LO67: Association between hypotension and mortality in critically ill patients with severe traumatic brain injury: experience at a single Canadian trauma center

Introduction: Hypotension is known to be associated with increased mortality in severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) of <90 mmHg is the threshold for hypotension in consensus TBI treatment guidelines; however, evidence suggests hypotension should be defined at higher levels for these patients. Our objective was to determine the influence of hypotension on mortality in TBI patients requiring ICU admission using different thresholds of SBP on arrival at the emergency department (ED). Methods: Retrospective cohort study of patients with severe TBI (Abbreviated Injury Scale Head score ≥3) admitted to ICU at the QEII Health Sciences Centre (Halifax, Canada) between 2002 and 2013. Patients were grouped by SBP on ED arrival ( <90 mmHg, <100 mmHg, <110 mmHg). We performed multiple logistic regression analysis with mortality as the dependent variable. Models were adjusted for confounders including age, gender, Injury Severity Score (ISS), injury mechanism, and trauma team activation (TTA). Results: A total of 1233 patients sustained a severe TBI and were admitted to the ICU during the study period. The mean age was 43.4 ± 23.9 years and most patients were male (919/1233; 74.5%). The most common mechanism of injury was motor vehicle collision (491/1233; 41.2%) followed by falls (427/1233; 35.8%). Mean length of stay in the ICU was 6.1 ± 6.4 days, and the overall mortality rate was 22.7%. SBP on arrival was available for 1182 patients. The <90 mmHg group had 4.6% (54/1182) of these patients; mean ISS was 20.6 ± 7.8 and mortality was 40.7% (22/54). The <100 mmHg had 9.3% (110/1182) of patients; mean ISS was 19.3 ± 7.9 and mortality was 34.5% (38/110). The <110 mmHg group had 16.8% (198/1182) of patients; mean ISS was 17.9 ± 8.0 and mortality was 28.8% (57/198). After adjusting for confounders, the association between hypotension and mortality was 2.22 (95% CI 1.19-4.16) using a <90 mmHg cutoff, 1.79 (95% CI 1.12-2.86) using a <100 mmHg cutoff, and 1.50 (95% CI 1.02-2.21) using a <110 mmHg cutoff. Conclusion: While we found that TBI patients with a SBP <90 mmHg were over 2 times more likely to die, patients with an SBP <110 mmHg on ED arrival were still 1.5 times more likely to die from their injuries compared to patients without hypotension. These results suggest that establishing a higher threshold for clinically meaningful hypotension in TBI patients is warranted.

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Self-awareness four years after severe traumatic brain injury: discordance between the patient’s and relative’s complaints. Results from the PariS-TBI study

Clinical Rehabilitation ◽

10.1177/0269215517734294 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 32 (5) ◽

pp. 692-704 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Camille Chesnel ◽

Claire Jourdan ◽

Eleonore Bayen ◽

Idir Ghout ◽

Emmanuelle Darnoux ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Severe Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Significant Relationship ◽

Injury Severity ◽

Chronic Phase ◽

Functional Independence ◽

Severe Tbi

Objective: To evaluate the patient’s awareness of his or her difficulties in the chronic phase of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to determine the factors related to poor awareness. Design/Setting/Subjects: This study was part of a larger prospective inception cohort study of patients with severe TBI in the Parisian region (PariS-TBI study). Intervention/Main measures: Evaluation was carried out at four years and included the Brain Injury Complaint Questionnaire (BICoQ) completed by the patient and his or her relative as well as the evaluation of impairments, disability and quality of life. Results: A total of 90 patient-relative pairs were included. Lack of awareness was measured using the unawareness index that corresponded to the number of discordant results between the patient and relative in the direction of under evaluation of difficulties by the patient. The only significant relationship found with lack of awareness was the subjective burden perceived by the relative (Zarit Burden Inventory) ( r = 0.5; P < 0.00001). There was no significant relationship between lack of awareness and injury severity, pre-injury socio-demographic data, cognitive impairments, mood disorders, functional independence (Barthel index), global disability (Glasgow Outcome Scale), return to work at four years or quality of life (Quality Of Life after Brain Injury scale (QOLIBRI)). Conclusion: Lack of awareness four years post severe TBI was not related to the severity of the initial trauma, sociodemographic data, the severity of impairments, limitations of activity and participation, or the patient’s quality of life. However, poor awareness did significantly influence the weight of the burden perceived by the relative.

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Are Initial Radiographic and Clinical Scales Associated With Subsequent Intracranial Pressure and Brain Oxygen Levels After Severe Traumatic Brain Injury?

