Traumatic Brain Injury in Patients Receiving Direct Oral Anticoagulants

BackgroundEmergency departments (EDs) are faced with a growing number of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) using direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). However, there remains uncertainty about the bleeding risk, rate of hematoma expansion, and the efficacy of reversal strategies in these patients.ObjectiveThis study aims to identify the risk of traumatic hemorrhagic complications in patients with TBI using DOACs.MethodsIn this retrospective study we included patients with TBI. All TBI patients were using DOACs, attended one of the three EDs of our hospital between January 2016 and October 2019, and received a computed tomography (CT) scan of the brain. The primary outcome was any traumatic intracranial hemorrhage on CT. Secondary outcomes were the use of reversal agents, secondary neurological deterioration, a neurosurgical intervention within 30 days after the injury, length of stay (LOS), Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) at discharge, and mortality.ResultsOf the included patients (N = 316), 24 patients (7.6%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.2–9.8) presented with a traumatic intracranial hematoma (ICH). Seven patients (2.2%, 95% CI 0.6–3.8) received a reversal agent and 1 patient (0.3%, 95% CI ?0.3–0.9) underwent a neurosurgical intervention. Of the 24 patients with a traumatic ICH, progression of the lesion was seen in 6 patients (1.9%, 95% CI 0.4–3.4). The mean LOS was 6.5 days (95% CI 3.0–10.1) and the mean GOS at discharge was 4 (95% CI 3.6–4.6). Death occurred in 1 patient (0.3%, 95% CI ?0.3–0.9) suffering from an ICH.ConclusionBased on the present findings it can be postulated that TBI patients using DOACs have a low risk for ICH. Hematoma progression occurred, however, in a substantial number of patients. Considering the retrospective nature of the present study, future prospective trials are needed to confirm this finding.     

经胸超声心动图诊断A型主动脉壁间血肿

目的 观察经胸超声心动图诊断A型主动脉壁间血肿的价值。方法 回顾性分析40例经CT血管成像（CTA）确诊的A型主动脉壁间血肿患者的临床资料及超声心动图表现,评价经胸超声心动图诊断A型主动脉壁间血肿的价值。结果 40例A型主动脉壁间血肿患者,男25例（25/40,62.50%）,女15例,发病中位年龄55岁;以胸背部疼痛（36/40,90.00%）为主要症状;其中30例有高血压病史、15例有吸烟史。主动脉壁间血肿超声主要表现为主动脉壁内-中膜与外膜间存在厚薄不均匀低回声;主动脉窦部增宽与年龄、高血压病史相关（r=0.51,P=0.01;r=0.34,P=0.03）。25例（25/40,62.50%）合并主动脉瓣反流,其中21例（21/25,84.00%）为轻度反流;12例合并心包积液,其中10例（10/12,83.33%）为少量积液。结论 经胸超声心动图对诊断A型主动脉壁间血肿有一定价值,并可用于患者随访。     

血透患者右无名静脉损伤后超长时活动性出血一例

血液透析中心静脉导管插管导致静脉损伤继发局部血肿是常见并发症,但围插管期无症状、插管后数月出现气管压迫、危及生命的活动性出血少见。该文报道一例45岁男性患者,因右侧颈内静脉置管后4个月出现右侧无名静脉严重活动性出血、纵隔血肿压迫气管,经过控制血压、减少容量负荷、关闭同侧内瘘后出血停止、最后血肿吸收。该例提示应重视深静脉置管穿刺损伤引发纵隔血肿的可能性,尤其在穿刺不顺利时应当立即行胸片、CT或超声检查,以减少漏诊和误诊。     

Two autopsy cases with injuries to the stomach following cardiopulmonary resuscitation

We herein report two autopsy cases with gastric injury associated with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Case 1 was a 36–year–old woman who was found in cardiopulmonary arrest possibly caused by a fall from a height of 8 m. She received continuous manual chest compression with artificial ventilation while being transferred to the hospital. Autopsy revealed bruises on her left upper arm with a fracture to the left humerus and advanced pneumohemothorax that was associated with laceration of the left lung due to fracture of the dorsal left costa. Furthermore, complete rupture of the gastric wall (25 cm) was found without hemorrhage. Case 2 was an 85–year–old man found unconscious on the road. He had a history of oral anticoagulant administration, cognitive impairment, and gait disorder. He also received cardiac massage and manual artificial ventilation during CPR. Autopsy revealed severe head injury, possibly caused by a backward fall. His stomach was markedly dilated by air and a fresh intramural hematoma had extended into all layers of the stomach and adjacent omentum; however, injury of the abdominal wall was not evident. Histopathological investigation of the brain revealed advanced Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy pathology, and the damaged neural tissue, which was positive for the amyloid precursor protein. We determined that the gastric injuries in both cases had been caused by CPR. We conclude that careful investigation is required for gastric injury cases to determine the etiology and correlation between gastric injury and cause of death when the victims receive CPR.     

