Hospital care of childhood traumatic brain injury in the United States, 1997–2009: a neurosurgical perspective

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 257-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph H. Piatt ◽  
Daniel A. Neff

Object The goal in this paper was to study hospital care for childhood traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a nationwide population base. Methods Data were acquired from the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) for the years 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006, and 2009. Admission for TBI was defined by any ICD-9-CM diagnostic code for TBI. Admission for severe TBI was defined by a principal diagnostic code for TBI and a procedural code for mechanical ventilation; admissions ending in discharge home alive in less than 4 days were excluded. Results Estimated raw and population-based rates of admission for all TBI, for severe TBI, for death from severe TBI, and for major and minor neurosurgical procedures fell steadily during the study period. Median hospital charges for severe TBI rose steadily, even after adjustment for inflation, but estimated nationwide hospital charges were stable. Among 14,932 actual admissions for severe TBI captured in the KID, case mortality was stable through the study period, at 23.9%. In a multivariate analysis, commercial insurance (OR 0.86, CI 0.77–0.95; p = 0.004) and white race (OR 0.78, CI 0.70–0.87; p < 0.0005) were associated with lower mortality rates, but there was no association between these factors and commitment of resources, as measured by hospital charges or rates of major procedures. Increasing median income of home ZIP code was associated with higher hospital charges and higher rates of major and minor procedures. Only 46.8% of admissions for severe TBI were coded for a neurosurgical procedure of any kind. Fewer admissions were coded for minor neurosurgical procedures than anticipated, and the state-by-state variance in rates of minor procedures was twice as great as for major procedures. Possible explanations for the “missing ICP monitors” are discussed. Conclusions Childhood brain trauma is a shrinking sector of neurosurgical hospital practice. Racial and economic disparities in mortality rates were confirmed in this study, but they were not explained by available metrics of resource commitment. Vigilance is required to continue to supply neurosurgical expertise to the multidisciplinary care process.

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. E4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ethan A. Winkler ◽  
John K. Yue ◽  
John F. Burke ◽  
Andrew K. Chan ◽  
Sanjay S. Dhall ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE Sports-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an important public health concern estimated to affect 300,000 to 3.8 million people annually in the United States. Although injuries to professional athletes dominate the media, this group represents only a small proportion of the overall population. Here, the authors characterize the demographics of sports-related TBI in adults from a community-based trauma population and identify predictors of prolonged hospitalization and increased morbidity and mortality rates. METHODS Utilizing the National Sample Program of the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB), the authors retrospectively analyzed sports-related TBI data from adults (age ≥ 18 years) across 5 sporting categories—fall or interpersonal contact (FIC), roller sports, skiing/snowboarding, equestrian sports, and aquatic sports. Multivariable regression analysis was used to identify predictors of prolonged hospital length of stay (LOS), medical complications, inpatient mortality rates, and hospital discharge disposition. Statistical significance was assessed at α < 0.05, and the Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons was applied for each outcome analysis. RESULTS From 2003 to 2012, in total, 4788 adult sports-related TBIs were documented in the NTDB, which represented 18,310 incidents nationally. Equestrian sports were the greatest contributors to sports-related TBI (45.2%). Mild TBI represented nearly 86% of injuries overall. Mean (± SEM) LOSs in the hospital or intensive care unit (ICU) were 4.25 ± 0.09 days and 1.60 ± 0.06 days, respectively. The mortality rate was 3.0% across all patients, but was statistically higher in TBI from roller sports (4.1%) and aquatic sports (7.7%). Age, hypotension on admission to the emergency department (ED), and the severity of head and extracranial injuries were statistically significant predictors of prolonged hospital and ICU LOSs, medical complications, failure to discharge to home, and death. Traumatic brain injury during aquatic sports was similarly associated with prolonged ICU and hospital LOSs, medical complications, and failure to be discharged to home. CONCLUSIONS Age, hypotension on ED admission, severity of head and extracranial injuries, and sports mechanism of injury are important prognostic variables in adult sports-related TBI. Increasing TBI awareness and helmet use—particularly in equestrian and roller sports—are critical elements for decreasing sports-related TBI events in adults.


2012 ◽  
Vol 70 (8) ◽  
pp. 604-608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosmari A.R.A. Oliveira ◽  
Sebastião Araújo ◽  
Antonio L.E. Falcão ◽  
Silvia M.T.P. Soares ◽  
Carolina Kosour ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) at discharge (GOS-HD) as a prognostic indicator in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHOD: Retrospective data were collected of 45 patients, with Glasgow coma scale <8, age 25±10 years, 36 men, from medical records. Later, at home visit, two measures were scored: GOS-HD (according to information from family members) and GOS LATE (12 months after TBI). RESULTS: At discharge, the ERG showed: vegetative state (VS) in 2 (4%), severe disability (SD) in 27 (60%), moderate disability (MD) in 15 (33%) and good recovery (GR) in 1 (2%). After 12 months: death in 5 (11%), VS in 1 (2%), SD in 7 (16%), MD in 9 (20%) and GR in 23 (51%). Variables associated with poor outcome were: worse GOS-HD (p=0.03), neurosurgical procedures (p=0.008) and the kind of brain injury (p=0.009). CONCLUSION: The GOS-HD was indicator of prognosis in patients with severe TBI.