Neurosurgery ◽

10.1227/neu.0b013e318240c1ed ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 70 (5) ◽

pp. 1095-1105 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Michael Katsnelson ◽

Larami Mackenzie ◽

Suzanne Frangos ◽

Mauro Oddo ◽

Joshua M. Levine ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Intracranial Pressure ◽

Severe Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Injury Severity ◽

Interquartile Range ◽

Apache Ii ◽

Apache Ii Score ◽

Clinical Scales ◽

Severe Tbi

Abstract BACKGROUND: Prediction of clinical course and outcome after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is important. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether clinical scales (Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS], Injury Severity Score [ISS], and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II [APACHE II]) or radiographic scales based on admission computed tomography (Marshall and Rotterdam) were associated with intensive care unit (ICU) physiology (intracranial pressure [ICP], brain tissue oxygen tension [PbtO2]), and clinical outcome after severe TBI. METHODS: One hundred one patients (median age, 41.0 years; interquartile range [26-55]) with severe TBI who had ICP and PbtO2 monitoring were identified. The relationship between admission GCS, ISS, APACHE II, Marshall and Rotterdam scores and ICP, PbtO2, and outcome was examined by using mixed-effects models and logistic regression. RESULTS: Median (25%–75% interquartile range) admission GCS and APACHE II without GCS scores were 3.0 (3–7) and 11.0 (8–13), respectively. Marshall and Rotterdam scores were 3.0 (3–5) and 4.0 (4–5). Mean ICP and PbtO2 during the patients' ICU course were 15.5 ± 10.7 mm Hg and 29.9 ± 10.8 mm Hg, respectively. Three-month mortality was 37.6%. Admission GCS was not associated with mortality. APACHE II (P = .003), APACHE-non-GCS (P = .004), Marshall (P < .001), and Rotterdam scores (P < .001) were associated with mortality. No relationship between GCS, ISS, Marshall, or Rotterdam scores and subsequent ICP or PbtO2 was observed. The APACHE II score was inversely associated with median PbtO2 (P = .03) and minimum PbtO2 (P = .008) and had a stronger correlation with amount of time of reduced PbtO2. CONCLUSION: Following severe TBI, factors associated with outcome may not always predict a patient's ICU course and, in particular, intracranial physiology.

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Disability Rating Scale in the First Few Weeks After a Severe Traumatic Brain Injury as a Predictor of 6-Month Functional Outcome

Neurosurgery ◽

10.1093/neuros/nyaa474 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jose-Miguel Yamal ◽

Imoigele P Aisiku ◽

H Julia Hannay ◽

Frances A Brito ◽

Claudia S Robertson

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Severe Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Clinical Decision Making ◽

Injury Severity ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Characteristic Curve ◽

Disability Rating Scale ◽

Severe Tbi ◽

Disability Rating

Abstract BACKGROUND An early acute marker of long-term neurological outcome would be useful to help guide clinical decision making and therapeutic effectiveness after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). We investigated the utility of the Disability Rating Scale (DRS) as early as 1 wk after TBI as a predictor of favorable 6-mo Glasgow Outcome Scale extended (GOS-E). OBJECTIVE To determine the predictability of a favorable 6-mo GOS-E using the DRS measured during weeks 1 to 4 of injury. METHODS The study is a sub analysis of patients enrolled in the Epo Severe TBI Trial (n = 200) to train and validate L1-regularized logistic regression models. DRS was collected at weeks 1 to 4 and GOS-E at 6 mo. RESULTS The average area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.82 for the model with baseline demographic and injury severity variables and week 1 DRS and increased to 0.88 when including weekly DRS until week 4. CONCLUSION This study suggests that week 1 to 4 DRS may be predictors of favorable 6-mo outcome in severe TBI patients and thus useful both for clinical prognostication as well as surrogate endpoints for adaptive clinical trials.