Impact of time to resumption of antithrombotic therapy on outcomes after surgical evacuation of chronic subdural hematoma: A multicenter cohort study

BackgroundThe decision to resume antithrombotic therapy after surgical evacuation of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) requires judicious weighing of the risk of bleeding against that of thromboembolism. This study aimed to investigate the impact of time to resumption of antithrombotic therapy on outcomes of patients after CSDH drainage.MethodsData were obtained retrospectively from three tertiary hospitals in Singapore from 2010 to 2017. Outcome measures analyzed were CSDH recurrence and any thromboembolic events. Logistic and Cox regression tests were used to identify associations between time to resumption and outcomes.ResultsA total of 621 patients underwent 761 CSDH surgeries. Preoperative antithrombotic therapy was used in 139 patients. 110 (79.1%) were on antiplatelets and 35 (25.2%) were on anticoagulants, with six patients (4.3%) being on both antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy. Antithrombotic therapy was resumed in 84 patients (60.4%) after the surgery. Median time to resumption was 71 days (IQR 29 – 201). Recurrence requiring reoperation occurred in 15 patients (10.8%), of which 12 had recurrence before and three after resumption. Median time to recurrence was 35 days (IQR 27 – 47, range 4 – 82 days). Recurrence rates were similar between patients that were restarted on antithrombotic therapy before and after 14, 21, 28, 42, 56, 70 and 84 days, respectively. Thromboembolic events occurred in 12 patients (8.6%), of which five had the event prior to restarting antithrombosis.ConclusionsTime to antithrombotic resumption did not significantly affect CSDH recurrence. Early resumption of antithrombotic therapy can be safe for patients with a high thromboembolic risk.     

Drug treatment of chronic subdural hematoma

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a common neurosurgical disease, whose incidence has been steadily increasing with our aging population. While not common, CSDH can also occur in children. CSDH is often associated with traumatic head injury, but its underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. The first line treatment for CSDH is surgery. However, surgery is contraindicated in some patients and has a high rate of recurrence. Effective non-surgical treatment is therefore highly desirable.

Areas covered: This review discusses the pathogenesis of CSDH and drugs that have been used to treat CSDH either as monotherapy or an adjuvant to surgery, including controlled clinical trials.

Expert opinion: The pathophysiology of CSDH remains poorly understood. Developing effective drug treatments is therefore challenging. Most drugs discussed in this review are evaluated in small clinical studies without sufficient sample size and controls for confounding variables. More controlled clinical trials are therefore needed to carefully evaluate drugs for the non-surgical treatment of CSDH, especially for drugs targeting specific pathogenic pathways of CSDH.     

Spontaneous epidural hematoma due to cervico-thoracic angiolipoma

Epidural angiolipomas are uncommon benign tumors of the spine. Their clinical presentation is usually a progressive spinal cord compression. We report the case of a 22-year-old patient who presented with an acute paraparesis and a spontaneous epidural hematoma, which revealed a epidural angiolipoma which extended from C7 to T3. The patient underwent a C7–T3 laminectomy, in emergency, with evacuation of the hematoma and extradural complete resection of a fibrous epidural tumor bleeding. The postoperative course was favorable with regression of neurological symptoms. Epidural angiolipomas can be revealed by spontaneous intratumoral hemorrhage without traumatism. The standard treatment is total removal by surgery.     

快速开颅技术在外伤性颅内血肿合并脑疝抢救治疗中的效果

目的分析快速开颅技术在外伤性颅内血肿合并脑疝抢救治疗中的临床价值。方法随机选取2012-10—2013-10我院诊治的外伤性颅内血肿合并脑疝患者72例,按照完全抽样法1︰1分成2组,对照组患者行常规血肿清除术,研究组患者行快速开颅血肿清除术,比较2组治疗后近期疗效、血生化指标与生存质量情况。结果研究组患者骨窗完成时间(12.87±5.24)min,较对照组的(27.94±3.78)min短,随访良好率52.78%,对照组30.56%,研究组病死率11.11%,对照组33.33%,2组比较差异均有统计学意义(P0.01);研究组患者手术后的颅内压、手术第14天与第28天S-100B水平与NDS评分均显著低于对照组(P0.01),研究组手术第7、14与28天NSE水平均较对照组低(P0.05)。结论外伤性颅内出血合并脑疝患者开颅清除术前行快速减压法,可缩短完成骨窗时间,减轻神经功能缺损严重程度,改善术后生存质量。     

标准大骨瓣开颅手术对重型创伤性颅脑损伤所致颅内血肿的临床疗效研究

目的：探讨标准大骨瓣开颅手术对重型创伤性颅脑损伤所致颅内血肿（sTBI）患者的神经元特异性烯醇化酶（NSE）和炎症因子的影响。方法将64例 sTBI 患者按照奇偶数字法随机分为常规手术组（常规组）与标准大骨瓣开颅手术组（标准组）,各32例。比较两组术后格拉斯哥预后评分（GOS）、手术前后血清各炎性因子（IL-8、IL-6、TNF-α、ICAM-1、IL-10）及神经元特异性烯醇化酶（NSE）水平变化情况、术后并发症发生率。结果标准组 GOS 评分情况显著优于常规组（P ＜0．05）;常规组治疗后 IL-6、TNF-α、ICAM-1及 NSE 水平较治疗前均显著降低（P ＜0．05）,标准组治疗后 IL-8、IL-6、TNF-α、ICAM-1及 NSE 水平较治疗前均显著降低（P ＜0．05,P ＜0．01）,IL-10水平较治疗前显著升高（P ＜0．05）;常规组术后出现3例脑脊液漏、4例切口疝,标准组术后出现2例脑脊液漏、3例切口疝,二者术后并发症发生率比较差异无统计学意义（P ＞0．05）。结论各炎症因子与 NSE 在急性创伤性颅脑损伤过程中均扮演着重要的角色,标准大骨瓣开颅手术可对上述指标进行有效控制,以减小患者病情严重程度。