2013 ◽  
Vol 288 (23) ◽  
pp. 17042-17050 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bridget E. Hawkins ◽  
Shashirekha Krishnamurthy ◽  
Diana L. Castillo-Carranza ◽  
Urmi Sengupta ◽  
Donald S. Prough ◽  
...  

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious problem that affects millions of people in the United States alone. Multiple concussions or even a single moderate to severe TBI can also predispose individuals to develop a pathologically distinct form of tauopathy-related dementia at an early age. No effective treatments are currently available for TBI or TBI-related dementia; moreover, only recently has insight been gained regarding the mechanisms behind their connection. Here, we used antibodies to detect oligomeric and phosphorylated Tau proteins in a non-transgenic rodent model of parasagittal fluid percussion injury. Oligomeric and phosphorylated Tau proteins were detected 4 and 24 h and 2 weeks post-TBI in injured, but not sham control rats. These findings suggest that diagnostic tools and therapeutics that target only toxic forms of Tau may provide earlier detection and safe, more effective treatments for tauopathies associated with repetitive neurotrauma.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 1285-1295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen R Hoskinson ◽  
Erin D Bigler ◽  
Tracy J Abildskov ◽  
Maureen Dennis ◽  
H Gerry Taylor ◽  
...  

Abstract Childhood traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects over 600 000 children per year in the United States. Following TBI, children are vulnerable to deficits in psychosocial adjustment and neurocognition, including social cognition, which persist long-term. They are also susceptible to direct and secondary damage to related brain networks. In this study, we examine whether brain morphometry of the mentalizing network (MN) and theory of mind (ToM; one component of social cognition) mediates the effects of TBI on adjustment. Children with severe TBI (n = 15, Mage = 10.32), complicated mild/moderate TBI (n = 30, Mage = 10.81) and orthopedic injury (OI; n = 42, Mage = 10.65) completed measures of ToM and executive function and underwent MRI; parents rated children’s psychosocial adjustment. Children with severe TBI demonstrated reduced right-hemisphere MN volume, and poorer ToM, vs children with OI. Ordinary least-squares path analysis indicated that right-hemisphere MN volume and ToM mediated the association between severe TBI and adjustment. Parallel analyses substituting the central executive network and executive function were not significant, suggesting some model specificity. Children at greatest risk of poor adjustment after TBI could be identified based in part on neuroimaging of social brain networks and assessment of social cognition and thereby more effectively allocate limited intervention resources.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 334-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaleigh Mellett ◽  
Dianxu Ren ◽  
Sheila Alexander ◽  
Nicole Osier ◽  
Sue R. Beers ◽  
...  

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability, with more than 5 million people in the United States living with long-term complications related to TBI. This study examined the relationship between TP53, the gene that codes for the protein p53, and outcome variability following severe TBI. The p53 protein impacts neuronal apoptosis following TBI, thus investigation into TP53 genetic variability as a prognosticator for TBI outcomes (mortality, Glasgow Outcome Scale [GOS], Neurobehavioral Rating Scale [NRS], and Disability Rating Scale [DRS]) is warranted. Participants ( N = 429) with severe TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale score ≤8) were enrolled into a prospective study with outcomes assessed over 24 months following injury. The single-nucleotide polymorphism Arg72Pro (rs1042522), a functional missense polymorphism for which the CC homozygous genotype is most efficient at inducing apoptosis, was investigated. Individuals with the CC genotype (arginine homozygotes) were more likely to have poorer outcomes at 24 months following TBI compared to individuals with CG/GG genotypes (GOS: p = .048, DRS: p = .022). These findings add to preliminary evidence that p53 plays a role in recovery following TBI and, if further replicated, could support investigations into p53-based therapies for treating TBI.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 237437352199885
Author(s):  
Nathaniel V Mohatt ◽  
Carlee J Kreisel ◽  
Lisa A Brenner ◽  

Despite the fact that millions of individuals living in the United States are coping with disabilities associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI), limited work has explored strategies for patient engagement in research among those with such injuries. The Coalition for Recovery and Innovation in Traumatic Brain Injury Care Across the Lifespan (CRITICAL) brought together those living with TBI, caregivers, clinicians, researchers, and advocates with the goal of developing a new patient-centered research agenda. This platform was also used to explore strategies to engage those with moderate to severe TBI in the research process. The CRITICAL was formed of 6 survivors of moderate to severe TBI, 2 caregivers of survivors of moderate to severe TBI, and 8 TBI professionals. The CRITICAL identified 3 priority topic areas: Relationship Quality, Caregiver Needs, and Thriving. Furthermore, strategies associated with Communication, Preparation, and the Environment facilitated research engagement. Employing the strategies outlined in this article is expected to promote patient engagement in clinical research, which can improve patient-centered interventions and outcomes for individuals living with TBI.