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Modulated Neuroprotection in Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome after Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci11081044 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 1044

Author(s):

Cristina Daia ◽

Cristian Scheau ◽

Aura Spinu ◽

Ioana Andone ◽

Cristina Popescu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Glasgow Coma Scale ◽

Severe Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Functional Independence ◽

Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome ◽

Coma Scale ◽

Severe Tbi ◽

Neuroprotective Treatment ◽

Gcs Score

Background: We aimed to assess the effects of modulated neuroprotection with intermittent administration in patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: Retrospective analysis of 60 patients divided into two groups, with and without neuroprotective treatment with Actovegin, Cerebrolysin, pyritinol, L-phosphothreonine, L-glutamine, hydroxocobalamin, alpha-lipoic acid, carotene, DL-α-tocopherol, ascorbic acid, thiamine, pyridoxine, cyanocobalamin, Q 10 coenzyme, and L-carnitine alongside standard treatment. Main outcome measures: Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) after TBI, Extended Glasgow Coma Scale (GOS E), Disability Rankin Scale (DRS), Functional Independence Measurement (FIM), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA), all assessed at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after TBI. Results: Patients receiving neuroprotective treatment recovered more rapidly from UWS than controls (p = 0.007) passing through a state of minimal consciousness and gradually progressing until the final evaluation (p = 0.000), towards a high cognitive level MOCA = 22 ± 6 points, upper moderate disability GOS-E = 6 ± 1, DRS = 6 ± 4, and an assisted gait, FIM =101 ± 25. The improvement in cognitive and physical functioning was strongly correlated with lower UWS duration (−0.8532) and higher GCS score (0.9803). Conclusion: Modulated long-term neuroprotection may be the therapeutic key for patients to overcome UWS after severe TBI.

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Early diagnosis of mortality using admission CT perfusion in severe traumatic brain injury patients (ACT-TBI): protocol for a prospective cohort study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047305 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. e047305

Author(s):

Susan Alcock ◽

Divjeet Batoo ◽

Sudharsana Rao Ande ◽

Rob Grierson ◽

Marco Essig ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Early Diagnosis ◽

Hospital Mortality ◽

Brain Death ◽

Severe Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Health Research ◽

Ct Perfusion ◽

Severe Tbi

IntroductionSevere traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a catastrophic neurological condition with significant economic burden. Early in-hospital mortality (<48 hours) with severe TBI is estimated at 50%. Several clinical examinations exist to determine brain death; however, most are difficult to elicit in the acute setting in patients with severe TBI. Having a definitive assessment tool would help predict early in-hospital mortality in this population. CT perfusion (CTP) has shown promise diagnosing early in-hospital mortality in patients with severe TBI and other populations. The purpose of this study is to validate admission CTP features of brain death relative to the clinical examination outcome for characterizing early in-hospital mortality in patients with severe TBI.Methods and analysisThe Early Diagnosis of Mortality using Admission CT Perfusion in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Patients study, is a prospective cohort study in patients with severe TBI funded by a grant from the Canadian Institute of Health Research. Adults aged 18 or older, with evidence of a severe TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale score ≤8 before initial resuscitation) and, on mechanical ventilation at the time of imaging are eligible. Patients will undergo CTP at the time of first imaging on their hospital admission. Admission CTP compares with the reference standard of an accepted bedside clinical assessment for brainstem function. Deferred consent will be used. The primary outcome is a binary outcome of mortality (dead) or survival (not dead) in the first 48 hours of admission. The planned sample size for achieving a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 95% with a CI of ±5% is 200 patients.Ethics and disseminationThis study has been approved by the University of Manitoba Health Research Ethics Board. The findings from our study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and presentations at local rounds, national and international conferences. The public will be informed through forums at the end of the study.Trial registration numberNCT04318665

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Relationship of “dose” of intracranial hypertension to outcome in severe traumatic brain injury

Journal of Neurosurgery ◽

10.3171/jns/2008/109/10/0678 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 109 (4) ◽

pp. 678-684 ◽

Cited By ~ 127

Author(s):

Anne Vik ◽

Torbjørn Nag ◽

Oddrun Anita Fredriksli ◽

Toril Skandsen ◽

Kent Gøran Moen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Intracranial Hypertension ◽

