neurosurgical interventions. MEASUREMENT AND RESULTS: We studied 132 patients: 21% with subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), 58% intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), 20% ischaemic stroke (ISC); Apache III 63+/-29 ICU stay 13+/-12 days; 74% required mechanical ventilation. Hospital and 1-year mortality was 33% (22%:ISC, 32%:SAH, 37%:ICH) and 53.8% (66%:ISC, 39%:SAH, 54%:ICH), respectively. Age, APACHE III, and diagnosis defined hospital mortality. Age, APACHE III, and Glasgow Coma Score defined 1-year mortality. Barthel Index score improved ( P<0.001) between discharge and 1 year; 73% of patients presented severe disability at discharge vs. 26% at 1 year; 8% minimal/no disability at discharge vs. 43.3% at 1 year. Only 17% of subarachnoid haemorrhage patients presented severe disability at 1 year. Admission Apache III and hospital-discharge Barthel Index scores were related to functional outcome at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Critical stroke patients are characterized by high severity of illness, elevated resource consumption, and poor outcomes that are mainly influenced by severity and age. Glasgow Coma Score-measured neurological severity is the main determinant of future functional capacity, which is greater at 1 year.     

Predictors of intensive care unit length of stay and intracranial pressure in severe traumatic brain injury

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to explore the relationship of intracranial pressure (ICP) with intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay in a large cohort of severe traumatic brain injury patients and identify factors associating with prolonged ICU course.MethodsThis was a single-center database review of de-identified research data that had been prospectively collected; setting: neurosurgical ICU, Ben Taub General Hospital, Houston, TX.ResultsIn a cohort of 438 severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients, 149 (34%) had a motor Glasgow Coma Scale score of 1 to 3 on admission and 284 (65%) had 4 to 5. Intracranial pressure during the ICU course was 19.8 ± 11.2 mm Hg. Favorable outcome was obtained in 148 (34%), and unfavorable, in 211 (48%) patients with a mortality of 28%. ICU length of stay (LOS) was 19.4 ± 13.9 days. Joint modeling of ICP and ICU LOS was undertaken, adjusted for the International Mission for Prognosis and Analysis of Clinical Trials in TBI admission prognostic indicators. A higher ICP was not significantly associated with longer ICU LOS (P = .4). However, presence of a mass lesion on admission head computed tomography was strongly correlated with a prolonged ICU LOS (P = .0007). Diffuse injuries with basal cistern compression or midline shift were marginally associated with a longer ICU LOS (P = .053).ConclusionsICP, as monitored and managed according to BTF guidelines, is not associated with ICU length of stay. Patients with severe TBI and a mass lesion on admission head computed tomography were found to have prolonged ICU LOS independently of other indicators of injury severity and intracranial pressure course.     

Dexanabinol (HU-211) in the treatment of severe closed head injury: a randomized, placebo-controlled, phase II clinical trial

OBJECTIVE: To establish the safety of intravenous dexanabinol in severe head injury. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo- (vehicle) controlled, multicenter, escalating dose study of a single administration of drug (48 or 150 mg) or vehicle (1 or 3 mL). SETTING: All Israeli neurosurgical intensive care units (a total of six units). PATIENTS: Sixty-seven patients, aged 16-65 yrs, Glasgow Coma Scale score of 4-8, injured within 6 hrs of treatment. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Intracranial pressure, cerebral perfusion pressure, blood pressure, and heart rate were measured continuously in the intensive care unit. Adverse medical events were recorded and clinical outcome was assessed by the Glasgow outcome scale throughout a 6-month follow-up period. A highly significant reduction in the percentage of time with intracranial pressure >25, cerebral perfusion pressure <50, and systolic blood pressure <90 mm Hg was observed in the drug-treated group. The nature and incidence of adverse medical events were similar in the two groups. The percentage of patients achieving good neurologic outcome on the Glasgow outcome scale was 21% and 14% higher in the drug-treated group at 3 and 6 months, respectively. Statistical analysis of these differences by a logistic model using dose, entry Glasgow coma scale score, and computed tomograph as covariates yielded p values for the effect of treatment of .03 and .14 at 3 and 6 months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Dexanabinol was safe and well tolerated in severe head injury. The treated patients achieved significantly better intracranial pressure/cerebral perfusion pressure control without jeopardizing blood pressure. A trend toward faster and better neurologic outcome was also observed.     

Monitoring of serum ionized magnesium in neurosurgical intensive care unit: preliminary results

BACKGROUND: Our purpose was to determine the values for serum ionized magnesium (Mg) concentrations in traumatic brain injury and its effect on the prognostic scores of patients. METHODS: We prospectively measured serum ionized magnesium concentrations in 30 patients that were classified into three groups (severe, moderate, mild) by Glasgow Coma Scale Score. Serum ionized magnesium concentrations were measured during posttraumatic 5 days. Thirty patients with head trauma were followed in a neurosurgical intensive care unit with monitoring serum ionized magnesium concentrations. All patients were treated conservatively. RESULTS: We found significant difference of serum ionized magnesium concentrations when we compared all groups with each other (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Based on this clinical preliminary study, traumatic brain injury is associated with graded deficit in serum ionized magnesium concentrations. Thus, measurement of serum ionized magnesium concentrations can be used as a clinical marker in traumatic brain injury.     