2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. E3 ◽  
Author(s):  
John K. Yue ◽  
Ethan A. Winkler ◽  
John F. Burke ◽  
Andrew K. Chan ◽  
Sanjay S. Dhall ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children is a significant public health concern estimated to result in over 500,000 emergency department (ED) visits and more than 60,000 hospitalizations in the United States annually. Sports activities are one important mechanism leading to pediatric TBI. In this study, the authors characterize the demographics of sports-related TBI in the pediatric population and identify predictors of prolonged hospitalization and of increased morbidity and mortality rates. METHODS Utilizing the National Sample Program of the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB), the authors retrospectively analyzed sports-related TBI data from children (age 0–17 years) across 5 sports categories: fall or interpersonal contact (FIC), roller sports, skiing/snowboarding, equestrian sports, and aquatic sports. Multivariable regression analysis was used to identify predictors of prolonged length of stay (LOS) in the hospital or intensive care unit (ICU), medical complications, inpatient mortality rates, and hospital discharge disposition. Statistical significance was assessed at α < 0.05, and the Bonferroni correction (set at significance threshold p = 0.01) for multiple comparisons was applied in each outcome analysis. RESULTS From 2003 to 2012, in total 3046 pediatric sports-related TBIs were recorded in the NTDB, and these injuries represented 11,614 incidents nationally after sample weighting. Fall or interpersonal contact events were the greatest contributors to sports-related TBI (47.4%). Mild TBI represented 87.1% of the injuries overall. Mean (± SEM) LOSs in the hospital and ICU were 2.68 ± 0.07 days and 2.73 ± 0.12 days, respectively. The overall mortality rate was 0.8%, and the prevalence of medical complications was 2.1% across all patients. Severities of head and extracranial injuries were significant predictors of prolonged hospital and ICU LOSs, medical complications, failure to discharge to home, and death. Hypotension on admission to the ED was a significant predictor of failure to discharge to home (OR 0.05, 95% CI 0.03–0.07, p < 0.001). Traumatic brain injury incurred during roller sports was independently associated with prolonged hospital LOS compared with FIC events (mean increase 0.54 ± 0.15 days, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS In pediatric sports-related TBI, the severities of head and extracranial traumas are important predictors of patients developing acute medical complications, prolonged hospital and ICU LOSs, in-hospital mortality rates, and failure to discharge to home. Acute hypotension after a TBI event decreases the probability of successful discharge to home. Increasing TBI awareness and use of head-protective gear, particularly in high-velocity sports in older age groups, is necessary to prevent pediatric sports-related TBI or to improve outcomes after a TBI.


2015 ◽  
Vol 122 (1) ◽  
pp. 202-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Halinder S. Mangat ◽  
Ya-Lin Chiu ◽  
Linda M. Gerber ◽  
Marjan Alimi ◽  
Jamshid Ghajar ◽  
...  