Scale Score ◽

Severe Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Injury Severity ◽

Area Under The Curve ◽

Term Outcome ◽

Long Term Outcome ◽

Scale Scores

Object It has recently been suggested that the degree of intracranial pressure (ICP) above the treatment goal can be estimated by the area under the curve (AUC) of ICP versus time in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). The objective of this study was to determine whether the calculated “ICP dose”—the ICP AUC—is related to mortality rate, outcome, and Marshall CT classification. Methods Of 135 patients (age range 1–82 years) with severe TBI treated during a 5-year period at the authors' institution, 113 patients underwent ICP monitoring (84%). Ninety-three patients with a monitoring time > 24 hours were included for analysis of ICP AUC calculated using the trapezoidal method. Computed tomography scans were assessed according to the Marshall TBI classification. Patients with Glasgow Outcome Scale scores at 6 months and > 3 years were separated into 2 groups based on outcome. Results Sixty patients (65%) had ICP values > 20 mm Hg, and 12 (13%) developed severe intracranial hypertension and died secondary to herniation. A multiple regression analysis adjusting for Glasgow Coma Scale score, age, pupillary abnormalities and Injury Severity Scale score demonstrated that the ICP AUC was a significant predictor of poor outcome at 6 months (p = 0.034) and of death (p = 0.035). However, it did not predict long-term outcome (p = 0.157). The ICP AUC was significantly higher in patients with Marshall head injury Categories 3 and 4 (24 patients) than in those with Category 2 (23 patients, p = 0.025) and Category 5 (46 patients, p = 0.021) TBIs using the worst CT scan obtained. Conclusions The authors found a significant relationship between the dose of ICP, the worst Marshall CT score, and patient outcome, suggesting that the AUC method may be useful in refining and improving the treatment of ICP in patients with TBI.

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Moderate and severe traumatic brain injury: effect of blood alcohol concentration on Glasgow Coma Scale score and relation to computed tomography findings

Journal of Neurosurgery ◽

10.3171/2014.9.jns14322 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 122 (1) ◽

pp. 211-218 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Nils Petter Rundhaug ◽

Kent Gøran Moen ◽

Toril Skandsen ◽

Kari Schirmer-Mikalsen ◽

Stine B. Lund ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Injury Severity ◽

Blood Alcohol Concentration ◽

Alcohol Concentration ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Blood Alcohol ◽

Severe Tbi ◽

Gcs Score ◽

Dose Dependent

OBJECT The influence of alcohol is assumed to reduce consciousness in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), but research findings are divergent. The aim of this investigation was to study the effects of different levels of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores in patients with moderate and severe TBI and to relate the findings to brain injury severity based on the admission CT scan. METHODS In this cohort study, 265 patients (age range 16–70 years) who were admitted to St. Olavs University Hospital with moderate and severe TBI during a 7-year period were prospectively registered. Of these, 217 patients (82%) had measured BAC. Effects of 4 BAC groups on GCS score were examined with ordinal logistic regression analyses, and the GCS scores were inverted to give an OR > 1. The Rotterdam CT score based on admission CT scan was used to adjust for brain injury severity (best score 1 and worst score 6) by stratifying patients into 2 brain injury severity groups (Rotterdam CT scores of 1–3 and 4–6). RESULTS Of all patients with measured BAC, 91% had intracranial CT findings and 43% had BAC > 0 mg/dl. The median GCS score was lower in the alcohol-positive patients (6.5, interquartile range [IQR] 4–10) than in the alcohol-negative patients (9, IQR 6–13; p < 0.01). No significant differences were found between alcohol-positive and alcohol-negative patients regarding other injury severity variables. Increasing BAC was a significant predictor of lower GCS score in a dose-dependent manner in age-adjusted analyses, with OR 2.7 (range 1.4–5.0) and 3.2 (range 1.5–6.9) for the 2 highest BAC groups (p < 0.01). Subgroup analyses showed an increasing effect of BAC group on GCS scores in patients with Rotterdam CT scores of 1–3: OR 3.1 (range 1.4–6.6) and 6.7 (range 2.7–16.7) for the 2 highest BAC groups (p < 0.01). No such relationship was found in patients with Rotterdam CT scores of 4–6 (p = 0.14–0.75). CONCLUSIONS Influence of alcohol significantly reduced the GCS score in a dose-dependent manner in patients with moderate and severe TBI and with Rotterdam CT scores of 1–3. In patients with Rotterdam CT scores of 4–6, and therefore more CT findings indicating increased intracranial pressure, the brain injury itself seemed to overrun the depressing effect of the alcohol on the CNS. This finding is in agreement with the assumption of many clinicians in the emergency situation.