Shock Index as a Marker for Significant Injury in Trauma Patients

Objective: To determine whether the shock index (SI), defined as the ratio of heart rate (HR) to systolic blood pressure (SBP), is a useful marker for significant injury in trauma patients.
Methods: A retrospective database analysis was used to relate the SI to the clinical measures: death within 24 hours, injury severity score (ISS) ≥16, intensive care unit (ICU) stay ≥1 day, and amount of blood transfused (BT) ≥2 units. Consecutive trauma patients seen at one level I trauma center over a 24-month period were reviewed; excluded were patients not requiring trauma team consultation, or those with either incomplete records, severe head injury (Glasgow Coma Scale score ≥8), or age 14 years. The SI was calculated from ED admission vital signs. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to find the value of the SI that maximized the sum of sensitivity and specificity for predicting each measure, separately; a separate analysis was done to determine the optimal SI threshold for predicting any of the severity measures.
Results: 1,101 cases met study criteria. The optimal SI values (by ROC analysis) for predicting the severity measures were: 1.10 for death <24 hours, 0.71 for ISS ≥16, 0.77 for ICU ≥1 day, and 0.85 for BT ≥2 units. The optimal SI value (by ROC analysis) for any of the above measures was 0.83; use of this SI cutoff provided a sensitivity of 37% (95% CI 32–42%), a specificity of 83% (95% CI 80–87%). and a negative predictive value of 58% (95% CI 54–61%) for any measure. This SI threshold predicted between 24% fewer cases and 4% more cases of poor outcome than did the optimal thresholds HR and SBP, respectively.
Conclusion: The optimal SI threshold performed similarly to the optimal threshold HR or SBP for prediction of injury severity.     

Traumatisme crânien chez l’enfant

Head trauma in children is common and overwhelmingly benign. Severe forms, defined by a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) < 9, are the leading cause of death in children aged more than one year. Severity is related to the intracranial injuries identified by computed tomography (CT)-scan. Management of severe traumatic brain injuries (TBI) based on standardized critical care strategy in paediatric trauma centers aims to prevent secondary brain injuries. Early resuscitation starts on the scene and first need to stabilize main functions. Optimal management of the multitude of children with mild blunt head trauma (GCS: 13–15) remains to define. It relies on prognosis evaluation that determines the need for CT-scan. Emergency physicians must balance the possibility of missing a clinically significant TBI, especially those needing acute neurosurgery and the risks of future malignancies associated with ionizing radiation. The predictive values for TBI of skull fracture, scalp hematoma, loss of consciousness, amnesia, seizure, vomiting, rapid kinetics as well as age less than 2 years are controversial. Clinical decision rules identify TBI with an excellent sensitivity but with a high rate of obtaining normal CT-scans. The short observation of children for whom the benignity of head trauma cannot be definitively assessed based on the initial clinical evaluation seems to be beneficial.     

Outcome of patients after air medical transport for management of nontraumatic acute intracranial bleeding

INTRODUCTION: Patients with acute, intracranial bleeding (ICB), particularly from intracranial aneurysms, are believed to be at high risk for rebleeding or neurologic deterioration if subjected to noise, motion, or stress, but are transported by helicopter with increasing frequency. This study was undertaken to examine the characteristics, safety, and outcomes of air transport for patients with acute subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) or other forms of acute ICB in an air medical system. METHODS: Charts of all patients with spontaneous, acute ICB who were transported by air from 1986 through 1989 were reviewed. Age, gender, time of transport, transport management measures, pre- and post-transport Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital days, operations, and mortality were compiled for all patients and analyzed. RESULTS: Eighty-seven patients ranging in age from 2 to 83 years (mean: 47.5 +/- 18.5 years) met entry criteria. The source of bleeding was cerebral aneurysm in 37 patients; intraparenchymal hemorrhage in 29; an unidentified vascular source in 11; and arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in 10. Mean GCS score measured in 69 patients before and after transport was 10.5 +/- 4.5 Glasgow Coma Scale score did not change during transport in 61 patients (88%), improved in three (4%), and deteriorated in five (7%). Fifty-nine patients (69%) underwent operations, 36 (41%) within 24 hours of arrival. Mean ICU stay was 14 days (95% CI: 12-15); mean hospital stay was 36 days (95% CI: 27-45 days). Overall mortality was 25% (95% CI: 16-34 days). A GCS score of 3 to 8 at time of transport was associated with both increased hospital length of stay and higher mortality. Patients transported within eight hours of symptom onset had lower GCS scores, but outcome measures were not significantly different from those transported later. CONCLUSIONS: Emergency air medical transfer of patients with acute ICB for definitive neurosurgical care appears to be both safe and effective, and facilitates early definitive diagnosis and operative intervention.