Articles: traumatic-brain-injuries.
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Nov 2016
Multicenter Study Observational StudyTraumatic brain injury patient volume and mortality in neurosurgical intensive care units: a Finnish nationwide study.
Differences in outcomes after traumatic brain injury (TBI) between neurosurgical centers exist, although the reasons for this are not clear. Thus, our aim was to assess the association between the annual volume of TBI patients and mortality in neurosurgical intensive care units (NICUs). ⋯ We did not find any association between annual TBI patient volume and 6-month mortality in NICUs. These findings should be interpreted taking into account that we only included NICUs, which by international standards all treated high volumes of TBI patients, and that we were not able to study the effect of NICU volume on neurological outcome.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Nov 2016
Observational StudyIntracranial Pressure Monitoring in Infants and Young Children With Traumatic Brain Injury.
To examine the use of intracranial pressure monitors and treatment for elevated intracranial pressure in children 24 months old or younger with traumatic brain injury in North Carolina between April 2009 and March 2012 and compare this with a similar cohort recruited 2000-2001. ⋯ Children in the 2010 cohort with a Glasgow Coma Scale less than or equal to 8 were less likely to receive an intracranial pressure monitor or hyperosmolar therapy than children in the 2000 cohort; however, about 10% of children without monitors received therapies to decrease intracranial pressure. This suggests treatment heterogeneity in children 24 months old or younger with traumatic brain injury and a need for better evidence to support treatment recommendations for this group of children.
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J Head Trauma Rehabil · Nov 2016
Emergency Department Evaluation of Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States, 2009-2010.
To determine the dimensions of traumatic brain injury (TBI) evaluation in US emergency department (EDs) to inform potential application of novel diagnostic tests. ⋯ The ED is the main gateway to medical care for millions of patients evaluated for TBI each year. Novel diagnostic tests are needed to improve ED diagnosis and management of TBI.
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The purpose of this study was to explore the inter-device reliability of NPi-100 pupillometers (NeuroOptics, Inc.). The pupillary examination is a fundamental element of the neurological exam. Current evidence suggests that the traditional examination of the pupil with a hand held flashlight has limited inter-rater reliability. ⋯ There was no statistically significant difference between the mean maximum pupil size at rest, the minimum pupil size during light stimulation, and the mean pupil reactivity, for both the right and left eye, when assessed by two investigators, each with a different pupillometer. In addition, Cohen's Kappa assessments of pupil size and reactivity revealed an almost perfect agreement between the two pupillometers for the maximum pupil size, the minimum pupil size, and for pupil reactivity for both eyes. There is a high inter-device reliability of automated pupillary assessments by two practitioners examining the same patient using different NPi-100 pupillometers.
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J Neurosurg Pediatr · Nov 2016
The application of adult traumatic brain injury models in a pediatric cohort.
OBJECTIVE There is increasing interest in the use of predictive models of outcome in adult head injury. Two international models have been identified to be reliable modalities for predicting outcome: the Corticosteroid Randomisation After Significant Head Injury (CRASH) model, and the International Mission on Prognosis and Analysis of randomized Controlled Trials in TBI (IMPACT) model. However, these models are designed only to identify outcomes in adult populations. ⋯ For the IMPACT-Core model, the SMtR was 1.03 and the model was also well calibrated (χ2 = 8.99, p = 0.34) and had good discrimination (AUROC = 0.85). Poor outcome was observed in 17% of the cohort and identified with the CRASH-Basic and IMPACT-Core models to varying degrees: standardized morbidity ratio = 0.89 vs 0.67, respectively; calibration = 6.5 (χ2) and 0.59 (p value) versus 8.52 (χ2) and 0.38 (p value), respectively; and discrimination (AUROC) = 0.92 versus 0.83, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Adult head injury models may be applied with sufficient accuracy to identify predictors of morbidity and mortality in pediatric TBI.