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Abstract 230: Differential Effects of Prehospital Hypotension and Injury Severity in Isolated vs. Multisystem Major Traumatic Brain Injury

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.138.suppl_2.230 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 138 (Suppl_2) ◽

Author(s):

Daniel W Spaite ◽

Chengcheng Hu ◽

Bentley J Bobrow ◽

Bruce J Barnhart ◽

Vatsal Chikani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Injury Severity ◽

Treatment Effectiveness ◽

Guideline Implementation ◽

Body Region ◽

Head Region ◽

Differential Effects ◽

Severe Tbi

Background: In hospital-based studies, hypotension (HT, SBP <90) is more likely to occur in multisystem traumatic brain injury (MTBI) than isolated (ITBI). However, there are few EMS studies on this issue. Hypothesis: Prehospital HT is associated with differential effects in MTBI and ITBI and these effects are influenced by the severity of primary brain injury. Methods: Inclusion: TBI cases in the EPIC Study (NIH 1R01NS071049) before TBI guideline implementation (1/07-3/14). ITBI: Major TBI cases (CDC Barell Matrix Type 1) that had no injury with ICD9-based Regional Severity Score [RSS (AIS equivalent)] ≥3 in any other body region. MTBI: Type 1 TBI plus at least one non-head region injury with RSS ≥3. Results: Included were 13,435 cases [Excl: age <10 (5.9%), missing data (6.2%)]. 10,374 (77.2%) were ITBI, 3061 (22.8%) MTBI. Mortality: ITBI: 7.7% (797/10,374), MTBI: 19.2% (587/3061, p<0.0001). Prehospital HT occurred 3.5 times more often in MTBI (14.8%, 453/3061 vs 4.2%, 437/10,374; p<0.0001). Among HT cases, 40.8% (185/453) with MTBI died vs 30.9% with ITBI (135/437; p<0.0001). In the hypotensive moderate/severe TBI cohort (RSS-Head 3/4), MTBI mortality was 2.4 times higher (17.2%, 40/232) than ITBI (7.1%, 17/240, p = 0.001). However, in the hypotensive very/extremely severe TBI group (RSS-Head 5/6), mortality was almost identical in MTBI (73.4%, 141/192) and ITBI (72.1%, 116/161, p = 0.864). Conclusion: Among major TBI patients with prehospital HT, those with MTBI were much more likely to die than those with ITBI. However, this association varied dramatically with TBI severity. In mod/severe TBI cases with HT, MTBI mortality was 2.4 times higher than in ITBI. In contrast, in very/extremely severe TBI with HT, there was no identifiable mortality difference. Thus, in cases with substantial potential to survive the primary brain injury (mod/severe), outcome is markedly worse in patients with multisystem injuries. However, in very/extremely severe TBI, non-head region injuries have no apparent association with mortality. This may be because the TBI is the primary factor leading to death in these cases. The main EPIC study is evaluating whether this severity-based difference in “effect” has implications for TBI guideline treatment effectiveness.

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Bilateral chorea following severe traumatic brain injury treated with risperidone

BMJ Case Reports ◽

10.1136/bcr-2021-241929 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (5) ◽

pp. e241929

Author(s):

Daniel Krasna ◽

Erica Montgomery ◽

Jacob Koffer ◽

Miriam Segal

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Severe Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Movement Disorders ◽

Daily Living ◽

Brain Injuries ◽

Treatment Guidelines ◽

Case Reports ◽

Burden Of Care ◽

History Of

A functionally independent man in his 20s with a history of intellectual disability and epilepsy and family history of Huntington’s disease suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. Postinjury, bilateral chorea rendered him dependent for all activities of daily living. Risperidone provided a significant reduction of chorea, decreasing the overall burden of care. Movement disorders are a common sequela of brain injury. Currently, there are no best treatment guidelines for chorea in patients with brain injury. To the authors’ knowledge there have been no case reports describing the effects of brain injury on patients with a primary movement disorder. Risperidone was an effective treatment in this case. Further research is needed to establish guidelines for treatment of movement disorders following brain injury and to better understand the effect of brain injuries on primary movement disorders.

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Perioperative Management of Polytrauma Patients with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Undergoing Emergency Extracranial Surgery: A Narrative Review

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm11010018 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 18

Author(s):

Edoardo Picetti ◽

Israel Rosenstein ◽

Zsolt J. Balogh ◽

Fausto Catena ◽

Fabio S. Taccone ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Severe Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Trauma Team ◽

Narrative Review ◽

Brain Protection ◽

Team Members ◽

Complex Patients ◽

Polytrauma Patients ◽

Challenging Situation

Managing the acute phase after a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) with polytrauma represents a challenging situation for every trauma team member. A worldwide variability in the management of these complex patients has been reported in recent studies. Moreover, limited evidence regarding this topic is available, mainly due to the lack of well-designed studies. Anesthesiologists, as trauma team members, should be familiar with all the issues related to the management of these patients. In this narrative review, we summarize the available evidence in this setting, focusing on perioperative brain protection, cardiorespiratory optimization, and preservation of the coagulative function. An overview on simultaneous multisystem surgery (SMS) is also presented.

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