The Outcome of Cervical Spine Injury Associated with Traumatic Brain Injuries: Tertiary Care Hospital Study

Objective: Outcome of cervical spine injury associated with traumatic brain injuries. Materials & Methods: This study is a cross-sectional descriptive study that was performed at the Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre, Karachi. 158 total patients were included in the study, this study by non-probability consecutive sampling. The diagnosis was based primarily on a CT scan brain plain and an x-ray of the cervical spine of all the patients who were admitted to the ward. Results: Among 158, the age distribution of the patient was observed as 43(27%)patients presented as less than 20 years, 32(20%) were between the age of 21-30 years range, 28(18%) patients were ranged between 31-40 years, 16(10%) patients aged in a range of 41-50 years while 39(25%) were above 50 years. Head injury severity was observed at 47% as mild head injury, 32% as moderate injury and 21% had a severe head injury while cervical injury in association with traumatic brain injury was found in 10% of patients. Conclusion: The prevalence of cervical traumatic injury associated with moderate to severe head injury remained similar in the world overall with minute differences in the percentages that we have noticed in our study. The severity of the head injury is directly proportional to cervical injury.

Preoperative brain shift is a prognostic factor for survival in certain neurosurgical diseases other than severe head injury: a case series and literature review

Preoperative brain shift after severe brain injury is a prognostic factor for survival. The aim of this study was to determine whether preoperative brain shift in conditions other than severe head injury has significant prognostic value. We analyzed a radiological database of 800 consecutive patients, who underwent neurosurgical treatment. Brain shift was measured at two anatomical landmarks: Monro’s foramina (MF) and the corpus callosum (CC). Four hundred seventy-three patients were included. The disease exerting the highest mean brain shift was acute subdural hematoma (MF 11.6 mm, CC 12.4 mm), followed by intraparenchymal hematoma (MF 10.2 mm, CC 10.3 mm) and malignant ischemia (MF 10.4 mm, CC 10.5 mm). On univariate analysis, brain shift was a significant negative factor for survival in all diseases (p < 0.001). Analyzed individually by group, brain shift at both anatomical landmarks had a statistically significant effect on survival in malignant ischemia and at one anatomical landmark in chronic subdural and intraparenchymal hematomas. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the only independent factor negatively impacting survival was brain shift at MF (OR = 0.89; 95% CI: 0.84–0.95) and CC (OR = 0.90; 95% CI: 0.85–0.96). Brain shift is a prognostic factor for survival in patients with expansive intracranial lesions in certain neurosurgical diseases. MF and CC are reliable anatomical landmarks and should be quoted routinely in radiological reports as well as in neurosurgical practice.

A study of correlation of degree of midline shift on computed tomography scan and Glasgow coma scale in patients of acute traumatic head injury

Background: Traumatic brain injury is one of most common cause of death in road traffic accident. Most of these classified as mild injury, with approximately 20% classified as moderate to severe. Approximate 50% of the 150,000 trauma deaths every year are caused by head injury.Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 150 patients with a head injury admitted in the Hamidia hospital, Bhopal. The assessment of the severity of head injury using Glasgow coma scale (GCS) at the time of admission, follow up on 5 days and 15 days respectively. The collected data were transformed into variables, coded and entered in Microsoft excel. Data were analyzed and statistically evaluated using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS)-PC-21 version.Results: Out of 150, a total of 115 patients had no midline shift while 35 patients were having midline shift. Severe head injury patients (GCS 3-8) were having more morbidity and mortality. Moderate head injury (GCS 9-13) was associated with good prognosis and low mortality. A greater degree of midline shift of (more than 5 mm) is indicated severe head injury and is significantly associated with morbid outcome and higher mortality.Conclusions: In our study, road traffic accidents is the most common cause of head injury, with males being affected more than females. The degree of midline shift on computed tomography (CT) scan head in patients with head injuries was found to be significantly associated with high mortality and morbidity.

Effect of Concomitant Extra cranial Injury in outcome of moderate and severe head injury patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital in western Nepal

Background: Polytrauma is a term used to describe the patients those are severely injured associated with other injuries (i.e. two or more severe injuries in at least two areas of the body), less often with a multiple injury (i.e. two or more severe injuries in one body area). More than 40% of the patient of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) dies due to extra cranial causes. We hypothesized that extra cranial injuries with polytrauma may alter TBI outcomes and perform the study. Materials and methods: An analytical study was done with the patient of moderate to severe head injury admitted to neurosurgery Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Manipal Teaching Hospital in between January to December 2019. The objective of the study was to assess the impact of concomitant extra cranial injury (Polytrauma) in the outcome of Moderate to severe head injury. Results: In our study it is seen that, those individuals who have presented delayed in emergency department from the time of incidence under the influence of alcohol, likewise with mean Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) below 8.16+/-3.22 and abnormal pupils, high injury severity score (ISS), and with polytrauma have poorer outcomes. Conclusion: Concomitant extra cranial injuries, injury severity score(ISS),injuries associated under the influence of alcohol, delayed presentation in emergency after incident, GCS below 9 during presentation in ER and abnormal pupils during examinations are the strong predicting factors for the poor outcome of patient with traumatic brain injury.

Delays in emergency department intervention for patients with traumatic brain injury in Uganda

BackgroundIn Sub-Saharan African countries, the incidence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is estimated to be many folds higher than the global average and outcome is hugely impacted by access to healthcare services and quality of care. We conducted an analysis of the TBI registry data to determine the disparities and delays in treatment for patients presenting at a tertiary care hospital in Uganda and to identify factors predictive of delayed treatment initiation.MethodsThe study was conducted at the Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala. The study included all patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with suspected or documented TBI. Early treatment was defined as first intervention within 4 hours of ED presentation—a cut-off determined using sensitivity analysis to injury severity. Descriptive statistics were generated and Pearson’s χ2 test was used to assess the sample distribution between treatment time categories. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models with <0.05 level of significance were used to derive the associations between patient characteristics and early intervention for TBI.ResultsOf 3944 patients, only 4.6% (n=182) received an intervention for TBI management within 1 hour of ED presentation, whereas 17.4% of patients (n=708) received some treatment within 4 hours of presentation. 19% of those with one or more serious injuries and 18% of those with moderate to severe head injury received care within 4 hours of arrival. Factors independently associated with early treatment included young age, severe head injury, and no known pre-existing conditions, whereas older or female patients had significantly less odds of receiving early treatment.DiscussionWith the increasing number of patients with TBI, ensuring early and appropriate management must be a priority for Ugandan hospitals. Delay in initiation of treatment may impact survival and functional outcome. Gender-related and age-related disparities in care should receive attention and targeted interventions.Level of evidencePrognostic and epidemiological study; level II evidence.