• Nicholas R Kunio, Jerome A Differding, Katherine M Watson, Ryland S Stucke, and Martin A Schreiber.
• Department of Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Mail Code L-223, Portland, OR 97239-3098, USA. kunion@ohsu.edu
• Am. J. Surg. 2012 May 1;203(5):584-8.

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between coagulopathy and outcome after traumatic brain injury.MethodsPatients admitted with a traumatic brain injury were enrolled prospectively and admission blood samples were obtained for kaolin-activated thrombelastogram and standard coagulation assays. Demographic and clinical data were obtained for analysis.ResultsSixty-nine patients were included in the analysis. A total of 8.7% of subjects showed hypocoagulability based on a prolonged time to clot formation (R time, > 9 min). The mortality rate was significantly higher in subjects with a prolonged R time at admission (50.0% vs 11.7%). Patients with a prolonged R time also had significantly fewer intensive care unit-free days (8 vs 27 d), hospital-free days (5 vs 24 d), and increased incidence of neurosurgical intervention (83.3% vs 34.9%).ConclusionsHypocoagulability as shown by thrombelastography after traumatic brain injury is associated with worse outcomes and an increased incidence of neurosurgical intervention.Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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