OBJECT Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with a higher mortality rate and poor outcome. Mannitol and hypertonic saline (HTS) have both been used to treat high ICP, but it is unclear which one is more effective. Here, the authors compare the effect of mannitol versus HTS on lowering the cumulative and daily ICP burdens after severe TBI. METHODS The Brain Trauma Foundation TBI-trac New York State database was used for this retrospective study. Patients with severe TBI and intracranial hypertension who received only 1 type of hyperosmotic agent, mannitol or HTS, were included. Patients in the 2 groups were individually matched for Glasgow Coma Scale score (GCS), pupillary reactivity, craniotomy, occurrence of hypotension on Day 1, and the day of ICP monitor insertion. Patients with missing or erroneous data were excluded. Cumulative and daily ICP burdens were used as primary outcome measures. The cumulative ICP burden was defined as the total number of days with an ICP of > 25 mm Hg, expressed as a percentage of the total number of days of ICP monitoring. The daily ICP burden was calculated as the mean daily duration of an ICP of > 25 mm Hg, expressed as the number of hours per day. The numbers of intensive care unit (ICU) days, numbers of days with ICP monitoring, and 2-week mortality rates were also compared between the groups. A 2-sample t-test or chi-square test was used to compare independent samples. The Wilcoxon signed-rank or Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test was used for comparing matched samples. RESULTS A total of 35 patients who received only HTS and 477 who received only mannitol after severe TBI were identified. Eight patients in the HTS group were excluded because of erroneous or missing data, and 2 other patients did not have matches in the mannitol group. The remaining 25 patients were matched 1:1. Twenty-four patients received 3% HTS, and 1 received 23.4% HTS as bolus therapy. All 25 patients in the mannitol group received 20% mannitol. The mean cumulative ICP burden (15.52% [HTS] vs 36.5% [mannitol]; p = 0.003) and the mean (± SD) daily ICP burden (0.3 ± 0.6 hours/day [HTS] vs 1.3 ± 1.3 hours/day [mannitol]; p = 0.001) were significantly lower in the HTS group. The mean (± SD) number of ICU days was significantly lower in the HTS group than in the mannitol group (8.5 ± 2.1 vs 9.8 ± 0.6, respectively; p = 0.004), whereas there was no difference in the numbers of days of ICP monitoring (p = 0.09). There were no significant differences between the cumulative median doses of HTS and mannitol (p = 0.19). The 2-week mortality rate was lower in the HTS group, but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.56). CONCLUSIONS HTS given as bolus therapy was more effective than mannitol in lowering the cumulative and daily ICP burdens after severe TBI. Patients in the HTS group had significantly lower number of ICU days. The 2-week mortality rates were not statistically different between the 2 groups.


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. e11-e20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali A. Saherwala ◽  
Mary Kay Bader ◽  
Sonja E. Stutzman ◽  
Stephen A. Figueroa ◽  
Jamshid Ghajar ◽  
...  

BACKGROUNDThe Brain Trauma Foundation has developed treatment guidelines for the care of patients with acute traumatic brain injury. The Adam Williams Initiative is a program established to provide education and resources to encourage hospitals across the United States to incorporate the guidelines into practice.OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship in hospitals between participation in the Adam Williams Initiative and adherence to the Brain Trauma Foundation guidelines for patients with acute traumatic brain injury.METHODHospitals that participated in the Adam Williams Initiative entered data into an online tracking system of patients with traumatic brain injury for at least 2 years after the initial site training. Data included baseline hospital records and daily records on hospital care of patients with traumatic brain injury, including blood pressure, intracranial pressure, cerebral perfusion pressure, oxygenation, and other data relevant to the 15 key metrics in the Brain Trauma Foundation guidelines.RESULTSThe 16 hospitals funded by the Adam Williams Initiative had good overall adherence to the 15 key metrics of the recommendations detailed in the Brain Trauma Foundation guidelines. Variability in results was primarily due to data collection methods and analysis.CONCLUSIONSThe Adam Williams Initiative helps promote adherence to the Brain Trauma Foundation guidelines for hospital care of patients with traumatic brain injury by providing a platform for developing and standardizing best practices. Participation in the initiative is associated with high adherence to clinical guidelines, a situation that may subsequently improve care and outcomes for patients with traumatic brain injury.


Neurosurgery ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 66 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany M Stopa ◽  
Elisabetta Mezzalira ◽  
Ajaz Khawaja ◽  
Saef Izzy ◽  
William B Gormley

Abstract INTRODUCTION The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that there were 2.87 million cases of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the United States in 2014. Some studies suggest a connection between TBI and increased risk of dementia, but it remains unclear whether the risk increases with age and TBI severity. Given our aging population, it is essential to better characterize the link between TBI and dementia. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 2 major academic medical centers for years 2000 to 2015. We identified all patients with TBI, aged 45 and older. Variables included age, TBI severity, pre-existing dementia, dementia diagnosed after TBI, years to dementia, and follow-up time. TBI severity was determined by head/neck AIS score, using ICD-PIC software. Mild TBI was defined as AIS 0 to 2, and moderate/severe as AIS 3 to 6. Analysis was done in R.v.3.0.1 software. RESULTS Overall, there were 14 199 patients with TBI, of which 9938 (70%) were mild and 4261 (30%) were moderate/severe. Mean age was 70.5 (± 14.0). There were 1422 cases (10%) of pre-existing dementia, and 850 (6%) cases of dementia diagnosed after TBI. The mean follow-up time was 1129 (± 1,474) d. The 75 to 84 age group had the highest incidence of TBI (28%). When compared by age group and TBI severity, the proportion of moderate/severe TBI increased with increasing age. The proportion of pre-existing dementia increased with age, as expected. Notably, there is increased incidence of dementia after TBI in patients aged 65 and older (7%-10%, P < .001). There was no observed effect of TBI severity on the risk of dementia after TBI. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that TBI is a risk factor for the development of dementia, especially in patients aged 65 and older. This points to the need for public health measures to mitigate the risk of TBI in this patient population.


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